Cell-Phone Wars

Makarand writes "According to this article in the Houston Chronicle people fed up with cell phone chatter have declared war against cell phones. They are arming themselves with detectors, jammers and other gizmos to defend privacy, security, sanity and blissful silence. Although jamming cell phones is not legal in the US, pocket-sized jammers are available online and even on eBay. Cell-phone jammers typically work by disrupting the communication between handsets and cellular towers by flooding an area with interference or selectively blocking signals by broadcasting on frequencies used by these phones. The FCC has received very few complaints about jammed cell phones and has never taken action against anyone for that violation."

No complaints now, but...

[DarthAle]

...just wait until someone blocks a 911 call.

Not good

[Anonymous Coward]

As a top IT executive for a fortune 50, I spend a lot of time on global conference calls. I would be extremely annoyed, and would consider it an attack on both me personally, and me professionally (and, by extension, my company) if someone were to jam my cellular during an important conference call.

The courts would see it my way, as well. As would the service provider - after all, by interrupting their service, you are proving malicious intent to disrupt services, in much teh same manner as you would be if you cut the power lines to my building.

I recommend you not do this.

Telemetry

[lostchicken]

Cellular Telephones aren't just used for idle chatter. Remember, a lot (not most, but not insignificant) of cellular traffic comes from telemetry systems. So, the next call you might jam could be some heart paitent's ECG telling his cardiologist that he's having a heart attack, or somebody's Saab saying that it's airbag has gone off in an accident, or perhaps it is just a cell call, and it's just the hospital trying to get their neurosurgeon in.

Cellphone Overuse

[lithiumfox]

It is apparent that many people do use cell phones a lot. I mean, its convient then going to a payphone. Anyone can contact you anywhere in the world (if you have a good signal), but people use them too much. They should do more of a push to use SMS and it would solve the problem with people talking too much.

No action taken

[Peter Cooper]

The FCC has received very few complaints about jammed cell phones and has never taken action against anyone for that violation.

How could they take action? The people with the jammers keep them in their pockets. And the only reason they're doing it is for the entertainment/proving a point aspect. It's not as if Wal*Mart is mass-installing jammers to stop shoppers talking while shopping, so how would the FCC catch anyone?

Besides, with the way people move around, service would only appear to be patchy, dropping out as you walk past someone with a jammer, then coming back again. Cellphones do this anyway , so how you would you know what to complain about?

This is pretty much a non story because it's hard to tell if you're being jammed or if you're just getting a crappy signal. Sure, you shouldn't be blocking cellphone signals, but I can't see how the FCC is going to catch you doing it.

Re:Not good

[marklar1]

I'm tired as fuck of all the self-righteous pricks running around who think their one-on-one conversations are more important than my conversation over the phone. If I'm at a restraunt dining alone (traveling for business or just a loser....) unless everyone can't talk then I'll talk on my phone till the cows come home. Ms. Manners can shove it... Never is it acceptable where no one should be talking, movies, churches, etc....but unless it's unacceptable for everyone to talk, then find something else to bitch about.

Safety?

[booyaka]

One of the great advantages of Cell Phones is the ability to call for help in the case of an emergency. I can't really understand the justification for interfereing with this function because you want to have your coffee in silence. It seems a little reactionary, libraries are meant to be quiet, not cafes and restaurants.

All is needed...

[dabadab]

...is just to learn some proper manners.
Don't shout loudly if it bothers people and don't jam other people's cell phones.

Cones of silence

[Avihson]

Jamming sounds like a great solution at first. but wouldn't Faraday cages be simpler? I drive past a theater that overpowers my FM radio along a few hundred ft stretch of roadway. If they lined the theater with copper foil, it would stop the cell phones and the interference the theater itself is producing.

Tin foil may be an answer after all...

'War on' cell phones

[ToadMan8]

Ah, first the war on drugs, the war on poverty then the war on terror.
I see we've solved those issues to now have the time to wage war on those annoying annoying people on cellphones.

I think those people who are complaining must be the people who don't get enough cell calls and feel left out. Amusing as it would be I'll break the fingers of the first person cellphone jamming I see.

Why is it socially acceptable to talk to people but as soon as the person is separated by a bit of technology is it considered obnoxious and socially unacceptable?

Times they are a changin'

[TGK]

I've often wondered if this kind of technology might be employed in a legal manner by businesses and other establishments. If enough people take to using these devices the FCC may well bow to public pressure.

It won't be much later that we'll see restaurants offering "cellular or non-cellular" seating and theaters (both cinematic and live) physically preventing the use of phones in their establishments.

I welcome it. Cell phones have their uses but are frankly some of the most intrusive devices to penetrate the market as of late. There are barriers of common courtesy that need to remain in place. The person you're standing in front of simply needs to take precedence over the person calling you to let you know orange juice is on sale. The cashier has the right to expect you to pay attention to your purchase. And damnit, I have the right to a dinner in peace.

Not the same at College

[Anonymous Coward]

There are tons of people in college that just yap away in the middle of class and everywhere you go their cell phone is their best buddy. As a student paying for my education I get tired of dealing with the constant interruption to MY EDUCATION. If people are going to be dumb about using their cell phones then others can go right ahead and jam calls. They should do the same thing in movie theatres and other "quiet" areas to keep the peace.

Re:Not good

[marklar1]

who cares if it's vital or not. If you're sitting there conversing with your mates, then I have every right to talk to my friend/associate/whatever virtually... again, if it's a library, chrurch, theatre, where NO ONE should talk to anyone, fine....but to have a conversation with a person on the phone in a normal tone is no more distracting than listening to your annoying drivel to your table mates.... the logic is total BS: the first paragraph alone where some asshole is jamming conversation at a coffee house????? come the F*&^% on....tell the prick to go to a library...IF I caught someone doing this I wouldn't hesitate to take a swing at him... And you know the only people running around with these devices would be greasy little geeks without friends to bring in person or to call on the phone that you could wipe the floor with one hand..

Re:Not good

[Fluk3]

People can make 911 calls from a land line

Conduct your business at your office or at home.

Don't do it in my library, movie theatre, bookstore, coffee shop.

I will block these inconsiderate loudmouths.

Noise pollution should be outlawed.

Re:Not good

[rot26]

I'm tired as fuck of all the self-righteous pricks running around who think their one-on-one conversations are more important than my conversation over the phone.

Those are my feelings EXACTLY. The only difference that I've thought of is the tendency for some morons to talk a lot more loudly on a cell call than during a one-on-one conversation. I've found that imitating them puts a stop to that, usually.

Not cool

[Ralph Wiggam]

My cell phone is on vibrate 24/7. Why should I get jammed? The only good solution is a bluetooth type technology that silences any phone in the area without disabling them.

Sure some people are inconsiderate jerks. People talk to people sitting next to them in movies all the time. We don't duct tape everyone's mouthes shut on the way in.

Actually they should have screened the line for Return of the King. If you didn't see the first two movies, you should not have been allowed in. There were people all around me having the first 6 hours of film described to them on the fly.

-B

Re:Not the same at College

[marklar1]

why don't you have the BALLS to stand up and work with your peeers. Be a leader..,..or be a snitch and run to your professor since you apparently have no leadership or interpersonal skills to address your peers.

Cell phone jamming on private property

[hillct]

While cell phone jamming in public spaces is illegal, my research suggests that jamming on private property is not illegal. It appears this has never been challenged in court. The big question though is, whether or not it's a good practice.

I finally relented and got a cell phone vary recently. I (like almsot every other slashdot reader) work in the tech sector 8 hours a day 5 days a week and have revused until recently to bring some of this technology into my home. I don't have cable TV, I don't have an answering machine and until a few weeks ago I didn't have a cell phone.

I for one, would be in favor of movie theaters jamming cell phones inside the theaters themselves, and any other private institution (museums perhaps) who wish to, being able to legally jam cell frequencies at their discression, within their own premisis. It should be considered no different than banning smoking in facilities on private property. The owners should have discression here, And if cell phone users don't like it they can take their business elsewhere. This will cause the business owners to carefully consider the practice before enguaging in it.

I do believe that signage should be requires when such jamming is in effect, so patrons would be aware they will be incomunicado while they are within the given facility, such that they can make an informed choice.

--CTh

Re:Not good

[cprincipe]

As a top IT executive for a fortune 50, I spend a lot of time on global conference calls. I would be extremely annoyed, and would consider it an attack on both me personally, and me professionally (and, by extension, my company) if someone were to jam my cellular during an important conference call. The courts would see it my way, as well. As would the service provider - after all, by interrupting their service, you are proving malicious intent to disrupt services, in much teh same manner as you would be if you cut the power lines to my building. I recommend you not do this.

Oh, all the lawyers just got a woody. Another lawsuit in the making.

Poor people whine. Rich people call their lawyers.

What a bunch of assholes.

[juuri]

Jamming cellphones in an area greater than your personal space is incredibly fucking selfish. When you go out in public, you are subject to the social norms of the area you live in. If other people in your city think it is cool to be obnoxious on the cell phone, deal with it, try and change it through non passive-aggressive means or move.

When I lived in San Francisco I would be amazed when people would get pissed at others for talking in normal tones on cellphones while on the bus. As I told this one old guy who was yelling, "Why don't you yell at the couple in front of her who are talking even louder?!". Personally I don't use my cellphone in crowded places and always keep my ringer off. I don't see why so many people who have vitriol for those who conduct themselves with decent manners.

Freedoms end...

[nurb432]

Where it impedes on others rights and freedoms.

Talking on a cell phone during a movie, or while driving down the road ( not being attentive, and illegal in many areas ) crosses that line..

Nice try though...

Re:Telemetry

[Bin_jammin]

Geez, I'd hate to think that there'd be one less Saab owner on the road :) In all seriousness though, I don't think these devices are powerful enough to knock out communications in a hospital unless you were in the hospital with it. I sounds like the point of the blocker is to create a swath around yourself of quiet bliss, so unless you walk through your local hospital for kicks, it shouldn't be an issue.

Re:'War on' cell phones

[DoorFrame]

Because people on cell phones invariably talk much louder than people having a face to face conversation (where you can accurately gauge an appropriate volume level for conversation based on your partners volume level). That's why.

A better soltution - Cellphone Detectors

[lxt]

In the theatre industry we have to think of other creative ways of stopping cellphones even from being switched on (even on silent - as most tech people know, digital cellphones can badly interfere with electronic equipment). Thus, a company does produce a "cellphone detector", picking up cellphone radiation. An automated message can inform people to turn their phones off - failing that, in cases where phones MUST be turned off (live recordings etc) you can refuse to start until all phones are off.

There shouldn't be a problem with mobiles

[RandBlade]

For most people on mobile phones (cell phones) they're used properly, no shouting and no louder than if you're talking with someone who's next to you. I use my mobile regularly and always try to make sure I'm not being disruptive, not in the wrong places (eg libraries) and no shouting. Just because a few people abuse them, does not mean most people do.

Someone carrying a jammer is being deliberately and obnoxiously selfish. They're worse than the ignorant fools who talk to loudly.

Re: Not good

[black mariah]

I recommend you grow the fuck up and realise that world does not revolve around you.

If people used better judgement

[Coolmoe]

then this would not be a problem. Society has functioned for many years without cellular technology. If you have an area such as a movie theatre or a classy restaraunt you should be expected to use some judgement and turn it to vibrate or off to go to VM. This is the ideal, but people have shown time and again that this is not in line with reality. I am all for business owners jamming these devices. I think that there ought to be a large sign stating that the devices will not work and to use a land line if you need to make emergency calls. I have seen so many times that people will take calls anywhere and talk completely disregarding your feelings to have a peaceful dinner or watch a movie without hearing about somebodys personal crap. This could be a great niche market for people that want have a peaceful shopping or viewing experience that is uninterupted. I pay money to get away from pagers, cellphones and others screaming kids and I expect that this will not be a problem. If I want the noise of everyday life I will go home or to work. There ought to be a place to get away from this stuff.

Re: Not good

[cybermace5]

If YOU had a cell phone and YOU had something that you deemed important enough to talk to someone about wherever you were, who do you care about most? Your job, your success in business, or some nearby person who you'll never see again, and who has some kind of insane twisted fixation on someone else talking on a cell phone? Seriously...I don't mind when other people are talking on their cell phones. You guys are acting like nut cases here. Why don't you pick something else to notice about other people and hassle them about, like loud footsteps, breathing, blinking too much, not laughing the same way you do, or anything else that will send you into a blind rage? Psychos.

Re:Safety?

[MesiahTaz]

Scenario: You're a soccer-mom and your kids are at school. Their listed emergency # is mommy's cell phone. What then? Mommy can't go to the coffee shop because her phone might be jammed? That's a bit ridiculous. Same goes for a Doctor. Same goes for people who *need* to be able to receive calls for their jobs.

Cell phones are a fact of life. If you don't like, move to Elbonia.

Re:Not good

[black mariah]

I'll stop using phones in public places when you stop talking in public places. What the fuck does it matter if I'm talking to someone next to me or someone in another state?

Individual freedoms

[cprincipe]

In the West we have now taken the concept of individual freedom to the level of infringing on other people's individual freedoms. It boils down to "My rights are more important than your rights. What I want is more important than what you want."

Thus we have people jamming cell phones because they think their hate of people talking on cell phones is more important than the need of other people to talk on cell phones.

However, this hate is created by people who think their right to talk on their cell phones in an inappropriate manner (ie bellowing at a restaurant or talking during a movie) is more important than other people's rights to an enjoyable experience.

Re:Not good

[black88]

Whereas a Coffee shop ain't designed to be a Church, neither is it designed to be Grand Central Fucking Station. I think what pisses most folks off is the brazen "me first" attitude when it comes to these things. I won't jam/block your cell call if you would only be a little more respectful and mindful of the people around you, who ma be trying to study, work, etc. And don't EVER think using your phone during live theater, an orchestral performance, or an opera.

Legal Way

[silas_moeckel]

It's not legal to activly jam Cell phones because your not supposed to be broadcasting on that piece of spectrum. Now anybody that has ever had eletronics 101 should remember a faraday cage and how easy they are to build but let me elaborate:

Your a Movie Theater and you dont want cell phones or other wireless devices to work so as to not have people gabbing on them during the movie.

When you build or do any extensive renovation your prbably going to use a lot of drywall if you install a few layers of chicken fence or other suitable fine grid or wire. Make sure the doors are metal (fire code I would think) and that they maintain a good contact to the grid etc etc etc. When the doors are closed yours not going to see an increadable ammount of attenuation to any RF signals with a wavelength longer than the mesh pitch and a good attenuation to most everything else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage [slashdot.org] Gives and overview and a link to tempest the DOD's solution to RF leakeage.

Now you have a movie theater that cell phones dont work in. It would be nice if we could clasify transmision types say via bluetooth since thats a hot new thing on cell phones and have the possibility to ask the phone to switch to silent mode while not affecting paging functions for doctors and other on call critical people that can be assumed to be more responcible than a 15 year old with and "emergency" call.

In other news...

[po8]

According to a story in Modern Luddite [wikipedia.org] , folks annoyed with the constant noise, danger, pollution and clutter of those damned horseless carriages are arming themselves with sugar for gas tanks, spike strips, and similar means of improving their lot in life.

Also, moving beyond the portable, folks annoyed with the whirring and buzzing, bright lights, heat and refrigeration of electrical devices in general are using wire cutters, shorting busbars, and plowing cars into power poles in an attempt to regain the peace, sanity, and universal happiness of a pre-electrical world.

Jerks like this should go live in Colonial Williamsburg [history.org]. Let the rest of us get on with the 21st Century, where we can talk to our friends and business associates anytime with just the push of a button. Not that it's a Utopia [wikipedia.org] or anything, but...well, yeah, in at least this one aspect it kind of is.

Re: Not good

[Black Parrot]

> I recommend you grow the fuck up and realise that world does not revolve around you.

That's just about the ultimate in irony, in the context of a discussion of the annoying habits of cell phone users.

Unibombing?

[Kidentropy]

Having to VPN lately in the afternoons due to a class... I've had to relocate to places like chain book stores and *%'s due to the deal on wireless service i get with my provider. Over the past month I've noticed a really concentrated culture of people who operate cellphones in public places. And yes, they are annoying at times. But in more than one particular instance, I've overheard the opposite side of the spectrum... The guy behind the counter of one chain was complaining about how the cafe where he goes has a bright red sign that prohibits the use of cellphones... and how if he had it his way... he'd make sure that this place was the same. This was in a particularly busy *$'s with wi-fi and at around a particularly busy time time of day... that acts as a hub for alot of suit and tie types... some of which keep to themselves and some of which are annoying beyond belief. The point the general populace has to realize is that anywhere you have wi-fi... you are bound to have virtual commuters... I don't go to the local whole earthy, mom and pop place to do work... I go there to relax and trust me I leave the phone off. I go to chains because I get a good deal per month and I have the opportunity to change surroundings and do my work away from home... and honestly sometimes I feel more motivated as well. But its amazing how many people for whatever psychological reasons will project this 'hate your kind' aura... even if you are just checking your voicemail. Its not like I'm whipping out my cellphone in the middle of a library or upscale dining establishment and yelling "BOB get me those TPS reports, STAT." There are plenty of places where cell phone usage is not courteous... and believe me I try to be as mindful as the next person... but employees and visitors of chains like the aforementioned need to realize there are places where it is a fact of life. You don't like those places... support a place like the mom and pop's that encourage cafe usage for relaxation. Don't go all neo-luddite and get yourself an EMP. The kind that do that are just as worse... and probably the exact same psychological profile as the people they hate... abrasive, intrustrive, and ego driven... full of opinions on how the world ought to be. When I moved to this city I learned really quick how much easier and less expensive it was to have a cell... Ameritech when I first moved here took 3 months to install a phone in my apartment... I've moved three times since then and never installed a phone line since.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:True Luddites

[Coolmoe]

I disagree there ought to be places that are cellphone free and if a person does not like this policy they can find some other place to shop or view movies etc... It's not about eliminating the technology it's about trying to make up for the judgement that others often lack. The only way to deal with some people that lack any social etiquite is to make some places cellular dead. If it's posted that this is the policy then you have the option to leave.

Re:Telemetry

[/dev/trash]

I wonder how people survived before cell phones.

Re:Safety?

[Avihson]

Soccer mom can't figure out voice mail? I guess soccer mom can't go to the theater or to class because her kids are in school.
God help her if she works in a hospital! Or in this enlightened age, if she is a flagger on a construction crew. Her cellphone is off in blasting areas!
What happens to all those doctors who must turn off their phones when they are on the ward, or spending hours in the operating room?

I do some consulting at a university medical center, everyone has phones and everyone turns them off in certain areas. I carry a phone and a pager. I turn them both off - when I turn them on, I get alerted to missed calls and missed pages. It doesn't curtail my productivity, how can it hamper soccer-mom's?

There is no excuse for antisocial behavior, unless you are an immigrant from Elbonia

Re:No complaints now, but...

[betelgeuse-4]

... or someone's homemade jammer (i.e. broadband, so doesn't only block cellphone frequencies) is found to be blocking emergency services/military/air traffic control transmissions.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:No action taken

[owlstead]

Except that they almost never seem to use that sort of low tone of voice. I am going to buy a headset myself. I've noticed that people with a headset seem to keep their coverstations a lot more private.

Unless you are using bluetooth headset, then the conversation is both private and public :)

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[cprincipe]

It's too bad you don't see the irony in your actions.

Re:No complaints now, but...

[mugnyte]

nice, second mod5 in the comments at the moment. but this theme gets kicked around every time the concept of blocking cell phones comes up: what about blocking emergency calls!?

look, owning a cell phone is not an entitlement to communication through it, anywhere, anytime. if your cell phone doesn't work, and you feel it's blocked because of one of these tools, AND you are having an emergency, do what prior tech solved in sucessive order : find a stranger to help, find a payphone, run and get help. it's that simple.

i've been in a few emergencies and having a cell phone may have gotten people there more quickly (moutaineering), but for the most part they are abused by scared newbies. i've waited immobilized for a few hours for the helicopters to arrive myself. anecdotes aside, i don't recall any evidence that more cell phone emergency calls are anything more than a conveinence. they don't really seem to make the difference between life and death. if they do, then relying on one is a foolish mistake akin to causing the accident in part.

i've not seen any court cases where people sued a cell phone provider because they did not work adequately in a time of emergency. on the contrary, during large emergencies, cell phone networks seem to be the first to overload.

Cellphone blocking should be automated

[wayne]

I think that being able to create a "no cell-phone zone" is A Good Thing and should be legalized and automated.

Instead of sending out signals that distrupt cell phones, you should be able to buy a device that sends out a message that says "block incoming calls", "block outgoing calls", or "both". The cell phones should be able to override this information, but by default it should be respected. The message should include a GPS location signal, a serial/registration number of the device, and a text description of the location of the device. Local laws should dictate when and were it would be legal to use these devices. (I suspect it would be "private property only", with a few exceptions.)

Face it, most people really want to respect the no-cell phone requests for places that it isn't appropriate, but when you have a hundred people in a room, someone is sure to forget to turn off their phone. They are also going to forget to turn it back on after they leave.

A legalized "no cell phone zone" device would not stop assholes from overriding the request, but it would make life much easier for everyone else.

Re:businesses aren't citizens

[Anonymous Coward]

tell George Bush that... he thinks businesses are THE ONLY citizens. Their rights trump ours every day.

I don't get it

[ajagci]

First of all, I should say that I don't actually use my cell phone in restaurants or close to other people just because it is so disapproved of.

But, frankly, I think this dislike of cell phones is irrational and itself annoying. People talk to other people everywhere, often in loud or annoying voices. It makes no difference to me whether someone talks into a cell phone or to someone across from them; at least, when they talk into a cell phone, I don't need to hear the responses.

I'm beginning to suspect that what really annoys people about public cell phone usage is that they are missing out on half of conversation that they would really like to listen in on in its entirety.

Re:Telemetry

[Dun Malg]

So, the next call you might jam could be some heart paitent's ECG telling his cardiologist that he's having a heart attack,

If the cardiologist is far enough away to need telemetry via cellular to tell him about the heart attack, there's nothing he can do about it. Anyone close enough to help is going to see him clutch his left arm and keel over.

or somebody's Saab saying that it's airbag has gone off in an accident

Nobody installs a jammer in the middle of nowhere. The only place OnStar (or the like) really needs cellular to report an airbag deployment is the middle of nowhere. Any place you'd find a jammer, you'd find people.

perhaps it is just a cell call, and it's just the hospital trying to get their neurosurgeon in.

Hospitals nostly use pagers rather than cell phones to summon on-call physicians. Cell isn't reliable enough.

YOU TALK TOO LOUD

[wfolta]

The problem is not talking on the phone. It's that most people talk WAY TOO LOUD on a cellphone, way above the appropriate level. Personally, I keep my voice down, but most people don't.

So, yes you have a right to talk where talking is appropriate. No, you don't have a right to SHOUT FOR AN HOUR because you're too stupid to realize that people naturally talk louder on the phone.

Re:Safety?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not a concern for me. People managed just fine before the cell phone, and if soccer mom has to wait until she gets home to get the message, its unlikely to have had any affect whatsoever on junior's health. Stay out of the way and let the medical staff at the hospital or clinic do their jobs. The doctor who is there is fully qualified to handle the situation, and the on-call guy can stay near a reliable (landline) phone if he is really serious about being on call.

Re:Telemetry

[gnarled]

People survived before medicine too, that doesn't mean its unnecessary.

This would be in America. right?

[Tim Ward]

Even the 911 caller would likely not distinguish a blocked/jammed call from a normal "no service" area.

This would be in America, right? In much of the rest of the world there is no concept of "a normal no-service area". Somewhere you can't get service is abnormal.

Re:Telemetry

[bluGill]

In this case (medical devices that call home when there is a potential problem) not as well, perhaps not at all. Before cell phones there was no infrastructer that you could count on. Some old people had medical alarm buttons that could press, but that only worked when they knew there was a problem (ie it wasn't a sudden silent heart attack, but just sign that one could be coming) and they were at home in range of the base station.

Just because technology didn't exist before doesn't mean that you can do without it for the same quality of life.

Re:Not good

[tuxlove]

I'm tired as fuck of all the self-righteous pricks running around who think their one-on-one conversations are more important than my conversation over the phone.

It's not the conversations themselves that are the problem. It's the fact that people on cell phones usually talk unreasonably loudly that makes them a problem. Not to mention their stupid polyphonic ringers blasting out at 60 decibels every 10 minutes.

Re: Not good

[Datoyminaytah]

Who the hell decided talking to someone on a cellphone while in a restaurant is any different than talking to a person physically there?

That's my own criteria for using a cell phone. That is, if I'm in a situation where I feel it's appropriate to talk to a "real" person, it's fine to talk on a cellphone, as long as it can be done at a "normal" volume level (normal for the context.)

So, movie theaters are definitely out. Museums? Why not, as long as you're not disturbing a tour, and other people are talking freely to companions.

Yes, there are inappropriate situations in which to use a cell phone, but what makes me mad is all the self-righteous people who glare at you if they see you with a cellphone to your ear ANYWHERE, even in totally "appropriate" situations. (Yes, there are quite a few such people.)

America can be funny.

[Gray]

It's do what you want nation, but no loud talking.

In the rest of the world, where cell phones adoption is way higher, this issue is so 1995. Cope and move on, it's progress sucker.

Re: Not good

[Jim Starx]

It's not the every day chatter that annoys people. A large majority of the people with cell phones know how to use them respectfully. But some people don't. Don't answer your phone in a movie, and if you really need to at least step outside or towards the back. Don't think that when the pickup is less then an inch from your mouth you have to project your voice 50 feet away in a quiet room. Don't think you can hold up lines, lanes of traffic, or elevators just because your not through with your conversation when your time has come. Cell phones aren't inherently rude, but the way some people choose to use them certainly is.

Re:Not good

[eplese]

To me it's typically fine if someone is talking on their cell phone in a public place at a reasonable volume level. What gets annoying is when people don't turn off their annoying ring tones when they are in public places. Or when they talk on the phone in a normal or louder volume in certain public places where people talk in much quieter voices like libraries, quiet trains or planes, and many other places. Another thing that gets very irritating is people that try to do multiple things at once, when one of the things includes talking on their cell phone in a public place. This includes talking on the phone while in store checkouts, or any other places where they are holding up a bunch of people because they can't get off their damn phone for 5 minutes to get done with what they are in line to do.

Re:Agreed, inconsiderate users are the problem

[Steve B]

Er, what's the point of asking people to turn off cell phones in a government office waiting room? Do they think the spectacle of one of them working and four of them dozing is so fascinating that no one will want to have it rudely interrupted?

move into the matrix

[QEDog]

Do we want to live in a place where everyone is expected to be connected remotely all the time? Where remote connection is way more important than face-to-face? Move into The Matrix then!

Re:I don't get it

[forkboy]

No, it's not just that people have loud conversations on their phones. It's not that we can't hear only one side of the conversation. (yeah I really care what your wife is telling you to get from the grocery store)

It's that they have them in places where they wouldn't have a loud conversation with another person at all...very inappropriate places. And the ringtones, goddam the fucking annoying ringtones that are constantly going off in any venue where silence and attention are expected. (a lecture for instance) With another person, you can talk quietly and not disturb what's going on around you. You HAVE to talk at at LEAST a moderate level on cell phones, often louder than that.

Yes,

[GQuon]

find a stranger to help, find a payphone, run and get help. it's that simple.

Relying on payphones for assistance is folly! The only way to keep in contact with emergency services should be by horseback. The odd palantir could be used too, but ONLY FOR BACKUP.

On the serious side, regular radio networks are absolutely essential for the emergency services to operate. Cell phones are good for citizen contact during regular accidents and day-to-day contact between officers, but may break down during disasters like 9/11.

Re:Safety?

[glpierce]

"Soccer mom can't figure out voice mail? I guess soccer mom can't go to the theater or to class because her kids are in school."

So you think the woman should have to step outside every 2 minutes to check her voicemail? Most parents I know would balk at your statement - the health and safety of their child is of the utmost importance, and they shouldn't have to completely abandon their social life to ensure it.

"What happens to all those doctors who must turn off their phones when they are on the ward, or spending hours in the operating room?"

I think you missed the point of the doctor situation. Emergency room doctors need to be able to be contacted in case of an emergency (or cardiologists, etc). If they're in the hospital, then their location is known and there is no issue. The point is that some professions are 24-hour on-call.

"...I get alerted to missed calls and missed pages. It doesn't curtail my productivity, how can it hamper soccer-mom's?"

I'm going to take a wild guess here: you don't have children. For years, women have not worked so that they would be home for their children, and would be accessible. Cell phones are changing things, and allow part-time jobs and exponentially increased social lives.

Re:Safety?

[iantri]

If their is a 'real emergency' at school (i.e. kid's arm gets torn off by paper shredder or something) , the number to call is 911.. not "mommy's cell phone".

Need is a pretty strong word. We need food, water and shelter. We don't need cell phones.

Cell phones have only existed for the last 15-20 years... people got along just fine before that.

As for the "need to receive calls for your job" argument, if you need to receive calls you should be at the office, not at the local cafe.

Re:Hoffman Estates schools

[iantri]

This is ridiculous. They need to reduce the strength of their jammer or receive a nice visit from the FCC.

It brings up a more interesting question though.. why do they need it??

What do the teachers do all day? Surely they would notice students yakking away on their cell phones during class.. if it's at lunch, who cares?

Automatically block calls in the car while moving.

[innerweb]

My biggest concern with cell phone users are those who insist on carrying on conversations on them while driving (I have the same issues with those who eat, smoke, apply makeup, sleep or anything else that interferes with driving - heck in the Cinci commute, I used to see people getting dressed while driving).

Most people I know do pull over to use the cell phone when driving. But, there are those idiots out there who think that multi-tasking while driving is a good thing. They should have to commute through the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky bridges on a daily basis, see all the accidents that happen. Maybe witnessing a few deaths will help instill the true meaning of distracted driver.

Beyond the drivers who use them at the wrong time, the rest are just irritating jerks. I always take my conversation away from those who might be interrupted by it. That is outside, down the hall, private room. It is called being polite. That aside though, I would be pissed if someone were jamming my cell phone. I think the appropriate action is to ask politely (first time) for a rude cell phone owner to take it elsewhere. If that does not work, we have done everything from turning our own volume up to the point where said arse had to leave to hear to pointedly telling the individual we were not going to put up with their rude interruptions anymore (to which we have actually received applause from those around us). Honestly, such drastic measures are rarely needed, as almost everyone once asked has been polite.

InnerWeb

It's the people stupid

[Sabalon]

Just like Kazaa, it's not the technology it's the people doing the bad things.

Everyone seems to think that the world is there for them and that is it. So what if they are at a theater blabbing on the phone, or if it's 2am and they decide they must drive through neighboorhoods with enough bass to break up a kidney stone.

There are simple solutions - get management that has balls. Don't want people blabbing in your resturaunt, eject them. Have ushers in the theaters eject people who are being obnoxious. When I say a broadway play, that happened...someone brought a baby who was crying and they were told they would have to go out to the lobby until the baby quieted down.

Of course then they'll be tons of lawsuits over how they were discriminated against, etc...

Sigh...sometimes I wish I lived for a shorter time before electronics. mmmm...that's good gruel!

Re:Not good

[BinxBolling]

Nobody is going to try to jam your cell phone while you are on your business property or the property of a client.

Uh, the whole point of the article is that with these jamming devices being sold to private, unlicensed individuals, he can't be sure of that.

Re: Not good

[lobotomy]

I agree with you in theory. The problem is that for some reason, when most (some?) people put a cell phone to their ear, their volume increases by an order of magnitude. Thus, the couple talking at the table next to me does not bother me, but the idiot on the phone four tables over is annoying everyone in the whole restaurant. Not everyone does this, but enough people do have this annoying habit to the point where people now associate cell phones with obnoxious a-holes. Thus, the backlash we are now observing.

One Word...NEXTEL

[durtbag]

Every time I leave my house, I have to listen to: *BLEEEP* HEY! WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? *BLEEEP* SHIT. YOU? *BLEEEP* COOL. YOU HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT AT SO-AND-SO'S? *BLEEEP* NAW. WHAT HAPPENED? ON and on it goes. Now jamming is not the answer, but being forced to be a part of every self-important assh*le's personal life it NOT something I have to tolerate. A regular cell conversation at a normal tone is fine. NEXTEL megaphone conversations are NOT. If I must listen to you banter endlessly over that loud-ass walkie-talkie, then you must listen to me shout the Star Wars theme. It's only fair.

pay phone?

[Anonymous Coward]

Once upon a time, there were no cell phones. I know, its hard to imagine, but it's true. When people had a heart attack, someone used the phone by the restrooms to call an ambulance. That system worked just fine.

Heart attack on a bus? Run to the nearest pay phone. Or into the nearest building. All buildings have phones nowadays, and businesses are quite willing to let non-customers use the phone in case of heart attack (just imagine the negative publicity otherwise).

Heart attack out in the middle of the mountains? Thats where people won't bother to have their jammers on anyway. People are fed up with the constant chatter in theaters, on busses, in grocery stores, etc. THATS where the jammers will be kept active.

But what do I know?

Irony

[skyhawker]

Funny, but your absolutely valid rant applies equally well to the people who insist on using their cell phones anywhere and at any time it pleases them. I suppose that's why the battle rages and will continue to do so.

Re:No complaints now, but...

[EvanED]

"look, owning a cell phone is not an entitlement to communication through it, anywhere, anytime."

Um, seeing as I'm paying for service that uses public airwaves that everyone has the right to, I would say that I *do* have the right to not having my signal blocked. Completely ignoring the 911 issue, blocking someone's service is theft, plain and simple.

Re: Not good

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a really bad argument. Just because YOU would decide to trump everybody else for your own good doesn't make it right or even acceptable.

I feel like driving 100mph on the highway because I just want to get somewhere faster or I'm just enjoying the hell out of it, does that mean everyone else should mind their fucking business and let me do it ?

Re:Safety?

[MesiahTaz]

So if the kid's arm gets torn off by a paper shredder, the parent shouldn't be notifiied? Just take the kid to the hospital and let mom wonder why little Johnny isn't home at 3?

Sure people got along fine without cell phones but life is a lot better in many ways having them.

As for your ridiculous job retort -- there are those of us that are on call for our jobs morning 'til late evneing 6 days of the week. I'm not about to move into my office, jerk.

Focus on using your limited intellect to get yourself food and water. Let the rest of us have our phones.

Re:I don't get it

[misterpies]

Something else I find very rude is the way a phone call gets priority over anything else competing for the recipient's attention. Such as a conversation with me, for instance.

Say you're talking to a friend. Wouldn't you think it was incredibly rude if someone else, who you don't even know, came along, butted in and started his own new conversation, expecting you to wait? Wouldn't you think your friend pretty rude for cutting you out, too? But that's how it always is with phone calls. I think that if you're talking to someone and the phone rings, you shouldn't answer it (unless you're expecting a call). Everyone now has caller id and/or voicemail so there's no worry about missing the message.

Of course this is a gripe about the way we use phones in general, not just cellphones, but the problem is made much worse. Now you can't even go for a walk/drive with someone without an invisible intruder turning up - you can even have a guest at your own home cut you out!

Somehow though I have difficulty getting other people to sympathise with me. Last month,when I was with a group of 5 friends on a train, I tried to explain my point of view after one person made the rest of us shut up for 10 minutes so he could hear what is phone-friend was saying. Somehow no-one else thought it was rude (and I was only suggesting that maybe he should go and stand further from us while on the phone so we could get on with what we were talking about before).

Until most folk improve their manners a lot, I can see why people might want a jammer, though I wouldn't buy one myself.

Re:I don't get it

[hisstory student]

It's really quite simple. It's not really the conversation that's upsetting people so much as the annoyance of the ringer going off. I've seen it time and time again where nobody is complaining while several cell phone conversations are going on in a restaurant, but as soon as a ringer goes off you see a number of people get visibly aggitated.

Common Sense Manners, Anyone?

[KarmaOverDogma]

I'll probably get Modded as flamebait for this, but...
When it comes to the discussion of cell phones and jamming here on slashdot, it seems like the same tired old arguments are being used.
I, for one, have grown tired of seeing the same lame situation where supposed "Law" and "Rights" are touted as absolutes to give anyone entitlement to, in virtually any situation and for any reason, the justification to make or receive a cel-phone call.

Before I put in my two cents worth here is a brief recap of this asinine argument, since it now has many levels to follow:

DrEldarion said:
"They're in a public place, if they want to talk on a cell phone, it's their right. Hell, if they want to sit there whistling 'It's a small world, after all' while banging on pans, they can do that too."
Blackparrot responded:
"Yeah, try that next time you're in a restaurant, theatre, or museum, and see what happens."
Then DrEldarion retorted:
"If the person is in a private place, and the people who run the place have objections to it, then they and ONLY they have the right to do something about it. If the person is in a public place, then NOBODY has a right to do anything."

My two cents:
Really? "NOBODY has the right to do anything" ? Have you ever heard of Laws with regard to "Disturbing the peace"? I hear people actually get arrested for such eggregious behavior every once in a while.
These "Laws" and "Rights" that you make referenece to were created by people to govern and manage behavior. They are, like many situations in life, best understood in the context of their creation and application. This is illustrated by Carl Sagan's quote, "What Rights does a Drowning Man in the middle of an Ocean have"?
When people do things that are bad and/or against social/cultural norms, as they do from time to time, certain laws get enforced or enacted to correct them. You may have noticed that when behavior gets out of hand (e.g. profanity in church, holding up the line at a ATM machine, harassing a woman at a bar, or whistling "It's a small world after all" and baging on pans virtually ANYWHERE), people won't always wait for the Law, whether it gives/denies explicit permission, to respond appropriately.
Wonder why the FCC has, to date, never enforced this law? Perhaps it is because they have never found reason enough to take a stand and make an example of someone who clearly abused their "Right" to enfore the social and cultural expectations for peace and quiet in the given situation.
Please don't assume think we all, like you, believe that the "Law" and "Rights" are absolute in any virtually any situation and for (virtually) any reason. If you do, you may find yourself in front of a judge/jury/policeman/bouncer/angry citizen(s) that think otherwise....
There's only so much rudeness and nonsense people will put up with, whether you agree with them or not.

end of rant.

.

The RING signal.

[chris_7d0h]

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with people talking on cell-phones in environments where others keep conversations going, provided they're not one of these types who thinks that the further away they are from the person they're talking to, the louder they have to screem at the phone.

What really buggs me are all those ring signals. Those are very abnormal sounds which are hard for the brain to filter out. If there was some kind of spec. which stated that each phone should broadcast a kind of "IsItOkToTriggerARIIIIIING()" query and wait half a second or so for a veto response before sounding off that annoying sound from the device, it'd go a long way at mitigating what I believe bug most people.

Having worked in so called "Open Landscape" offices for about 5 years now, I've pretty much learned to "tune out" all conversation noise when I need to think. However, artificial noise such as the classic RIIIING or all the personalized ring tunes are still piercing my conciousness and that's really what's bugging me.

If I could just veto those sounds, which might get the cellphone to use vibrate or similar, I'd pretty much be statisfied.

However, just "randomly" jamming anyones call is just rude imo. I like the freedom cellphones provide me, allowing me for example to pick up the kids on time while still being able to attend that "important" conference call the boss has been nagging about all week. (and is always scheduled to impossible hours, due to the timezone difference of our american colleagues, who pretty much arriving to their offices when we are about to leave ours').

Re: Not good

[cubicleman]

There's a reason cell phones have vibrate mode and voice mail...I put mine on vibrate when I'm in a restuarant, check it if it rings, and excuse myself and step outside to return the call, if it is urgent. Otherwise, call back later. In movie theatres, museums, etc I just turn it off..

Re:No complaints now, but...

[danila]

Why would anyone block a 911 call? Unless we are talking about jammers that cover whole city blocks, the person with the jammer is likely to be around when the heart attack happens. Hopefully he will be considerate enough to turn it off, especially when he sees that calls do not get through. And if we are talking about jammers that kill all mobile phones miles around, I think the police/cellular company/FCC is likely to something about that (and it's not like they are terribly useful for mundane purposes).

Re:No complaints now, but...

[SuperDuperMan]

If you can't use your phone because of no signal who cares if you can switch providers?

Re:I don't get it

[FleaPlus]

I'm beginning to suspect that what really annoys people about public cell phone usage is that they are missing out on half of conversation that they would really like to listen in on in its entirety.

That's actually a big part of the problem. If you can only hear one end of the conversation, it makes it much more difficult for your brain to identify it as background and ignore it. How often do you think somebody next to you is saying something to you, when it turns out they're actually speaking on their cell phone?

Re:No action taken

[danila]

people yelling into thier phones and saying "can you hear me?"

Especially as the digital GSM (GPRS, CDMA, etc.) phones being digital either work or don't. If the signal is too low, yelling does not help. :)

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[tiger99]

Damping as you describe is basically screening, and is never entirely effective. A door or window is much bigger than the cellphone wavelength, the best you can expect is some attenuation, if the whole building is screened, which only makes the mobile and the base station turn up the power level, increasing the health hazard......

True damping using absorbtion of the signal is well-nigh impossible, even stealth aircraft don't work very well and the process is expensive. It also needs quite a thickness of material at cellphone frequencies. AFAIK, on certain aircraft (where use of a cellphone, even switching it on, is a major safety hazard, and is illegal) there have been experiments with simulated base stations which transmit inside the aircraft (very minimal power required) and will command the phone to turn its transmit power down to minimum. That will of course prevent it frokm accessing any base station outside. A jammer based on that principle could be justified in certain circumstances, but would no doubt need the agreement of the cellular companies and the regulatory authorities. It would also be difficult to accurately control the boundary of its effective area.

The vast majority of areas where cellphones are banned rely on people being fooled by the signs, and switching them off, because they imagine that they will not work. Still, it seems to work (usually). Fortunately, most of us who know about the probable limitations behave ourselves and switch off anyway.

Re:DIY plans?

[lscotte]

About the only thing i can think of that is more rude, is a SUV driver

Then you must not be in an area with BMWs and "look at me I just watched the Fast and the Furious" Hondas.

Re:No action taken

[Anonymous Coward]

So as long as you're paying money to somebody, you get to do what you want? Ok, I can play that game too. I'll pay somebody for the service of "peace and quiet around me" and then I'll say you're denying me a service I'm paying for.

Re:'War on' cell phones

[Anonymous Coward]

He was clearly at fault. Cell phone or not.

Then how the fuck is it relevant to this conversation, genius?

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[AKnightCowboy]

Blocking them in residential areas is not. Someone uses ham equipment in my area, and it's easy to see who, due to the 40 foot antenna in his yard. The guy is known to hate cel phones.

Why would you assume that a guy with a 40 foot antenna in his yard is blocking your cell phone signals somehow? A 40 foot antenna like that would be used for HF communications and wouldn't have anything to do with the wavelengths your cell phone uses. Amateur radio operators are much more respectful of the limited radio spectrum than your average suburbanite cell-phone using panty-waste.

Turn the jammer on when you need it

[Via_Patrino]

Turn the jammer just when you need it. When you hear someone on the theater talking on the phone turn the jammer on, that will end the conversation and the person go away from where you are to get a better signal.

Re:Safety?

[iantri]

Ignoring the flamebaitish tone of your message..

So if the kid's arm gets torn off by a paper shredder, the parent shouldn't be notifiied? Just take the kid to the hospital and let mom wonder why little Johnny isn't home at 3?

Well obviously not. Most people have voicemail now; call her home phone number, and if she isn't there she'll get the message when she gets back. Unless his injuries are so severe that he will die within the hour, it won't really make a difference whether or not she gets there immediately.

As for your job, I reccommend you look at finding a job that doesn't place such unreasonable demands on the amount of time you have to work.

In the US

[jobugeek]

Unfortunately, in the US people regard freedom as complete and that includes being rude and inconsiderate.

I don't know if everyone has just decided they are more important than everyone else or if they just don't care, but it seems to get a little worse every year. From people talking on a cell phone in a theather to road rage.

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[chrispycreeme]

Theaters are one thing, but last week at my cousin's funeral there were no less than THREE cell phones going off at full volume while the pastor was trying to speak. This seriously pissed me off, especially since two of these clueless dickwads actually took the call during the ceremony.

If people can't learn basic manners then I am all for blocking or jamming or taking their fucking phone and smashing it with a big rock. Whatever works.

I'm not asking for "miss manners" type behavior, just a tiny bit of common sense and respect would do just fine. Then people wouldn't have to resort to illegal jamming...

But that is the world we live in..

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[Moofie]

Don't like cell phones? Don't own one.

However, in free countries, other people are allowed (within certain broad arenas) to do things you don't like.

I don't like cell phones because I think the service is priced by collusion, not competition. However, that does not lead me to say that other people should not be allowed to use them.

Re:Common Sense Manners, Anyone?

[Shakrai]

Wonder why the FCC has, to date, never enforced this law? Perhaps it is because they have never found reason enough to take a stand and make an example of someone who clearly abused their "Right" to enfore the social and cultural expectations for peace and quiet in the given situation.

Maybe because nobody has reported problems to the FCC yet because (as all the other posts pointed out) it just looks like a no signal area?

Wait until some geek with a spectrum analyzer and nothing better to do starts trying to figure out why his cell phone no longer works at his favorite cafe/movie theater. All the FCC needs is to be told where to look. If you think they won't come down on you like a ton of bricks for this you are sadly mistaken.

Cell phone eqittie/911 arguments aside -- think about the money in politics and the amount of cash that the cell carriers pay for their licenses. If you think they aren't going to defend those licenses then you are naive. I wouldn't touch one of these jammers with a ten foot poll and I consider myself a polite cell phone user that get's annoyed at all the teenieboppers talking about how cute that guy is while I'm trying to eat. I keep my cell phone on vibrate at all times unless I'm at home and it's not hooked to my waist (I only have the cell -- no landline). I talk into it at a normal tone of voice. I don't use it while driving except in emergencies.

And what about the liability exposure? What if somebody in your location has a heart attack and sues you after the fact because their cell phone wouldn't work? What if a doctor is on-call and sitting in your cafe getting a cup of coffee and his pager is disabled by your jammer? Your insurance isn't cover you for an illegal device (and they are all illegal in the US) -- you'll be put out of business and forced into bankruptcy if sued. Not to mention the criminal ramifications of violating the FCC reqs and state laws.

Like it or not these jammers will also have a negative effect beyond their intended area -- if only because of all the headsets in the jammed area that are now broadcasting at maximum power trying to get out. Those transmissions will radiate for several miles and could potently interfere with cell phone (or other usage of the freqs in question) usage outside of the affected area.

If you don't like what somebody is doing on their cell phone then complain to them about it. If they tell you to go pound salt then talk to the management of the business you are at (theater or restaurant). If management refuses to do anything then take your business elsewhere. You don't have the right to interfere with the public airwaves.

Re:Telemetry

[pla]

Yes, but try to explain that to these people who think their temporary comfort is more important than the possible needs of anyone else around them.

Curious... I thought humans only came up with the telephone a mere century ago. How ever did we survive for all those millenia before then? No doubt a mystery for the archaeologists.


people that just carry around jammers so they don't have to listen to others talking on the phone while they ride the train need to be shot. The world does not revolve around you!

Funny, most of us feel the same way about all the asshats who can't even get off the damned phone to, for example, pay a cashier, place an order at a restaurant, or just plain drive.

Personally, I would carry a cell jammer, have one at my house, and in both vehicles, regardless of legality, if they didn't cost a few hundred bucks. You can call me "inconsiderate" or "self-centered" all you want, but I have NEVER interrupted a play, or movie, or other public event, merely because I consider myself too important to miss a call. Phones have an "off" switch for a reason. If you don't consider that its default state, I guarantee that you annoy those around you.

Re:Cheaper solution

[Coolmoe]

"Ear plugs. Then you don't gotta listen to nuthing. And it's a hell of lot cheaper. And it covers a vast range of applications. Anyone got a jammer for a screaming baby? no? is that any less annoying than a cell phone yakker?

Uh huh, that's what I thought..."

Yea including the audio on the film that I paid to watch. As far as kids go I have two (2 and 7) I can honestly say that there are many events that people should get a sitter and get over it. That is bad social etiquette every bit as bad as a cellphone if not worse. I do not know how many times I have gone to a nice dinner and a movie with my wife to get bombarded by a bunch of screaming kids. If I wanted that I would go home and take care of my own kids. There should be some place that you can get away from it all.

Consider this before jamming...

[X86Daddy]

... Yes, there are annoying people who speak very loudly on their cell-phones in restaurants and the like. There are people who answer them in theaters, classes and other "non-talking" environments. There are people who talk on the phone (or to passengers) while driving, and give their talking process a higher attention priority than the driving process.

However, these are the ones that get noticed. The ones who speak quietly while dining alone in a restaurant or on the subway; the ones who speak on a phone or to other passengers safely while driving; the ones who set the phone to vibe and then surreptitiosly look at the caller ID during a film, class, meeting, etc... these people are not noticed and probably outnumber the annoying ones by far.

If you jam cellular frequencies, not only are you screwing with all the safety devices already mentioned, but you're screwing with people who are behaving politely and reasonably.

Would you start spraying febreeze at everyone entering a store because occaisonal patrons come in without having bathed recently? It might help with them, while pissing off people who do behave properly. Jamming makes You the nuisance who should be removed.

Re:Telemetry

[pla]

So, you'd consider it appropos to block someone's right to an emergency communication simply because you don't like the method of transmission?

Yawn.

As I pointed out, we survived for hundreds of thousands of years before even the telephone, nevermind cell phones, came into existance.

If the problem occurs in a random location, you won't find me there to bother you (I tend to avoid commotions in random places, rather than gawk like most people).

If the problem occurs in a car, pull over, and I'll have driven past so quickly that you won't even notice the disruption in your signal.

If the problem occurs in a theatre, leave. Problem solved. Can't leave? Then you probably can't dial a phone, either.

You still have every "right" (though I don't think we do actually have any sort of "rights" with regard to using a cell phone) to make an emergency call. You do not have the right to sit near me and disrupt my meal/movie for which I paid. You want to chat? Go outside. Simple as that.

I will repeat, for the third time in this thread, that cell phone jammers would not exist if the majority of people didn't consider cell phone users as intolerably rude. Whatever you may say about the public backlash to that rudeness, "they started it". Unfortunately for the "good" cell users (No doubt all of them, since despite us all knowing the annoyance of a phone ringing during a movie, "everyone" always turns them off like good little doobies), a technological solution exists, which more and more people have learned of.

Everyone claims to behave, and points out the "emergency" uses of a cell phone. I call shenanigans. Out of the uncountable times I have wanted to rip a phone out of someone's hand and slam it against a wall, not once have I actually heard a call for help. Sure, they exist - I have no doubt of that. But to defend the majority of use by that? Yeah, whatever... And most people use Kazaa for trading legal files, too.

If it makes you feel better, go ahead and call me an asshole. Flip me the bird, rant and rave, have a ball. Just hang up and drive (or eat, or watch the movie).

Re:Not good

[tomRakewell]

Talking to someone on a cell phone is not exactly like talking to someone in person.

For example, I work in retail. This happens very frequently: somebody comes in and asks for assistance. While you are helping them, their cell phone rings. They answer it, and talk, sometimes for 10 minutes or more. As a salesperson, I am expected to just hang on waiting for them to finish, which I do. Although I would not express this (as I am trying to make a sale), it is very irritating to waste somebody's valuable time like this.

Way to miss the point...

[Anonymous Coward]

His point was that a pay phone (as they exist everywhere) is just as convenient as a cell phone, but here's the part you missed:

THEY'RE A LOT MORE RELIABLE.

Thank heavens you've got me around to point out the obvious stuff in life.

Re:Way to miss the point...

[Ralph Wiggam]

Actually, payphones are disappearing by the boatload. Every payphone at my college is now an empty wall jack. They're not worth maintaining because most people have....wait for it...cell phones.

-B

Re:However, your rights end. . .

[1u3hr]

"Some bar owner decided I shouldn't be able to use my cellphone because he's too much of a wussy to tell people to turn them to silent" doesn't cut it to save my job or the dying persons life.

I get pretty tired of everyone equating their "need" to receive phone calls anywhere anytime with a supposed heart surgeon's need to be called. Especially when it'd probably be illegal (or certainly he'd lose his licence and/or his malpractice insurance) for a doctor to operate if he's come straight from a bar; and doctors who do happen to be on call carry pagers which operate on different frequncies than cells and so are not subject to (focused) jamming of cellphones. So just talk about how it'd inconvenience you, not about "LIVES WILL BE LOST!" Or get a pager yourself for emergencies and turn your cell off when it might piss people off for you to take the 99.9% of non-emergency calls.

Re:Jammers and Dampers

[adolf]

Is it really that expensive or difficult?

In my kitchen, I've got a 1.3 kilowatt transmitter. It operates at ~2.4GHz (which isn't very far removed from modern cellular frequencies). There is a screen on the front of the thing that seems to do a good job of keeping the RF from escaping (my nose hasn't gone necrotic from years of watching microwaves cook food) - and I can -see- through it! I can't possibly imagine that the screen contributed substantially to the cost of my microwave.

Therefore, effective shielding is not only readily achievable, but is also relatively inexpensive and already in common use.

Luckily, your short-sighted prose on the operation of stealth aircraft leaves little doubt that you're a dim-witted moron, and just spreading FUD. (RF fud, but FUD nonetheless.)

I hope you haven't fooled too many people.

Re:'War on' cell phones

[the pickle]

I wouldn't have been "that guy" to begin with, but if I had been, you'd be awaiting trial for assault, and you'd be buying me a new cell fone. Just because he was an asshole doesn't give you the right to break the law and destroy his property. Accidents happen.

p