In TELECOM Digest V24 #87, Marcus Didius Falco wrote (in part):
SHUT THE CELL UP
> By ANGELA MONTEFINISE
> Unsuspecting cellphone users may find themselves saying that
> more often now that cellphone jammers illegal gizmos that
> interfere with signals and cut off reception are selling like
> hotcakes on the streets of New York.
> "I bought one online, and I love it," said one jammer owner
> fed up with the din of dumb conversations and rock-and-roll
> ringtones.
> "I use it on the bus all the time. I always zap the idiots
> who discuss what they want from the Chinese restaurant so
> that everyone can hear them. Why is that necessary?"
> He added, "I can't throw the phones out the window, so this
> is the next best thing."
> One local purchaser bought a portable jammer last year, and
> said he likes using it at Roosevelt Field mall on Long Island.
> "One time I followed this guy around for 20 minutes," he
> said. "I kept zapping him and zapping him, until finally he
> threw the phone on the floor. I couldn't stop laughing. It
> was so cool."
Great ... So now we have self-important, inconsiderate jerks being challenged by self-important, malicious jerks.
The FCC may not be inclined to pursue the jammer users -- yet. I can hardly wait to see what happens, though, when some jammer jerk prevents an emergency assistance call from being placed following a crime or a heart attack.
Let's just hope the victim in such an instance is the jerk with the jammer.
Paul A Lee Sr Telecom Engineer