[PUP] What if your epirb goes off and nobody cares?

[John Marshall]

Interesting point, David. I lived in that area for nearly a decade,  
and agree that you really have to judge the level of support you  
expect from rescue people based on where you are. Parts of Indonesia  
are quite modern, but even the remote parts have some technology.

I'll never forget landing on a deserted beach and then slogging inland  
to visit a very remote Indonesian island village in mid-day and  
finding that all the men were missing, with the women doing all the  
work. We actually needed some help from them. We finally found the men  
at the far edge of the village, all of them sitting in a three-sided  
building built up in the trees with a tiny generator running a hundred  
feet away in the jungle. No women allowed.

What were they all doing? Sitting around a small TV watching an old  
Baywatch VHS tape of Pam Anderson running down a beach in her red  
swimsuit, looking very pneumatic. I felt as if I'd just finished an  
interstellar voyage through a black hole to discover a totally new  
galaxy... and they already had a McDonalds there.  A Douglas Adams  
moment.

It was at that point I decided the world was a lot smaller (and  
stranger) place than I'd previously imagined.

On the other hand, as long as their generator held out and the VHS  
tape still played, those men would never notice a boat sinking next to  
their island. But I don't think that's due to lack of infrastructure.

John Marshall

On Dec 11, 2007, at 12:24 AM, David Law wrote:

> Peter, first let me say, I am from Ireland and have lived in  
> Singapore for 14 years, I also own a business as an agent for Coal  
> from Kalimantan Indonesia so know a little about the place, Firstly  
> I am sure you set off an Epirb you will get noticed as there are  
> only 18,000 islands in the Indonesian Archepeligo so which one was  
> this person near ? The infrastructure of 200 years ago would that be  
> arround 1776 ? and  also if the USA is so vigliant how do all those  
> drugs slip past the ever watching Coast guard.
>  Lets not take a single incident not knowing the conditions and put  
> down a whole country.
>  One man in a boat, lets not make it like the 18000 islands are all  
> waiting to get us please.
>  Keep studying.
>  Regards
>  David
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