[pct-l] Whippet/iceaxe

[tangent at meinfelder.com (Tangent)]

At 09:49 PM 2/20/2004 -0800, Shaw Manford wrote:
>In defense of the Whippet, in my reading of the 2002 and earlier journals, 
>I did not see mention of anyone needing to self arrest. Many of the hikers 
>did not even carry an ice axe.

What you say is true, but your logic seems reckless. To be clear, I assume 
you are implying the following: Because the need to self arrest rarely 
occurs, the best protection is not necessary.

Since all events do not have equal consequence, people typically take more 
precaution with actions and events having the most dire consequences. 
Nuclear power plants and jet planes break down less frequently than their 
alternatives, but both have more safety precautions in place, not less, due 
to the serious consequences of potential catastrophes.

I respect your decision to carry what you will and your recommendation is 
as valid as anyone's, but your reasoning makes me uncomfortable.

Tangent