[pct-l] one person's lame, another person's... (+ more topics!)

[Eric Lee (GAMES)]

Mark wrote:
>
I gotta laugh at the notion that couples on the trail
are more lame because they don't socialize with
someone as much.  Does that make an introverted, shy,
reclusive single hiker lame too?  Puh-leeze.
>

I agree with Mark - Roni's first two complaints about couples and big budgets aren't really about lameness, they're about a lack of kindred spirits for Roni, to which I say HYOH.

Roni's third complaint, about an increased sense of entitlement, is a real one, though.  It ultimately affects us all, because every time a thru-hiker interacts with people and communities along the trail they're creating impressions and opinions that will directly impact the experiences of everyone following after them.  Is a false sense of entitlement aggravated by big hiking budgets?  Well, maybe indirectly, though it's certainly far from always the case.  Is it aggravated by the presence of so much "scheduled" trail magic these days, like Scott (postholer) said?  I think that's more likely.  Does that mean we should all stop angeling?  I dunno.

Eric