Elderly Hikers in Japan
In Japan, hiking is one of the most popular hobbies for people who are retired. Whenever I go mountain climbing in the summer, I encounter a lot of seniors. Even on mountains which are more than 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) high, I see more older hikers than ones who look less than fifty years old. Personally, I am happy to see those active retirees who are enjoying their second life. However, there are some problems that are caused by these people. First of all, the number of mountain accidents is increasing each year. In 2013, 320 hikers were dead or went missing in mountains, and people who are over 60 years old accounted for two thirds of this figure. Furthermore, far more elderly climbers were rescued after getting sick, injured or lost. There are some minor problems, too. When hikers go through narrow paths or rocky trails where you need to climb ladders and ropes, there are queues of people in front of these places because these trails are not easy to pass for senior climbers. I think it is time to impose a mountain entrance fee to more-than-60-year-old hikers who want to climb dangerous mountains or a large entrance fee to seniors and smaller to young people. Then, the government can use this money for the maintenance of mountain trails and rescue operations. In Japan, health insurance and nursing care insurance is mandatory if you are over 40. So, why not the mandatory mountain entrance fee?
--------------------------------
I completely disagree though I understand your frustration. The question is though, following that logic, a friend of mine came back from a war missing a leg. He acts fine otherwise, but sometimes he even forgets and will start sprinting for his leg to twist and then down he goes. He and the people you talk about earlier didn't ask to have that happen to them. Is it morally right to try to separate them from their joys because it slightly inconveniences us more?
