Translation: lady who works at a TV station (tho not paid well enough to not have to take the bus) gets her call dropped, and thanks to the wonders of a slow news day, uses the power of a major television station to crush the guy who did it to her.

The guy with the jammer's a jerk, but "Marie" is out and out petty and vindictive.

It's also a Federal crime to jam a radio signal of any sort.

Can't condone this. It's a nuclear-weapon approach to the problem, and it doesn't really teach the miscreants anything.

$10,000 fine per violation, and every signal blocked counts as a violation.

Pay up, sucka!

If I caught anyone blocking my signal whether I was texting, surfing, or talking, and I'd personally toss them off the bus.

That's me! One of the people telling Amy about Cell Jammers.

I have two. One portable, one plug in larger. Why may you ask, well have you ever tried to take a phone away from a school girl as a teacher. You never hear such whining. So once in a while out come my big plug in jammer. Can cover a small classroom.

First off. Do not give these jammers much credit. There are problems and limitations. A small portable one should have at the most a range of 3 meters. My portable is maybe 2 meters. Second problem is battery. A portable will only run for about 1 if lucky 2 hours. Mine maybe 50 minutes. Battery life is short. Third, those devices get HOT! So carrying it in the pocket is not a real option. Plus effectiveness. They will probably work about maybe 50 percent to 60 percent of phones. Phone Technology is always changing. 2G changed to 3G which can cover 4 to 5 different areas. Even different types of networks from CDMA to GSM. My good plugin jammer will block 3 out of 4 carriers. That does not include Wi-Fi. My portable maybe 50 percent of 3G phones.

Honestly some of the fear mongering from the report like it could block police radio signals. Yes if the device is set to that frequency and most for sale devices will not be in that range. So if the police radio is not working all I would do is look around for the nearest person at maybe 1 meter away. If it is a suspect in the back - bad police work on checking the guy.

Yes it does block GPS. But once again range. It has to be next to the GPS device. Some truck drivers and delivery people use it to block the boss from tracking them via GPS trackers. Maybe somebody might use it if they suspect they are being lojacked.

The Emergency call. That I take with a big grain of salt. I mean just go back 15 years ago where cellphones where rare and people did not seem to die in mass droves. People in a modern society could always seem to get access to a phone. Also if an Emergency happened I would suspect the device would be turned off. But of course what classifies a Emergency Call. My mother needs to make sure I am coming to dinner on time - yep Emergency. My friends hair cut disaster definitely an Emergency.

I disagree on making it completely illegal. I would honestly would leave it up to businesses to choose. I would love it if nice restaurants, cafes, and movie theaters would block. Of course with a nice large warning for people, with an Emergency number for people to call. Schools should be able to use them too, but of course the little preciouses must not be out of Big MOMS tracking ability.

In the end, I actually rarely use mine. The big one I take out maybe once or twice a week. The portable only really used in the theater.

Rude behaviour in response to rude behaviour is still rude behaviour.

This reminds me of the time I was on the NYC subway when a crazy talking-to-himself-loudly man got on. Myself, along with everyone else, was thinking, dear lord why does he have to get on MY train. But, then things got worse, when another, normal-looking rider picked him up by the shoulders and literally threw him off the train at the next stop. Great, we went from one crazy person to a now crazy and VIOLENT person!

> Can't condone this. It's a nuclear-weapon
> approach to the problem

OK, but do we have to go straight to "condone"? Isn't there some sort of neighborhood bar, a quiet, out-of-the way place where we can at least sit down with this "nuclear approach", and get to know it a little better? Y'know, try to understand what its feeling, and see where it's coming from?

Let's say you're a busy person. You're a Western citizen. You're struggling harder than ever to make a living in an economy that's gone seriously off course. You're in one of the two or three consecutive generations that's chosen financial services –rather than fundamental wealth creation— as the path to success. And your government, with its seemingly limitless power, has become a religious obession for the entire planet... So that your public debts will become a crippling burden to you no matter what happens in your career and in your personal financial picture. (You don't have to be middle-aged in this scenario, but I find that it helps.)

If you looked around the world right now, what single industry would seem to be cooking along nicely, with explosive growth predicted on every continent, stunning product improvement, and cut-throat pricing?

Cell phones.

(And similar electronic communications.)

People want to chat on cell phones more than anything... More than they want to eat good food, more than they want to send their kids to good schools, more than they want to pursue any scientific, political or environmental interest. They want to talk, person-to-person, from anywhere at any time. And without complaint, they'll sign burdensome contracts to do so.

We've been bitching about the rudeness of this for years, even right here on this blog. But no new standards of courtesy have taken hold. We all just shrug and keep moving.

When we can't get through even a mundane airline flight, or some unavoidable context at work, without some zombie chattering inanely to a wife/mistress/vendor on his cellphone, "nuclear" options are going to be looking better and better to you.

This is going to happen. Jamming is like Iran and the real bomb... An monstrously cheap, operationally reliable and indisputably effective solution. You can't stop it. We ought to be wargaming for a better outcome —and deploying persuasion for a better outcome– rather than resenting an unstoppable technology.

"It's also a Federal crime to jam a radio signal of any sort."

What isn't a crime in America?

Oh, right - if you're a US Senator you can enrich yourself with insider trading without repercussions, unlike the 99%.

Well sometimes being devious/rude is the only option. One reason I like the devices is because I am a bit of a coward. I really do not like confrontation. I can avoid a fight with a flick of the switch.

I believe it would be worse in the States. Say something to the wrong person and it can elevate into fights, lawsuits, and shouting.

Still I do understand where Amy is coming from. Sometimes you have to take a stand and fight.

If I owned a cafe or restaurant, I would have a sign on the door stating: "Cell phone's will NOT WORK HERE"

And I'd have something like that device hooked up at strategic locations in my place.

If somebody is in a position where they just MUST be in contact at all times, i.e. a medical professional or a volunteer firefighter...I just wouldn't recommend eating at my place while on call.

If I owned a cafe or restaurant, I would have a sign on the door stating: "Cell phone's will NOT WORK HERE"

For what it's worth, one can achieve this effect with special paint containing metal particles. Paint the exterior (or interior) of your building, and you create a Faraday cage that blocks radio signals. Put metal blinds or screens on the windows, and the effect is complete.

So if my hubby-who's entire job is to answer his phone and then take off like a shot to fix an urgent problem-was on a bus or elsewhere with this idiot, he could lose his job. Or if we were on a date and the babysitter needed to tell us a kid was on the way to the hospital, we wouldn't know. What an ass. I'd beat him so bad he couldn't ever hold a phone again, if he jammed us.

Yes, world, some people DO need to be reachable always. Your personal preferences don't trump that. (and yes, we always head outside to answer on date night or if it's his work).

So, how does this jammer work if two people on the bus are having a loud conversation between themselves? you know, an actual face to face conversation?

I know people who get wee-wee'd up over loud cell phoners (and I've know people who seem to think their phones are voice powered and need to be loud), but how is that any worse than a loud conversation?

If you're not willing to say something to people talking amongst themselves, don't hide behind a cell jammer and think you're smart.

If you're looking for silence, go home, or to a library where such an environment can be readily found.

momof4, you're inverting the cart and horse.

If hubby gets fired for the action of a third party, the injustice is completely within his employer's walls. After all, he may not use the phone during the ascent and descent of his airliner; for the transit time of the flight his call may be dropped by cell switches, there are areas in town with no service...

...and if he's in the line at Starbucks, next to the sign which says, "No cell phone use while in line, please!" he'll just have to step a few paces away.

What a horrible burden! And for so vital a person!

But your example is a fine one for showing how everyone will bleat, because what they are doing is time-critical and more important than anything else in the world...

...other than being at the scene of the other end of the conversation and actually fixing things.

When you venture into traffic today, you are put at higher risk by people yammering on the phone. That some people might actually have a reason to be speaking doesn't change the amount of inane babbling going on merely to convince the speakers that they exist.

Rad, I"m pretty sure his employer knows when he's on a plane. he'd either be on vacay or traveling for work, so neither time they'd call him. And yes, at Starbucks he DOES step aside (see my posy above...) but somewhere he THOUGHT his phone was on and working, and just finding out later he missed a bunch of calls and possibly never knowing why? Only an asshole would do that to others. Are you that type of asshole?

I have been annoyed occasionally. But earplugs are cheap. Bisit your local pharmacy/chemist/drugstore. Or Amazon.

Gog said: What isn't a crime in America?

Oh, right - if you're a US Senator you can enrich yourself with insider trading without repercussions, unlike the 99%.

That's nice.

Jamming transmissions is something with a very good argument for its illegality, unlike many things which are illegal, on common law grounds, from basic libertarian principle, and for practical reasons.

(If it helps, I think "insider trading" ought to be legal for everyone.

But it's very nice that you felt it necessary to turn a completely unrelated conversation into a poke at your bete noir, isn't it?)

The world would be a better place if we were all more polite. It would also be a better place if we got over the idea that we have a divine right to never be disturbed or offended in public. Sometimes people are annoying. That doesn't give us the right to annoy other people to prevent it.

I do not have an important job that requires me to be on call all the time. I'd still be pissed if someone were jamming my calls without my knowledge.

Gee, momof4, you've just said your guy's company understands he can be out of contact.

Make up your mind.

Look, it's simple - jammers are illegal, they will remain so, and you WILL be caught and prosecuted, it's just a matter of time.

However, glaring is NOT illegal, and works very well, thank you.

So stop with the passive/aggressive bullshit and start confronting douchebags and they'll get the hint.