The New York Times reports on jerks and fools in the national parks. An excerpt:
The national parks’ history is full of examples of misguided visitors feeding bears, putting children on buffalos for photos and dipping into geysers despite signs warning of scalding temperatures.
But today, as an ever more wired and interconnected public visits the parks in rising numbers — July was a record month for visitors at Yellowstone — rangers say that technology often figures into such mishaps.
People with cellphones call rangers from mountaintops to request refreshments or a guide; in Jackson Hole, Wyo., one lost hiker even asked for hot chocolate.
A French teenager was injured after plunging 75 feet this month from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon when he backed up while taking pictures. And last fall, a group of hikers in the canyon called in rescue helicopters three times by pressing the emergency button on their satellite location device. When rangers arrived the second time, the hikers explained that their water supply “tasted salty.”
I think part of this is explained right off: stupid people have always visited the parks. The new info world has meant that stories about them are more likely to be spread, even while it’s easier for them to make fools of themselves. It should also be easier than ever, however, to ensure they’re financially responsible for rescue services that had nothing to do with actual rescue.