Leslie Kaufman has an article for the New York Times about how technology gives folks an unwarranted sense of security causing them to take risks in the National Parks. To some extent, the article has more than a whiff of the “kids these days are stupider and lazier” genre about it. But, there is some truth in it as well.
Folks go hiking with a cell phone but no water; or they call in emergency rescue when there really isn’t an emergency. I wonder how much of this has to do with technology making us stupider, and how much is simply related to the fact that our society has transformed to a state where we don’t have as much contact with nature as we did in the past.
In any case, I am reminded of and thankful for my Dad’s stern little speech one day before my friend Tom and I were headed into the mountains for maybe the first time on our own. My Dad is normally joking and not given to a lot of somber discussion. But he got dead serious and said something to the effect of, “you take those mountains seriously or they’ll kill you.” The National Parks are great resources, but I think we forget that they aren’t altogether tame and they aren’t amusement parks.
My opinion is that it is more the general disconnect from nature that you cite. Having done some serious backwoods hiking and camping, where cell phones are as useful as an 800-lb slab of concrete, I’ve seen people terribly under-equipped, and the only saving graces were the moderate weather and presence of well-equipped campers. I get the sense that some think of a mile-long hike (which is a short one) in exactly the same terms as a mile-long walk in the city. More to it than just distance.
The other thing is the sense of effort it takes to find a truly remote place. I think it breeds the notion that people are all around you, and if something awful occurs, no problem, rescue is near.
I was amazed at the Grand Canyon watching people with kids – kids wandering around playing near the edge of cliffs with little to no railings, kids wandering around in flimsy sandals (sturdy shoes are recommended for so many reasons), kids letting wild animals eat out of their hands – squirrels, racoons… crazy behavior.
An Indystar article realting to your line of work, Doug.
Debt Court