Considering all the rescues, maybe Norway should consider this? New Hampshire Charges Hikers with Crime for Being Unprepared.
Considering all the rescues, maybe Norway should consider this? New Hampshire Charges Hikers with Crime for Being Unprepared.
13 comments
Meh. Who gets to decide what constitutes prepared and unprepared? Do we really need the government (metaphorically) looking inside our rucksacks?
The problem with this is it portrays the outdoors as a particularly dangerous place, which is only for the *real* experienced experts. Not for the likes of you.
Also, having a crime on the books to punish the reckless isn’t going to dissuade the sort of person who gets in these situations. There’s no deterrent value to it. There’ll be just as many incidents. Worse, **it might prevent people from seeking help** earlier than they might otherwise, as they might fear the legal consequences of their actions (albeit too late).
Let’s keep things the way they are here.
In other parts of the world you are expected to get insurance.
Being unprepared is stupidity not a crime. The business people who make money from tourism should be better at having tour guides in place who can guide tourists and prevent unprepared hikers from embarking on the most demanding mountain tours.
No way. Who’s to decide what’s prepared and unprepared? No reason to criminalise going for a hike. We shouldn’t discourage people from hiking.
Can’t hinder a human going off into the woods or mountains. Maybe giving out fines for having to be rescued is a ok method since it’s usually volunteers going after the lost ones
There are talks about having those rescued pay for their rescue if it turns out that they were unprepared for their hike (going without warm clothes when forecast says snow etc), but they will not be charged with a crime.
I would say having posters with 113 app QR codes at popular hiking areas might be a good idea. Makes our life so much simpler when we have a GPS location to work with. + you only need a recovery team of 2-7 rather then a search team of 8-40.
Last guy I had to look for had no phone and the search area was the size of a municipality, if he had had his phone SAR queen would have found him in no time. But it took 2 days and he was lucky to be alive.
Naah, its not a major issue anyways and if people want to do stupid things, let them do it.
Rescue personell must have something to train on during the year anyways.
Some places like at Trolltunga, there are mountain guards who will try to tell people about the hike and help check their equipment to see if they are underprepared. This has saved many rescue missions, but you can choose if you want to listen to them or not.
I agree that we should not criminalize going on a hike. However, education and encouraging people to learn how to properly hike is a good method.
Well they can get a fine to pay if they have been overly reckless.
I don’t think it’s criminal though.
No.
Yea, that’s a horribly awful idea, and lives will be lost as a result.
I don’t think beaing unprepared should be a crime unless you bring a child or a mentaly handicaped person with you. Then you are endangering someone under your cear. But if everyone involved is responsible for themselves then I don’t think it should be crime.