captainkt,
I agree with all of that, and so should everyone. But if we don't write to the CAA and say so, the changes will happen due to our apathy.
I mentioned all this when I went flying today, and got the same reaction as you - people shrugged, implied they'd do what they liked in the mountains anyway, and it wasn't important. It is important, and everyone needs to email the CAA. Follow the links earlier on this thread; that's what I did, and I ended up having some fairly comprehensive email correspondence with Rob McGregor at the CAA, who replied and asked me to clarify a couple of points - I'd emailed in a hurry and hadn't been that clear. But the main point is, he has a list, and is counting the number of votes he gets for keeping Rule 5 as it is, simplifying it, or making it ICAO compliant. You don't need to send him that brilliantly argued treatise on Rule 5 which you're still thinking about, just your opinion.
Seriously, YOUR VOTE COUNTS - and we only have till mid-January!