“Yuppie 911” reminds of those calling 911 on their cell phone because McDonalds got there order wrong. For these individuals they should be charged for equipment use and man hours.

For these inexperienced Goobers with their water tasting salty, sounds to me they used tap water from the local area and wonder if they should have been out there in the first place, but this is the United States and you have the freedom of choice and to be stupid. The problem is there are those who abuse this privilege and I will say to a point, they should be held accountable but of course you can’t fix stupid!

I do carry an “EPRB” Emergency Positioning Radio Beacon called “SPOT” (findmespot.com) and the functions of notifying a selected person or persons your “OK” or need none life threatening help or 911 Emergency Medical and Law Enforcement response for a life threatening condition or just tracking your wear abouts, I love it. Even if I’m unable to initiate the 911, my Wife can access the internet and know my exact location and how long I’ve been there and the path I used to get there including if I’m still moving or not.

As I moved from State to State I always was heavily involved in Local, State and Federal Search & Rescue Teams. Should “EPRB” Emergency Positioning Radio Beacon be considered as a must have or perhaps as go as far as to say be mandatory for venturing into some areas? I say yes!

“Yuppie 911”? Like I said, you can’t fix stupid!

I like to tell my wife when I'm leaving, who I'm with, where I'm going, when I'll call to check in, and when I'll be back and little else. I really feel no need to have someone track my whereabouts, not that it is a bad thing to do otherwise. Been to a bunch of rodeos, several state fairs, a couple of gunfights, a hog callin's and a mule pullin' and and made it home just fine....

I did rent a satellite cell phone once for a solo trip hunting in Montana where there is no cell service but never used it. Those SPOT things seem to be a good idea for some.

If I compare it to what it takes to get me to the doctor or emergency room, then I would probably only push the button when death is eminent or all other options are futile.

My Granddaddy passed away in the woods by himself. He got his truck stuck, and then had a heart attack trying to get it unstuck. This was 1978, and back then maybe a CB was the best you could do. He had let folks know where he was going and when he'd be there, but he didn't tell anyone he was stopping off to check the back part of this piece of property.

I think about those events all the time. He wasn't really that far out of reach, maybe 5 miles from a road. But the place he was in was so thick even the air search never saw him or his white pickup. It took someone on foot searching to find him. That was 3 days later.

Now we have cell phones with GPS, we have satphones, we have all these wonderful things. I think they have probably saved a lot of folks' bacon, but with God knows how many false alarms. I would say with the convenience comes responsibility when using these EPRBs and SPOT devices. I have seen the SPOT's for sale at a local shop. When I first saw them, I was like "Who in the Hell needs one of those in S. GA?.......Oh, yeah......."

I have not bought one yet but I probably will. There will be no b!+c#!ng about water being salty if I ever have push that red button.

RJ - +1. You are 100% dead on the money. Hell, I'm a musician, and I don't even take the iPOD with me. Those folks should be billed for the full cost of response to their 'emergencies". And then prosecuted for fraud.

In Army survival courses, I learned to be calm and don't panic when you found yourself alone and on your own. What these crying wolf clowns will do is cause those that legitimately need help to not be able to do so. These back to nature freaks need to stay home or ask someone to teach them how to think and survive in the wild. Pathetic.

If I were on the team I would have transported them back to the nearest big city in the worst neighborhood I could find and say see ya in three days MAYBE!

Now that I can get behind neuman, at 68 I don't drag too well anymore!

Send the dumbasses a bill. Problem solved.

I say you should foot the bill for false emergencies. Great tool that can cause a huge waste of resources if not used properly

Charlie Elk -
I am one thousand per cent in agreement with you. The main reason I would have one is so that my family possibly wouldn't go through now what we did back then. Not for me so much, but for their sake. And then it might actually save somebody too. Then again, they may want my ornery a$$ gone...who can figure?

I was sad that my Granddaddy passed like he did but I am thankful to the Good Lord that it was in the woods - his favorite place - than some nursing home.

We seem to have a rare and wonderful harmony here. Never have I used such a thing, nor would I. Breaks the kiss rule and Hey, if being stupid doesn't get you kilt anymore, how can you teach people not to be stupid? Used to be "Fools Die!" and there was this deterrent factor, see...But we wouln't be able to hand out Darwin Awards anymore if Idiots keep getting to go off, do stupid things AND LIVE! How will we ever thin the herd?
As far as Granpa getting a heart attack in the back 40, dyin' and not gettin' found for 3 days, my condolences. My Grampa died tied drooling in his wheelchair, I thought he could recognise me but Alzheimers took his toungue and he was beyond speech. I'll take the heart attack in the woods any day over that slow zombification My grampa suffered. He made it to 82 and had about 75 great years before brain rot set in. Now both of our grandaddys rest, hopefully in peace and we'll all join 'em soon enough.

Hey Bella more eloquent that I. Dittos.

Hey sgaredneck no disrespect intended to you, your family or grandpa.

later,
charlie

Charlie Elk - no disrespect taken. I knew where you were coming from. Maybe we'll meet in 'church' sometime. I feel the same way you do about that.

I say charge them the fee of the rescue. I believe that it should be a case by case basis but when people start to get charged because of their stupidity others around tend to take notice.

charlie elk

The chances of me using the 911 on my"SPOT" would be for some other person seriously injured.

Back in 85-85 trying to remember, I have taken my CB out of my truck and in the process of rerunning the coax that day. I got everything ran and a friend of called and said lets go Dove Hunting. I didn't figure I needed the radio so I swooped over and picked up Sam Johnson and the rest of the gang and went. When I returned home, I found out all hell has broken lose and I had Alamogordo Search and Rescue and Holloman AFB trying to get a hold of me. A Boy Scout in Dog Canyon was rock climbing and fell puncturing a lung and the fastest way into the area is on horse back. To finish the story, New Mexico State Police contacted the Holloman Air Force Base for air lift because Air Rescue was tied up on a hiker someplace else and didn't have the fuel to get there. Holloman couldn't dispatch the rescue helicopter because they had to get permission from Hill AFB Utah and everyone was out. Luckily a surgeon just happen to be in the area from El Paso Texas and performed emergency first care. Finally the Holloman Rescue Helicopter was on it's way and before it could do anything had to burn off fuel. Once they got the Boy Scout on board the Patient died five minutes later. Here's another twist to this story, this happened on Sunday and the next day my Branch Chief was cracking jokes about this kid that he deserved what he got climbing and I was a fool to get involved and now the story comes full circle. Later that day my Branch Chief found out this Boy Scout was his best Friends Son and both his boy and this pathetic Boy Scout was best friends too!

It has taken me years to get over this and came to rest knowing I really believe now may radio wouldn't have made a difference. But what I do know today's electronics if they had it back then, this Young Man would be alive and well!

I remember hiking with a friend of mine once, and we managed to get a little turned around. I knew the area, and knew all we had to do was hike back up a particular mountain, and we would come to a road, and follow it back down to our camp. My friend was very worried, and had me call 911. I wish I hadn't done it. Even at that age (I was about 14) I knew how expensive it could be if search and rescue was called. Fortunately, all that was sent was a very nice police officer who offered to give us a ride back to our camp (we had since then found the road). Seems to me like some folks go for help right away because it's so easy to call. I definitely agree that those guys should pay the costs of those rescue men. Oh, and a little common sense can go a very, very long way too.

Should not only be charged $$$ for the "rescues" but also have charges brought against them.

They should be charged for the fuel, if not fined for being incompotent or a danger to others. The person who commented on thew ability to communicate via cell phone, that would be a good subject to notify the SPOT people with. My ret. combat vet was almost in tears, saying that he will loose the ability to go outdoors because of the fault of others. It would be a shame if this happens but all it ever takes is a couple of knuckleheads to ruin it for everyone. They should be fined and baned from going outside without proper supervision!