'raven, I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your asessment of stupid people. However I find it interesting that you choose a gun analogy toward the end. It made me think of the old standby: "guns don't kill people... people kill people". I think that can be used as a metaphor for cellular technology. The cell phone is a tool, and maybe one of dubious quality (although not ALL cell phones are created equally; of that I'm certain) but it all comes down to the user, their training, and their attitude.

I wasn't saying it should be their only equipment. I'm saying it should be stowed in a pack, charged full, but turned off. They should be trained on it's use and the fact that it will most likely NOT work. They should already have training in survival, shelter, water, etc. And I don't know about you, but my cell is just about the smallest piece of equipment with me most of the time (except for what's in my pockets). In a pack with tent/bag/water/food/clothes, I doubt anyone would notice it.

I think it comes down to the people. In all of the cases you mentioned, they sounded like 2 bit ass-clowns desperate for a clue (or a visit from Darwin and that Mighty Chainsaw of Natural Selection you mentioned <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ). I heartily agree with you that technology tends to help people become complacent and stupid. I see - or rather, hear - people wearing their MP3 players at full blast, yammering on the phone while driving at 75 eating a cheeseburger, and plenty of other annoying activity.

But I don't associate either the phone or the MP3 player with the behavior, I associate that bit of stupidity with the people in question. I'm saying that this might be an opportunity to teach the scouts something that could benefit them forever; that technology can't always save our hide, and even if it can, it's bound to cause someone else a lot of grief because of our stupidity.

A cell phone is a tool. It's far too often used, to paraphrase your comments, as a crutch. I'd rather teach my son that it's not the end-all of survival equipment. Maybe not even "survival" equipment to begin with. But it's one tool in an arsenal of items that can be used to save one's life. I'll continue to be amazed and chagrinned at those who go for a hike with just their cell phone and new boots, but tell me this... given all your disdain for the cell phone, would you do the right thing if you carried one? Of course! You know why? Because you've made it clear that you understand that it's a potentially lethal convenience, just one that happens to be able to save your bacon once in a while. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I think you've hit the nail on the head that we should be able to survivie without a cell phone.

What I'm afraid of is the group of kids that decide to go out in the backwoods because one of them has a new phone... so without understanding what they are getting into, they assume that will be all they need. Group think among that age is pretty common. If we don't explain this to them at some point, who will? I see the age and the fact that they are Scouts as being the perfect time to get them thinking intelligently about this.

People are stupid. Cell phones aren't.