If you read this blog with any regularity, then you know we have a fondness for the Adirondacks. We take many of our vacations there. We camp there. And a few times a year we make the drive up the Northway and through the Lake Placid region to visit Kris’ family (and you’ll note Kris uses the screen name “ADKmom”).
With all that said, I believe the time has come for better cell service along the Northway.
Once you get above Lake George, turn off your phone and save the battery because you won’t get a signal again until you get close to Plattsburgh.
That proved deadly last week for a Brooklyn couple. Their car went off the road in the middle of the night near North Hudson (close to Exit 29). Due to their injuries, neither of them could get out of the car. They tried to call 911, but there was no signal.
Their car was obscured by trees. So passing motorists had no idea they were there.
After being trapped for 13 hours in sub-freezing weather, the husband died. He didn’t die from his crash injuries. It was the hypothermia that got him.
Nineteen hours later a state trooper found the car and rescued the wife. She’s expected to make a full recovery, but will have to live with the horrible memory of watching her husband die next to her.
One phone call could have kept him alive and prevented much of her suffering.
Environmentalists have long been opposed to cell towers in the Adirondacks, saying it would spoil the pristine view.
Look, the Adirondacks are one of my favorite places on Earth, but I say get over it. We’re not talking about putting towers in the heart of the Adirondack Park. We’re talking about placing them along a well-traveled, major highway.
However, the issue might be a lot more complicated than that. Fred LeBrun points out today that it's really the root of all evil—money—that’s keeping the towers out.
I don’t care what the reason is. This is the 21st century. We can transmit pictures back from Mars. We should be able to make a phone call from the side of the road in North Hudson. It’s time for someone to sort this out and get it done.
History Has Its Eyes On You, Part Deux
10 months ago
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1 comments:
I was going to write about this on my blog, but you beat me to it again, so I will comment on yours
I couldn't agree with you more. In fact when I first read about this tragedy, I was very angry with the APA and the environmentalist for failing to allow them in the Adirondacks. I did read Lebrun’s column and he mentions that 38 towers (33 foot high) were approved and cell companies decided not to go for it because their cost benefit analysis told them the it was money loser. But I guess my question would be, why did cell companies consider it a money loser. Was it because there isn’t enough usage in that area to justify any investment or was it because the expense of 38 towers didn’t justify the investment? Would it be cheaper for cell companies to build fewer but taller towers?
Like you said, the bottom line is, the towers need to be there, and we need to do whatever it takes to get cell companies to invest in towers along this stretch. The state, however should not be building towers…that would open up a can of worms. If on the other hand, it takes 100-foot or 200-foot towers or whatever to get investment, so be it. The environmentalist and the APA need to get over height restrictions. If height is the issue and they bawk at anything over 33 feet, then we should get nasty with them; Get on a mountaintop and start making noise that the environmentalist failure to compromise is the reason why this man (and many others like him) died. I hate the blame game, but if height is the issue for no investment, it may have to come to that.
Bottom Line: What’s more important? A view or a life?
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