-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Maps-L] Re: Death by GPS
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 01:57:03 -0800
From: Virginia R Hetrick PhD <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>
Hi, folks -
The lost in the desert with GPS onboard is true according to some NPS
rangers who were involved.
<rant>
One that we frequently hear about in Southern California is people who
go into the San Gabriel or San Bernardino Mountains with 12 or 24
ounce bottle of water, their cell phone, and (mebbe) their camera. No
family member or friend usually has a clue about where they might be.
Eight or twelve or 16 hours later, they haven't come home. So, the
police get called and a search ensues for the parking location of the
car. Outfits like the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team (a private,
volunteer organization as I understand things) get called out. They
inevitably spend hours looking for said lost hiker. Invariably, the
store is that the lost hiker had the GPS turned on in a live cell
phones so why didn't (a) the rangers, (b) the police/sheriff, or (c)
private landowners come and get them? Duh!
The first thing is that most of them aren't in areas that have cell
coverage and haven't a clue that's the situation. Then, they think
said organizations should KNOW that they are in trouble. I call it
"magical thinking".
Once I later talked to one such person and I asked why the dude
thought about being more prepared than that. Turns out, he thought
there were receivers "all over the mountains" just waiting for his
cell phone to send a signal that he was in trouble, the family members
at home wouldn't even have to become involved. And, things went
downhill from there.
I must say that, having grown up near forests/wilderness areas and
having participated in several searches for lost hikers in the Olympic
Mountains, life among searchers has become more complex rather than
less complex since people stopped learning basic safety rules because
they figure the world will look out for them and it's not their
responsibility to look out for the world.
Sheesh!
</rant>
I trust this crowd understands I think the people who do things like
this are twits! ;~(
v
-------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia R. Hetrick, here in sunny California
Email: [log in to unmask]
"There is always hope."
My fave: http://www.washington.edu/cambots/camera1_l.gif
There's no place like: 34N 8' 25.40", 117W 58'5.36"
if you can't be at: 48N 6' 59.9" 122W 59' 54.2"
-------------------------------------------------------------
|
