I saw a program once on car safety. The narrator asked (rhetorically) "imagine you were driving a car that had been proven to protect you no matter how badly you crashed, and how fast you went. No matter what, you would not get hurt." Eventually, you would probably be driving very fast and very carelessly.
"Now imagine you were driving a car without seatbelts or airbags and with a long steel spike mounted on the steering wheel pointing directly at your chest" How would you drive? Probably very very cautiously.
I see the SPOT as being the same way - you give people a 'get out of trouble' card and they are going to push the limits without regard for being prepared because.....they have their 'get out of trouble' card. They can press the button and everything will be ok.
This is already being borne out - pretty much all of the SPOT rescues I have heard about were for people who got a SPOT and then went out into the wilderness totally unprepared and ill equipped.
All of the people who used to go out into the wilderness, with the proper respect for the conditions, proper planning and preparation, are still doing that but they don't need rescuing.
.02, for what its worth.
"Now imagine you were driving a car without seatbelts or airbags and with a long steel spike mounted on the steering wheel pointing directly at your chest" How would you drive? Probably very very cautiously.
I see the SPOT as being the same way - you give people a 'get out of trouble' card and they are going to push the limits without regard for being prepared because.....they have their 'get out of trouble' card. They can press the button and everything will be ok.
This is already being borne out - pretty much all of the SPOT rescues I have heard about were for people who got a SPOT and then went out into the wilderness totally unprepared and ill equipped.
All of the people who used to go out into the wilderness, with the proper respect for the conditions, proper planning and preparation, are still doing that but they don't need rescuing.
.02, for what its worth.