Fwd: [at-l] Perception - Cell Phones.

[Jack1721 at aol.com (Jack1721@aol.com)]

In a message dated 1/14/2005 7:22:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Jack1721  
writes:

 
Russ
 
Very well put.  
 
 
 
In a message dated 1/14/2005 3:59:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
russ.drake@navy.mil writes:


I have to chime in,  I carry a cell phone with me and  I honestly 
don't care what someone thinks about it.  I don't  require nor desire their 
acceptance
nor approval of carrying one.   As a matter of fact, it is none of anyone's 
business what
I carry in my  pack and what equipment I use.  I hike my hike the way I want 
to hike  my hike and if someone has a problem with it, it doesn't make it 
mine.   With that said, I am conscious of other hikers, I don't sleep in  
shelters, I freely share my food, I pick up trash from sites and fire pits  and haul 
them out,  I am friendly to ALL hikers, and most of all I  respect a hiker 
because of who they are not what equipment they chose to  carry or not carry. If 
you ever met me on the trail you will not see me  chatting on the cell phone 
around the shelter or near the trail.  But I  do use it to check in daily with 
my spouse and to arrange the pick up point  the next day in an out of the way 
area.  If that is an issue with  someone then it is theirs to work through... 
Get over it, the 21st century  is here, there will be power lines that cross 
the trail, there will be roads  you have to cross, there will be aircraft flying 
overhead, some hikers will  carry fire arms, some hikers will be wearing 
headphones on the trail, you  will hear the cars on the highways, you will see 
someone using a cell  phone... Get over it and don't let something that disturbs 
YOU destroy your  entire experience and the experience that person is 
attempting to  have.  I am not out there to ruin anyone's experience and at the same  
time I will hike my own hike and bring what ever equipment I want.   

I guess what ever happened to "hike your own hike" and  when did we start 
labeling hikers and holding one group in esteem above  another by what equipment 
they carry or don't carry.  By the way, I  also have deep lugged sole boots 
and use hiking poles...AND I am a card  carrying ATC member as well.  

Russ