I never cared to "punish those idiots." I always figured they would learn a lesson, and if not, living your life as an idiot is punishment enough.
I'm still happy to support free search and rescue. What if it's a 6 year old kid? Are you just gonna let that go if the parents can't pay for the S&R? The Whiteface cell phone rescue is the example of the wasted cost caused by idiots, but it's just an isolated event, and it provides endless hours of amusement for the rest of us, so there's really no downside.
We really should encourage people to get outdoors. Instead, we focus on the cost and danger, and ignore the benefits. That's the real indicator of a pansy-ass fearful culture.
mm
"Everywhere I turn, here I am." Susan Tedeschi