Stranded mountain climbers...doh!
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From: Huntsville
^^^ OK, but that doesn't make it all right.
I have no problem with mountain climbing. Even in the winter (it sounds like fun), but that doesn't excuse stupid behavior. The problem is that these people seem to expect the tax-paying public to come to their rescue at any expense after engaging in obviously high-risk activities with no external liability. I drive a car, which is risky, but I have insurance because I know that accidents happen, and I personally cannot afford the worst that could happen.
Seriously, how much does it cost to operate US millitary Black Hawks and Chinooks for a week looking for some morons who were very unprepared for the conditions and obviously couldn't afford to pay for their own (unsuccessful) rescue? If I fell off a deep-sea fishing boat caught in a storm, would the Navy send a nuclear submarine with the latest gizmos to find me? I wouldn't expect them to...
Even with the latest incident with people who did, according to the news, "everything right" (except for being there in the first place; oh, and falling over a bluff because they were out in white-out conditions), who pays for it?
I have no problem with mountain climbing. Even in the winter (it sounds like fun), but that doesn't excuse stupid behavior. The problem is that these people seem to expect the tax-paying public to come to their rescue at any expense after engaging in obviously high-risk activities with no external liability. I drive a car, which is risky, but I have insurance because I know that accidents happen, and I personally cannot afford the worst that could happen.
Seriously, how much does it cost to operate US millitary Black Hawks and Chinooks for a week looking for some morons who were very unprepared for the conditions and obviously couldn't afford to pay for their own (unsuccessful) rescue? If I fell off a deep-sea fishing boat caught in a storm, would the Navy send a nuclear submarine with the latest gizmos to find me? I wouldn't expect them to...
Even with the latest incident with people who did, according to the news, "everything right" (except for being there in the first place; oh, and falling over a bluff because they were out in white-out conditions), who pays for it?
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From: SJC
Originally Posted by Gymkata,Feb 20 2007, 01:43 PM
OT, but I had to ask...when one of them millionaire douchbags tries to circumvent the world in his baloons, and crashes, who pays for the rescue effort?
1. He has a personal liability rider greater than my salary over 10 lifetimes.
2. Item #1 will be hit up by said country.
3. Because he's Richard Branson, said country will DEFINITELY hit him up (knowing that he has more wealth than many Micronesian GDPs).
That said, they often let some crap slide with the peons: it's a good excuse to see if some of their rescue stuff works.
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From: Orange County
I still don't understand why you can climb Mt. Hood during the winter without being questioned... but I still can't drive to the grocery store without my seatbelt, because I might get a ticket?
We make sooo many laws that infringe on normal people and their rights to assume personal risk, but we let these morons spend millions every year in rescue efforts.
We make sooo many laws that infringe on normal people and their rights to assume personal risk, but we let these morons spend millions every year in rescue efforts.
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Originally Posted by OCMusicJunkie,Feb 21 2007, 12:00 AM
I still don't understand why you can climb Mt. Hood during the winter without being questioned... but I still can't drive to the grocery store without my seatbelt, because I might get a ticket?
We make sooo many laws that infringe on normal people and their rights to assume personal risk, but we let these morons spend millions every year in rescue efforts.
We make sooo many laws that infringe on normal people and their rights to assume personal risk, but we let these morons spend millions every year in rescue efforts.
very well put
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