[at-l] "Pro-cell phone Sloetoe..."

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C)]

"Sloetoe owns no cell phone. Never has," reports, who else, but Sloetoe.

wHO else, but Shane replies, "Have you ever borrowed one?
Have you ever THOUGHT about borrowing one?"

Which for those who understand the problem, illustrates the problem.

Quiet, rare, use of a cell phone by the owner of a rare cell phone never did harm to anyone other than the user. It's the growing widespread use of the devices that does the harm to the broad trail community. If Sloetoe is tempted to ask a fellow hiker for permission to use a cell phone he sees some one using  -- or suspects that someone is using -- Sloetoe is impacted. His trail experience is diminished by a device that has the potential for two-way communication with the off-trail environment.

And as the use of the devices grows, everyone will be similarly impacted.

Weary