ATHLETES: Pay for your own dreams

Yes, I am sick and tired of so-called “extreme athletes” who want to challenge age-old records at the expense of the rest of us. I’m talking about things like climbing Mount Everest, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainer, etc., skiing remote slopes, hiking remote places, rock climbing, and all of the other extreme sports.

Yes, records are meant to be broken and challenged, but if extreme athletes get into serious trouble (life or death issues), they count on the rest of us (humanity) to save their butts and bail them out of their (self-imposed) crises. Sorry folks, but you know that’s true.

Let them post a bond OR put up cash-in-advance, to cover their rescue and/or funeral expenses BEFORE they get a permit to access public property. That’s FAIR! We, the people, don’t want to pay for their dreams.

Hopefully, the federal, state and local officials will agree, and come to their senses.

J. WALL

Hayden