On Oct 27, 1:34*pm, Mike wrote:
The point of the NPR story was that people are activating the
emergency beacons in non-emergent situations. A 911 hang up or *911
call to complain about a parking ticket are much easier and MUCH
cheaper to address than a beacon in the back country. An example given
by a rescue type was the guy who failed to plan properly and had to
spend an extra night in his tent. He cried "Wolf!" because he was
going to be late for some sort of engagement. He was not in danger at
all. These devices, while a great asset, need to be used responsibly.
At least SPOT gives some options, not just MAYDAY or nothing.

My 2c

Mike

The following was posted by a park ranger on another aviation board I
read. This illustrates the OPs point quite well.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Hikers Evacuated After Three SPOT Activations In Three Days

On the evening of September 23rd, rangers began a search for hikers
who repeatedly activated their rented SPOT satellite tracking device.
The GEOS Emergency Response Center in Houston reported that someone in
the group of four hikers – two men and their two teenaged sons – had
pressed the “help” button on their SPOT unit. The coordinates for the
signal placed the group in a remote section of the park, most likely
on the challenging Royal Arch loop. Due to darkness and the remoteness
of the location, rangers were unable to reach them via helicopter
until the following morning. When found, they’d moved about a mile and
a half to a water source. They declined rescue, as they’d activated
the device due to their lack of water. Later that same evening, the
same SPOT device was again activated, this time using the “911”
button. Coordinates placed them less than a quarter mile from the spot
where searchers had found them that morning. Once again, nightfall
prevented a response by park helicopter, so an Arizona DPS helicopter
whose crew utilized night vision goggles was brought in. They found
that the members of the group were concerned about possible
dehydration because the water they’d found tasted salty, but no actual
emergency existed. The helicopter crew declined their request for a
night evacuation, but provided them with water before departing. On
the following morning, another SPOT “help” activation came in from the
group. This time they were flown out by park helicopter. All four
refused medical assessment or treatment. The group’s leader had
reportedly hiked once at the Grand Canyon; the other adult had no
Grand Canyon and very little backpacking experience. When asked what
they would have done without the SPOT device, the leader stated, “We
would have never attempted this hike.” The group leader was issued a
citation for creating a hazardous condition (36 CFR 2.34(a)(4)).

Pete