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Gotta love it

quote:

NY POST

By ANGELA MONTEFINISE

February 20, 2005 -- Can you hear me now?

Unsuspecting cellphone users may find themselves saying that more often now that cellphone jammers ÔÇö illegal gizmos that interfere with signals and cut off reception ÔÇö 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."

Online jammer seller Victor McCormack said he's made "hundreds of sales" to New Yorkers.

"The interest has gone insane in the last few years. I get all sorts of people buying them, from priests to police officers."

Jammers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from portable handhelds that look like cellphones to larger, fixed models as big as suitcases.

Their sole goal is to zip inconsiderate lips. The smaller gadgets emit radio frequencies that block signals anywhere from a 50- to 200-foot radius. They range in price from $250 to $2,000.

But don't expect to find jammers at the local Radio Shack ÔÇö they're against Federal Communications Commission regulations because they interfere with emergency calls and the public airwaves. They are illegal to buy, sell, use, import or advertise.

A violation means an $11,000 fine, but the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has yet to bust one person anywhere in the country.

"This is not a crime that they're going after," said Rob Bernstein, deputy editor at New York City-based Sync magazine.

He said jammers are here, and their use is multiplying.

"Right now, there's a growing curiosity about jammers in the United States and New York," Bernstein said. "There's no better way to shut up a loudmouth on the phone, so people definitely want them and are finding ways to get them."

One way is at a spy shop on Third Avenue, which sells medium-sized jammers out of a back room for $1,500. The sales clerk there said he had sold jammers to a 50-year-old man who bought one to use on the Long Island Rail Road, and to restaurateurs.

Folks who run auto auctions also buy them to stop people from chit-chatting about prices and rigging their bids, the clerk said.

An employee at a West Village spy store said the shop also sells jammers, but only to people from other countries.

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."

Jammers were first developed to help government security forces avert eavesdropping and thwart phone-triggered bombings. But by the late 1990s they were being sold to the public.

There are suspicions that some hotel chains employ jammers to cut down on guests' cellphone use and boost in-room phone charges.

With additional reporting by Lindsay Powers and Marianne Garvey

Gotta get me one of those!

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Guest Grayfox

oh manoman... i need one of those... ill use it at work on those annoying customers... im trying to help them, and theyre too busy yapping on the damn phone. then they get pissed when i turn and walk away.

lol one even had the balls (or ovaries it was a woman) to say to me "well you dont have to be rude and walk off without saying anything" so i knidly replied thru grating teeth that she was too busy on the phone, and that i would be polite enough to wait till she was done

hmmm wonder if they sell em on ebay?

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I can't wait until some idiot with a jammer in his pocket who think he is being funny gets in an accident and dies because nobody around him can call 911 on their cell phones for him.

(And of course his family will sue the maker of the jammer and the people who didn't call 911 (only because they COULDN'T))

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quote:

Originally posted by jamotto:

I don't think it is a good idea to sell this device at all.

I agree. Just because you don't like people talking on their phones it doesn't give you the right to prevent that. What if there truly is a need to make the call or receive one. What then? (e.g. Your wife goes into labor and is trying to call you, you are a doctor and can't get an emergency call, you're waiting for a call from you daughter so you can go pick her up from school, etc.)

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Kept quiet until we got home.

To some of you, don't hand us that crap about emergency use. I've been around cell phone people since the begining of cell phone usage and I have yet to overhear (or see) one call that was or is an emergency. All the conversations were of the inane type. I feel more like a voyeur than a pedestrian. Besides a hand held jammer (one that would be used for personal piece of mind) would have a very short range when turned on.

Actually, I see a comedy situation everyday with cell phone-addicts. I take the subway everyday there's two sections where the train becomes elevated and out of the tunnel. I'm sure you can see where I'm headed with this. As soon as the train goes outside the entire car I'm in is a flurry of activity with people reaching for their cell phones to make their short calls before the train goes back into the tunnel which then is a flurry of activity of putting the phones away.

You can't do any calls, emergency or otherwise, on a cell while in the train tunnel. Hence my comment about the BS (or flimsy) argument of emergecy use.

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quote:

Originally posted by LostInSpace:

Kept quiet until we got home.

To some of you, don't hand us that crap about emergency use. I've been around cell phone people since the begining of cell phone usage and I have yet to overhear (or see) one call that was or is an emergency. All the conversations were of the inane type. I feel more like a voyeur than a pedestrian. Besides a hand held jammer (one that would be used for personal piece of mind) would have a very short range when turned on.


Just because you haven't overheard or witnessed it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I've never seen a baby pigeon but I'm pretty sure they exist. Also I've used my cell phone a couple times to phone in automobile accidents that I have witnessed. Having a cell phone available can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

quote:

Originally posted by LostInSpace:

...You can't do any calls, emergency or otherwise, on a cell while in the train tunnel. Hence my comment about the BS (or flimsy) argument of emergecy use.

So why have a device that will jam the calls that can't be made anyway????????

I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with people relying too much on cell phones. I'm just saying that having a device that takes away their ability to use it if they NEED to is a bad idea.

Hypothetical situation:

A women is leaving a building alone late at night, and someone starts following her with the intentions of causing her harm. She tries to call 911 but she can't because the person chasing her has one of these devices?

I know this may sound a little far-fetched at the moment, but I can see these things being used for far worse purposes than just keeping the guy next to you from talking into his cell-phone the entire ride home.

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quote:

Originally posted by Matchoo:

Just because you haven't overheard or witnessed it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I've never seen a baby pigeon but I'm pretty sure they exist. Also I've used my cell phone a couple times to phone in automobile accidents that I have witnessed. Having a cell phone available can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

And more than likely that accident occurred because of a cell phone. Someone driving along at full speed arguing on a hand held cell phone not paying attention to the road. Forget the law that requires drivers to use the head sets no one in this city abides by it.

quote:

Originally posted by Matchoo:

So why have a device that will jam the calls that can't be made anyway????????

Do you know what a subway car full of people jamming in 5-15 minutes worth of conversation sounds like? I'd rather attend a session of a Vogon poetry reading.

quote:

Originally posted by Matchoo:

Hypothetical situation:

A women is leaving a building alone late at night, and someone starts following her with the intentions of causing her harm. She tries to call 911 but she can't because the person chasing her has one of these devices?

I know this may sound a little far-fetched at the moment, but I can see these things being used for far worse purposes than just keeping the guy next to you from talking into his cell-phone the entire ride home.

Not too far fetched, I know what you and the rest have been trying to say, I just don't totally agree. Don't you think the bad guys have these already? If you think they don't, I feel sorry for you.

What I also can see from this whole thing is another market opportunity for some savy entrepreneur by making jammers that jam the jammers.

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For me it's simple. If I catch someone using the jammer. I slam them a couple of times, get thier wallet with their home address and tell them if I run into any problems, I will talk to him later at that address. Then I call the cops (to them he will say nothing about me slaming him), then I have them confiscate the jammer, write up a report, arrest him, and I make sure to follow the whole thing till enforcement and prosecution takes place under existing laws (it's simply illegal, and existing laws provide for a fine and even some jail time).

I use my cell phone 95% of the time. I fly airplanes, work in aviation, rarely home. My cell phone is my main voice mail box, my link to all my family, friends, and business. Who are you to interupt that link? Not only are you violating the law, you are disrupting my life, to which I will hold you liable.

And you Grafox, you work at the store, you are paid to help customers, if she is too busy talking, you are paid to stand there, and help her in any way possible. She is not asking you to do something out of the ordinary, you are there for customer convinence, for which are you are gettin paid for. Simple as that, that's why it's called CUSTOMER SERVICE.

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quote:

Originally posted by Soback:

For me it's simple. If I catch someone using the jammer. I slam them a couple of times, get thier wallet with their home address and tell them if I run into any problems, I will talk to him later at that address. Then I call the cops (to them he will say nothing about me slaming him), then I have them confiscate the jammer, write up a report, arrest him, and I make sure to follow the whole thing till enforcement and prosecution takes place under existing laws (it's simply illegal, and existing laws provide for a fine and even some jail time).

I use my cell phone 95% of the time. I fly airplanes, work in aviation, rarely home. My cell phone is my main voice mail box, my link to all my family, friends, and business. Who are you to interupt that link? Not only are you violating the law, you are disrupting my life, to which I will hold you liable.

And you Grafox, you work at the store, you are paid to help customers, if she is too busy talking, you are paid to stand there, and help her in any way possible. She is not asking you to do something out of the ordinary, you are there for customer convinence, for which are you are gettin paid for. Simple as that, that's why it's called CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I was waiting for just such an answer for the second half of my argument.

What gives you or anyone the right to put my health at risk? Just as smokers are persecuted for health issues, so too should cell phone users.

Here is one article for you all (you can find a lot more): Health101.org

quote:

The metal body of the car reflects the RF waves, bouncing them around the interior and exposing you to more RF energy than if you were outside your car.

Think about it, I'm in a metal subway car surrounded by many people using their cell phones. Two right next to me, one on the left and one on the right and maybe a few standing in front of me (if I'm standing some to the back of me also). I'd rather be in a subway car filled with second hand smoke. The same holds true for those you that use their phones in a plane.

So, while my butt is dragged into court for infringing on cell phone peoples rights (and whatever bogus laws are on the books to protect the cell phone industry), I'll in turn counter sue and drag them and everyone else I can into court for exposing me to dangerous radiation and my use of a jammer was for self-preservation.

[ 02-25-2005, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: LostInSpace ]

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--"So, while my butt is dragged into court for infringing on cell phone peoples rights (and whatever bogus laws are on the books to protect the cell phone industry), I'll in turn counter sue and drag them and everyone else I can into court for exposing me to dangerous radiation and my use of a jammer was for self-preservation. "--

Your butt would be dragged into court and sued not by me, but by Uncle Sam, and that's after the fine would've been already levied, and time served. Good luck fighting the FCC. Also, you have just as much luck suing me for using my cell as you do suing the cop who got you speeding with a radar gun.

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quote:

Originally posted by LostInSpace:

I was waiting for just such an answer for the second half of my argument.

What gives you or anyone the right to put my health at risk? Just as smokers are persecuted for health issues, so too should cell phone users.

Here is one article for you all (you can find a lot more):

quote:

The metal body of the car reflects the RF waves, bouncing them around the interior and exposing you to more RF energy than if you were outside your car.

Think about it, I'm in a metal subway car surrounded by many people using their cell phones. Two right next to me, one on the left and one on the right and maybe a few standing in front of me (if I'm standing some to the back of me also). I'd rather be in a subway car filled with second hand smoke. The same holds true for those you that use their phones in a plane.

So, while my butt is dragged into court for infringing on cell phone peoples rights (and whatever bogus laws are on the books to protect the cell phone industry), I'll in turn counter sue and drag them and everyone else I can into court for exposing me to dangerous radiation and my use of a jammer was for self-preservation.


Don't jammers work by emitting a signal of the same type as the device they are trying to jam? So if you turn on this jammer device you would still be receiving dangerous radiation.
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Actually, some emmit not only the same signal (there's different ways you can jam) but all emmit at 10 or more times the strenght (if you transmit at the same or lesser strenght, you will only cause interference, static and such). (unless it's a passive jammer which is basically just insulation, and LIS, you can isulate yourself and be safe from all those bad cell phones )

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quote:

Originally posted by Wolferz:

It may not be the resources under the auspices of the US Forest Service that were used, but the monies paid for outside help brought in to battle the blaze that they want the guy to pay for.

It's actually quite hypocritical, seeing as how the Forest service, in the recent past, attempted a controlled burn in one park, that got away from them when the wind changed direction. From the report I saw on that one, alot of residents on the edge of the park lost their homes and a number of Smoke Jumpers lost their lives. I don't know of anyone responsible for that mistake being sued for the cost of putting it out. Or even jailed for involuntary manslaughter. I'm sure our tax dollars went a long way toward rebuilding some homes and now you can add in SSA monies being paid to the families of the firefighters that died.

Good point, damn I forgot about that myself. Thanks for reminding me. Wasn't that in yellowstone park? hmmm, gotta look that one up.

quote:

Originally posted by Wolferz:

1: Granted, it was stupid for the man to do what he did. None of us are perfect. If we have no capacity to forgive others for their mistakes, then we can not expect forgiveness from others for ours.

2: After you boil it down to the most common denominator, it doesn't replace the trees and it certainly won't pay the damages. Nor will it prevent some other moreoff from acting irresponsibly. Instead it's just more money poured into a judicial system that is controlled by greedy scheisters, for greedy scheisters.

1: Agree and he was lost which leads me to another issue it should be a requirement that all hunters be equiped with a GPS before being issued a hunter's licence and they must show their working GPS device to a ranger station before being allowed in any national park. This will solve alot of getting lost issues. Funny though seems like no one, not even grundig, makes a dynamo hand crank GPS device they've got almost every other devices like flash lights, shortwave radios etc.. but no GPS.

2: Got that right, drop your guard down for one second in this society and next thing you know you are dragged into court for one thing or another.

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Okay, something is very wrong. Sorry, but can a mod delete that above post it's suppose to go into the political forum. I did try to post it here because I've been having trouble posting this there. It did, however, do the same thing to me in this thread and didn't realize it got posted. Think my computer is on a melt down gotta give it the ol' diagnostics. Again sorry about this. Seems like I'm just having trouble with a large post.

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The only problem I have with Cell Phone use is when people are using them while driving their car. Most states have seldomly used laws against using them while operating a motor vehicle.

As a Professional Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator I saw this every day. A car is NOT a phone booth.

I think every state should add a few more questions to their written licensing tests, al beit;

    [*]What is the correct speed for eating?

    [*]What is the correct speed for Cell Phone use?

    [*]What is the correct speed for settling the children down?

    [*]What is the correct speed for applying makeup?

    [*]What is the correct speed for perusing reading material?

Of course the correct answer to all of the above is Zero. Yet people still do these things while operating a one to two ton machine. I have seen truck drivers doing the same thing and it always pissed me off because Commercial Motor Vehicles weigh alot more than two tons, it's more like fourty. The average driver barely looks past the end of the hood and adding a very distracting piece of equipment to the mix makes driving more like playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded revolver.

I think it would be an excellent idea to install very short range jammers that shut off only when the speedometer reads zero in every vehicle made.

That is the only legitimate use I can think of for these devices.

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quote:

Originally posted by Wolferz:

I think every state should add a few more questions to their written licensing tests, al beit;

[*]
What is the correct speed for eating?

[*]
What is the correct speed for Cell Phone use?

[*]
What is the correct speed for settling the children down?

[*]
What is the correct speed for applying makeup?

[*]
What is the correct speed for perusing reading material?


heh, I am all for that.

Need to add:

What is the correct speed for getting fully dressed?

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I love email and I love to text message. Keeps me from actually having to speak to people.

As to car usage. I am guilty guilty guilty. I have a hellish commute. Most of the guys in cars are readuing the paper. I do always use caution and in bad weather I refrain from text messaging while driving.

I used to eat and drive now I talk and drive. I find it is better for my figure.

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