Annoying People Talking on Their Cell Phones? Jam 'Em!

You and I may grumble when people nearby talk loudly on their cell phones, but that's not enough for one man in Philadelphia.

He decided to take matters into his own hands and jam them phones!

The NBC10 Investigators tracked down a cell phone zapper who targets people using their cell phones on a SEPTA bus route. Not only does he admit doing it, he thinks it’s a good thing.

The man, who calls himself Eric, told the NBC10 Investigators, “I guess I’m taking the law into my own hands, and quite frankly, I’m proud of it.”

Eric says he doesn’t want to hear people talking on their cell phones in public.

“It’s still pretty irritating, and quite frankly, it’s pretty rude,” said Eric.

Eric says he’s firing up a cell phone jammer that he bought online to shut down conversations he doesn’t want to hear.

“A lot of people are extremely loud, no sense of just privacy or anything. When it becomes a bother, that’s when I screw on the antenna and flip the switch,” said Eric.

Philly's NBC10 has the story: Link


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Yeah, they're right, it is totally illegal. I researched it a while back. I REALLY wanted one. But not enough to get arrested over. And then I found out why they're illegal and I definitely didn't mind as much. I dug the idea of blocking the phones of all the yakking patrons in my store slowing down the line, disturbing other customers, etc. But I don't like the idea at all of accidentally interfering with emergency vehicles. I'd rather just deal with annoying phone users than endanger people over it.
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I do think this may be a bit extreme and certainly illegal. ButI think it should be legal for restaurants and theaters and many other private places to do this. The world won't end if someone cannot txt or surf for 2 hrs. And if the patron doesn't like it they don't have to go there.
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I have a friend who has one and uses it on the Go Train(commuter train to/from the suburbs to Toronto). The range is quite limited, but it does indeed work apparently. They don't just turn it on for the entire ride, every ride... very selected use.

Not saying I agree/disagree with it. Music + headphones works well for me. That said, there have certainly been times where I would have loved to have had one.
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13ft, I think the trouble is that the jamming signal isn't necessarily stopped by the building's wall. Like I can't just block inside my store, without potentially also blocking the store next door to mine, inside the house behind it,and on the street where the ambulance may be trying to communicate.
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@ Melissa you can use directional antennas and range limiters. If you wanted to keep it confined to just your store redecorate and put in a faraday cage (behind wall dressing) the signal will easily end at your wall. Actually that'd kill the cells just naturally so there you go.

It's illegal because the FCC is in control of this and they have no motivation to update existing code. You need an FCC license to broadcast and that's technically what this does. A CB (citizen band) radio granted you the owner that license without all the testing in that limited range. So too are cells in a limited range. But their bandwidth is licensed by a commercial entity that WILL NOT want you interfering with their profits. That's why this is not going to change. FCC makes money off of it. Limiting it will cut into both FCC and carrier profits. Personal space and tech are not going to intelligently addressed by our gov. anytime soon since people are willing to take it as is and not question the ways of things.
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