The buddy system is a safety technique where two people enter a risky situation together and maintain eye contact. It’s used in scouting, weight training, climbing, and military forces. It’s important for personal safety and is related to the concept of security in numbers.
The Buddy System is a technique for increasing personal safety in a risky or dangerous situation. Two people enter the situation together and each maintain eye contact with the other. If an emergency happens to one person, the other can offer help or ask for help. Scouting groups use the buddy system during nature hikes, water sports, and strenuous activities that could pose a risk of bodily harm. The concept is known by other names in various fields, such as the “spotter” in weight training and the “wingman” in the US Air Force.
This security technique is related to the concept of security in numbers. In a crisis situation, a single person alone may be knocked unconscious or otherwise unable to escape or call for help. If others don’t discover the situation in time, the consequences can be fatal. Numerous people have died when an emergency room could have saved their lives, bleeding to death from wounds or dying from exposure to harsh conditions, to name just two examples. Soldiers and hunters have long known that it is safer to travel as a group in dangerous or unfamiliar situations.
The Boy Scouts of America organization refers to this technique as the buddy system. It’s especially important because many Scouts are young children, without the judgment skills to avoid or escape dangerous situations. For activities such as swimming, hiking and other outdoor sports, scouts should always be paired up. In fact, the scout regulation recommends the use of this technique in all situations in which an adult cannot constantly monitor all the scouts. The term “buddy system” has come into common use.
Many recreational sports use their own form of the buddy system. In weight training, a spotter supervises a weight lifter, offering encouragement and observing for accidents or injuries. Climbers and other climbers are anchored by another person in the group, sometimes called the second. The term “second” was also used for the cornerman in boxing and associates of each side in a duel. Long-distance cyclists and swimmers are often followed by supporters in cars or boats for safety and to monitor their progress.
The use of the buddy system continues in modern military forces. One of the most famous examples is the wingman or wingmate used by US Air Force pilots. This is a pilot of a second aircraft closely following the lead aircraft, observing enemy aircraft and other hazards. The term was popularized by American films, most notably 1986’s Top Gun and 1996’s Swingers. The latter film helped the term “wingman” gain popular usage to describe a dependable friend in the clubbing dating scene.
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