I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people that are complaining about these cell phone pine trees are some of the same people that would be complaining how BAD cell service is when they're on their drive up to the lake for the weekend. The difference is they want to put the tower in "your backyard". If they were installing another one of these towers on 93 in Concord, you probably wouldn't care so much, yet you'd appreciate the added convenience. The same debate has been made about prisons, long before cell phones were even invented. "There should be more prisons - just don't build one next to me."
At least they are taking steps to minimize the appearance. Let's face it, six months after they put it up, you'll never notice it as much as you THINK you will. Since Memorial Day, I've driven up to the lake three times, and it wasn't until I read this thread that I even
remembered that there are 3 HUGE radio towers for WGIR on the way up. I passed them each time (up and back) and never noticed them - not once.
It's as simple as this - If you don't like the Pine-O-Matic cell phone towers, vote "no" when you have the opportunity. If you don't have the opportunity to vote directly on the issue, call your selectmen, representative, etc. and let him know your opinion on the issue. THIS is the way you might actually affect some change.
Cell phones aren't going away. Hell, let's say we could wave a magic wand and they
would - people would find something else to complain about. "Man, those CB radio waves from the guy next door are bleeding over into my cable TV. Boy, remember the 'good old days' when we still had cell phones?"
If your argument is about the "technology", then while we're at it let's eliminate other such nuisances as ATM's, portable defribulators, FM radios, ABS brakes, side curtain airbags - all the things that make our lives easier and potentially save our lives. Plus, all this "evil" technology isn't really being forced on us like some might suggest - we're buying this stuff and asking for more (There's a reason why I don't make a living manufacturing and selling Monkey Fondling Reciprocating Transducers - nobody's buying them. But cell phones are another story - show me a family with kids that doesn't have at least two).
You know, it WAS a lot nicer back in the "good old days". Hell, there was a lot less noise on the lake when everyone was sailing or paddling. It's just funny that some of the same people that are beating this dead horse about "why do people need to talk so much on their cell phones while at the lake anyway" are some of the same people who just cruised into Meredith Bay using their GPS navigation system on their fuel injected Sea Ray while listening to their iPod.