Re: [Paddlewise] SPOT anxiety

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:01 PM, Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 8:01 PM, Bob Myers <qajaqbob_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I think that's ridiculous.  And a somewhat panic-stricken fear in and of
>> itself.
>>
>> You're saying that because the Coast Guard is not going to search on
>> the basis of a lack of SPOT check-ins, it's not going to search on any
>> overdue basis at all?  Quit panicking.
>
> Oh please, Bob... we're just laying out some issues that no one had thought
> of when SPOT came out on the market. No one is talking about panic except
> you.

Oh please yourself.  You responded to my comment to Alex about how the
device isn't going to be useless with its 911 feature by saying it
would force the Coast Guard to ignore any overdue people at all?
That's an overblown reaction.  That's not going to happen, and I think
you even know that if you calm down about it.

> That's not the point. The point is that once the USCG implements the policies
> to protect them from the panic-strucken SPOT users you will not have access
> to any other means of telling the USCG there is a problem other than SPOT
> or one of the new EPIRBs. This is a swell marketing service for SPOT but not
> so hot for people who might run into trouble north of Orcas Island and not had
> the foresight to pay up for their SPOT.
>
> We know that SPOT will do 911 notifications. But right now there are free
> alternatives to paying up every month. Alternatives that work. But probably
> won't in a year or so.

Even if that's so, which I strongly doubt, why are you so offended at
paying $100/year or buying an EPIRB when going into a situation like
that?  Sorry, but that's really cheap insurance.   Take some
responsibility for yourself - $100/year is not much money when you
consider the cost of search and rescue which someone has to pay for.
Properly used, you can use SPOT to let your family know you're ok even
when you are delayed, and so they don't have to send out search and
rescue when you're late.

No, I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who are too cheap to pay
up.  Sure, there are other reasons SPOT can fail, and I can understand
issues there, but your "free alternatives" comment does bug me.
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