Ray, I know where you are coming from. However, I doubt that the trucker whose
life I hope I helped save one terrible night when he was stranded in a February
blizzard fifteen miles from the nearest shelter would be impressed by that
position. He was debating with himself on CB whether he should attempt to walk
it in sub-zero temps. We know what surely would have happened, don't we.

Obviously, 'today's vast means of communication' wasn't helping him in the
middle of nowhere unserved by cell towers. It took a full half hour to piece
together the bits of his distress call that I needed. Finally, I was able to
alert his dispatcher half a continent away to his desperate situation.

Had anyone been 'enjoying the Citizens Band' that night, this trucker would have
paid with his life for the fun. Copying his distress data was tough enough
without any skip added in. I realize that the language is sometimes ripe, but
this trucker might object to it just as much as you and I. Certainly, he
shouldn't pay for it with his life because someone wants to spend some time
shooting 'recreational' skip.

Some may still insist on doing it, but people need to face the reality that it
does put others at grave risk. Because the skip shooter can't hear the caller in
distress does not make the situation one bit less serious. I have lost distress
calls to skip shooting. It is not a pleasant experience when you know that you
should likely have been able to help but were prevented from doing so by
someone's pastime. When loved ones are traveling, hope that no one is shooting
skip if they need help. My trucker sure was blessed that no one was the night he
needed help so desperately.



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