Don’t Sit on Dark Roads

I came across this article on the Straits Times (Singapore Daily Newspaper) forum section yesterday (11 January 2006), regarding trekking safety. I think it brings out a point - whether the incident happened in Singapore or not.

During trekking and expeditions, it is often required of the trek leaders to handle large groups of people, and managing these people can be a challenge at times (I’ve experienced it myself!) - some people may want to go to the toilet, some want to go shopping at the nearby mall, some feel that the food is not suitable etc, and when that happens, it becomes very difficult for the trek leader to coordinate the group and this may results in unexpected delays, which may in turn lead to missed buses, flights etc.

Trek leaders should also be aware of safety! On the mountains, trekkers may face pretty adverse conditions from the weather and terrain, in the cities and towns they must follow pedestrian rules, cross only when the light is green etc. These are often very simple and straightforward rules to follow, but unfortunately, when the leader does not have control over his or her group, these rules tend to be violated.