[MTP Reggie]

Rider Jams Cell Phones on SEPTA Buses
The NBC10 Investigators track down a rider who admits to jamming cell phones on a SEPTA bus. The rider explains why he does it. An expert says this is a public safety concern.
By Ed Dress and Harry Hairston
Thursday, Mar 1, 2012
nbcphiladelphia.com

<More Here>

The NBC10 Investigators tracked down a cell phone zapper who targets people using their cell phones on a SEPTA bus route. Not only does he admit doing it, he thinks it’s a good thing. The man, who calls himself Eric, told the NBC10 Investigators, “I guess I’m taking the law into my own hands and quite frankly, I’m proud of it.” Eric says he doesn’t want to hear people talking on their cell phones in public. “It’s still pretty irritating and quite frankly it’s pretty rude,” said Eric.

Eric says he’s firing up a cell phone jammer that he bought online to shut down conversations he doesn’t want to hear. “A lot of people are extremely loud, no sense of just privacy or anything, when it becomes a bother, that’s when I screw on the antenna and flip the switch,” said Eric.

An NBC10 employee, who the NBC10 Investigators are calling “Marie,” says she freaked out when she saw the man jamming passengers’ cell phones on her SEPTA bus ride to work. “He’s blatantly holding this device that looks like a walkie-talkie with four very thick antennae. I started to watch him and any time somebody started talking on the phone, he would start pressing the button on the side of the device,” said Marie.

Marie tipped off the NBC10 Investigators who went undercover to catch the cell phone vigilante with a hidden camera. Within minutes of boarding the 44 bus, the NBC10 Investigators spotted Eric jamming cell phones. A couple of weeks later, they caught up with him as he got off the bus, they informed Eric that the cell phone jammer device is illegal. “It is my understanding it is more of a gray area. It is my understanding that it’s illegal to, you know, stop a television signal, a radio signal. You know, it’s my understanding according to the FCC that it’s not illegal to disrupt a cell phone signal,” Eric said.

But according to federal law, it is illegal to use, own, buy or sell cell phone jammers. The Feds say breaking the law could result in jail time and up to a $16,000 fine. Cell phone jammers are illegal because of the public safety concerns.

(snip)

<More Here>

[mjperry51]

Eric is fooling himself. Jamming any licensed transmission is illegal. If he doesn't like it he can walk. . . .

[Bookdoc]

How long before he has cops knocking on his door now? Twit.

[Colt1911fan]

While I most certainly sympathise with Eric he IS breaking the law. What if someone he was jamming was having an emergency of some sort? OTOH I could see myself using a jammer in a restaraunt when some loud bitch in the next booth has her husband on speaker phone and she's berating him for a very minor offense. Being the rude SOB that I am I very loudly asked her to shut pie hole so the rest of us could enjoy our conversation and meal. " How rude she yelled!" Everybody began to laugh at her and she finally hung up. didn't say another word to anyone.

Really though, I do a lot of business on my cell phone. If the call is urgent I excuse myself and take the call where I won't disturb anybody. If is something that can wait I tell the caller I'll call back later. Just simple courtesy to the people around you.

[De Oppresso Liber]

The guy should have kept it hidden in his jacket...

Not condoning, just sayin'...

[horseman]

Actually, I'd like to see theaters start doing this.

[metzger01]

I would have liked to have had one of those for my own house a few years ago when my kids were in their late teens/early twenties just to keep them from constantly texting their friends. It would have have been nice to have had their undivided attention for awhile while visiting.

[MTP Reggie]

De Oppresso Liber, on 01 March 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

The guy should have kept it hidden in his jacket...

Not condoning, just sayin'...

Anarchist.

[horseman]

De Oppresso Liber, on 01 March 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

The guy should have kept it hidden in his jacket...

Not condoning, just sayin'...

But, a guy sitting on a bus, messing with an electronic device hidden under his jacket. That could have a really bad ending.

[De Oppresso Liber]

MTP Reggie, on 01 March 2012 - 01:36 PM, said:

Anarchist.

Dang.

Now I have to vote for Ron Paul...

horseman, on 01 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

But, a guy sitting on a bus, messing with an electronic device hidden under his jacket. That could have a really bad ending.

Oh.

Good point...

[zurg]

De Oppresso Liber, on 01 March 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

The guy should have kept it hidden in his jacket...

Not condoning, just sayin'...

He would need a CCJ permit...

[Mr. E. Monkey]

Colt1911fan, on 01 March 2012 - 12:40 PM, said:

While I most certainly sympathise with Eric he IS breaking the law.

[zurg]

I kind of sympathize with this guy. He just made the same mistake our Koran burning soldiers did, show evidence.

[De Oppresso Liber]

zurg, on 01 March 2012 - 02:43 PM, said:

He would need a CCJ permit...

[Adam Smithee]

mjperry51, on 01 March 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

Eric is fooling himself. Jamming any licensed transmission is illegal. If he doesn't like it he can walk. . . .

You're right. Totally illegal. The device should be confiscated and turned over to *me* for analysis immediately.

(Not that I couldn't already build such a device if I wanted to.)

[d2lv]

Adam Smithee, on 01 March 2012 - 05:24 PM, said:

You're right. Totally illegal. The device should be confiscated and turned over to *me* for analysis immediately.

(Not that I couldn't already build such a device if I wanted to.)

3 G jammers are available for less than twenty bucks.

[mjperry51]

d2lv, on 02 March 2012 - 08:29 AM, said:

3 G jammers are available for less than twenty bucks.

Why jam data??

[oki]

mjperry51, on 02 March 2012 - 08:44 AM, said:

Why jam data??

That is the format or technology.
You will jam both the data and voice.

Although I can understand the guys frustration, and at many times have been very tempted to build a high powered jammer, it is still very illegal.
Lord help him if he decides to jam someone involved in a 911 call.

Oki

[leftcoast, right winger]

You cannot teach rude people manners by behaving in an illegal manner yoursef. As annoying as some morons may be they have a right to use their (censored) cell phones in most public venues. And until the mouth breathers evolve to a point where they do not need to be talking/texting,etc every minute our poor society will just have to suffer along.

[johnnybravo]

I believe that once he found out it was illegal and what the charges could be, he stopped doing it and threw the device away.