Idiots shouldn’t be allowed to mess with Mother Nature on public property.
Arrogance and poor judgment on Oregon’s Mount Hood led to the loss of one life and probable loss of two others--plus expenditure of thousands of taxpayer dollars in 11 recent days of futile attempts to rescue three stranded mountain climbers from Texas and New York.
County, state and federal personnel and equipment—plus scores of volunteers—tried in vain to find the so-called “experts” on the treacherous hurricane-hammered glaciers of the 11,239-foot dormant volcano.
Those “experienced” adventurers declined to pay $5 to rent easily activated radio transponders that accurately pinpoint locations of lost hikers, skiers and climbers.
Hikers, skiers and climbers on government property should be required to rent those location devices and pay reasonable insurance premiums to cover the costs of rescue efforts.
Or regulations should prohibit public access to dangerous areas when weather or other conditions pose unacceptable risks. Period. (24 DECEMBER 2006)
