Philly Man Took It Upon Himself to Quiet City Buses by Jamming Cellphones
- Posted on March 2, 2012 at 7:28pm by
Liz Klimas
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Many use their cellphones and smartphones to multitask while on public transportation going from point A to point B, calling family, making appointments, talking with friends, etc. This can result in an endless drone of one-sided chatter, and one Philadelphia man couldn’t stand it anymore, the local NBC affiliate reported.
So, he took it upon himself to quiet things down by jamming their cellphones. NBC10 reported that one of their own staff saw a man on a SEPTA bus holding a “walkie-talkie” looking device that he was using to silence the conversations by jamming phones:
“He’s blatantly holding this device that looks like a walkie-talkie with four very thick antennae. I started to watch him and any time somebody started talking on the phone, he would start pressing the button on the side of the device,” said Marie.
Eric, the cellphone jammer.
From there News10 investigators set out in an undercover operation to catch this man, who they later identified as Eric. Here’s what Eric had to say when he was confronted by the investigators after they filmed him in the act and told him use the device was illegal:
“It is my understanding it is more of a gray area. It is my understanding that it’s illegal to, you know, stop a television signal, a radio signal. You know, it’s my understanding according to the FCC that it’s not illegal to disrupt a cell phone signal,” Eric said.
[...]
“I guess I’m taking the law into my own hands, and quite frankly, I’m proud of it.”
[...]
“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.
Watch the full report:
NBC10 reports that according to federal law, use of cellphone jammers is considered a threat to public safety disrupting any other devices working on radio waves in the area. It is illegal to buy, sell and use these devices with jail time and up to $16,000 in fines as the consequence. When presented with the issue of preventing emergency calls with his device by NBC10, Eric said he wasn‘t concerned because he figured he’d most likely be the one calling 911 in the first place:
“Well, of course if there were such a situation on the bus, I imagine I would be right in the middle of it. And I would imagine that would be a very different situation, of course; I’d imagine I’d be dialing 911 myself,” Eric said.
The city bus system is reported as saying they had received complains about cell service on the 44 route. NBC10 reports that after further investigation into claims of the device being illegal, Eric recognized his error and said he would get rid of the jammer.
In other similar technological news, Japanese researchers have developed a device called the “SpeechJammer”, which muddles the speakers own words. Here’s how it works according to SlashGear:
Before you start pulling out your pocket Bill of Rights, understand that researchers Kazutaka Kurihara and Koji Tsukada haven’t developed a weapon, it’s more of an etiquette enforcer – with extreme prejudice. Their device processes the speech of an overly loud person, then computes and adjusts the frequencies and sends their own words back at them, modulated in such a way that they become instantly confused and therefore more likely to shut their traps already.
Their “SpeechJammer” device uses a phenomenon known as delayed auditory feedback, sending someone’s own recorded voice back at them in a strategic gap that causes most people to pause in their speech.
How SpeechJammer works. (Image via SlashGear)
The Japanese researchers are still working on the technology, but SlashGear reports they envision it being used in spaces that are supposed to remain relatively quiet like movie theaters, art galleries and libraries.
[H/T Yahoo! News, MSNBC)
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Comments (78)
jcldwl
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 8:06amcell phones suck and I hate having to have one with me all the time but unfortunately business requires it. I am glad I don‘t have to use public transportation and listen to everyone’s personal conversations though. That would suck.
Report Post »Faith in God
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 9:11amSomeone please give that man a iPad…and a set of earphones.
Report Post »robert
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 12:42pm“…..they envision it being used in spaces that are supposed to remain relatively quiet like movie theaters, art galleries and libraries.”
Jesse and Al will be the first to come out condemning the device and so too will Eric Holder claiming that it unfairly targets “his people.”
He won’t mention the he feels as he does, because HE KNOWS they’re always unnecessarily louder than anyone else.
Report Post »M1A2_Tanker
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 11:44pmYou can buy this in a GPS jamming version too…….What? Your boss wants to know when you stop for a coffee break?……or maybe to use the toilet? in a company vehicle. No Thanks. Best part is they only have a very small radius so you wont jam GPS systems of other vehicles unless they are right next to you. YES YES YES Before I get flamed let me say that I also agree that your company should be allowed to protect their company from time theft and their property. But only if you agree to it as a term of employment. Some companies do this without your permission or knowledge.
Report Post »GPS-Tech
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 11:04am@M1
Report Post »You are right about the range on the GPS jammers. Ever since the story came out last spring about the trucker that caused havoc at an airport with his cigarette plug in 15 watt jammer I wondered why they would make up a story like that. I imagine the discussion about how to outlaw jammers went something like this. How do we make it illegal for someone to jam a signal within their own vehicle? We can say it works far beyond their own vehicle and endangers others, that way we can use the “it’s for your own good” excuse we use to outlaw everything else we dont want them to have.
MIBUGNU2
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 7:13pmI’ve had several near death experiences at the Grocery Store
Report Post »with women yapping on their phones, probably calling the
Store Manager to find out which isle the Mayo is in…
They should be made to Check Them In, at the door…
Would reduce the need to call 911 from isle 6..Good Gawd !!
4xeverything
Posted on March 5, 2012 at 7:28amI think I may be one of the last people on earth who do not have a cell phone. If I want to talk to someone, I‘ll call them from home or I’ll be home to get their call. If not, then they can leave a message. It never has been and never will be that important for me to talk to someone. If it were a life and death situation, I’ll just ask the person next to me for their phone. Chances are they have one.
Report Post »Geo0248
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 5:47amWow, a new defense from the “mic check” crowd. Install one before an event and shut them up before they start spewing their trash talk which infringes upon my rights as a listener of a planned event.
Report Post »Duddio
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 3:41pmNaw, if you read further, it only works if the speaker’s mind is engaged in the sounds they are making. It won’t stop unthinking, guttural noises, which is what the drones with the “mic check” blather on about. No brain, no workie.
This weapon is only for the thinking crowd….. like the tea parties. =/
Report Post »ACACIA
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 4:26amwhere can can i get one? i can’t wait to start usihg it. si[ence is golden. hey GLEN post the sites where we can buy such a wonderful device.
Report Post »Howlingmad
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 9:21amAsk and ye shall receive.. http://www.chinavasion.com
Report Post »GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 11:19amMake one the size of a cig pack: http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/
Contrary to the LSM propaganda statement of “we know everything”, it’s my understanding RF signals under a 1/2 watt are NOT under FCC regs. Unless of course it crosses state lines. This is along the lines of how William Copper broadcast his show telling the world, in the summer of 01′, how OBL (UBL in the intel com) would be blamed for “something big in the near future”. Of course that came true in Sep of 01′. He was assassinated a few days after that by a deputy.
Report Post »drm29
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 4:56pmJust thought that I would tell you that the government bans these devises and Customs confiscated a device that I ordered from Chinavasion. My loss was the money that I spent for the device plus shipping.
Report Post »midwesthippie
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 2:33am…nice! maybe the greatest invention of our time.
Report Post »TAXEVERYONE
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 7:32amI agree, anything to silence the insensitive morons who invade our space with their mindless babble!
Report Post »libtardian-refugee
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 8:31amThink of all the great places for these, the restaurant , the theater, the dinner table. Brilliant
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 9:44amExcuse me? Who the hell gave this man the right to disrupt other peoples lives?
What happens if there was an emergency?
Thank God I have a car and don’t have to ride with this loser.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 6:48pmGreat solution for people who find the need to YAP while
Report Post »in a check-out line or while putting fuel in their cars or
countless other reasons..GOOD GRIEF, I have NO desire
to hear you tell your mother what the FUC** you did all week.
GO HOME AND DO IT FROM THERE !!!! show a little respect..
I really feel for this guy if he has to listen to this crap on a bus..
We used to have Phone Booths, maybe that what we should
do , Build special booths to put these IDIOTS in if they choose
or feel the need to use their PHONE…..
Pattondog
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 12:56amShut up Be Happy soon everything will be done for you! right up their with hopey and changie
Report Post »avgconservative
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 12:47amAny way to jam liberals and their stupid smug remarks?
http://FlipTheLib.com
Report Post »wakeus_com
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:56pmI must have both of these wonderful devices … especially for the idiots in line at the grocery store who can’t be bothered to hang up and pay the cashier.
Report Post »Libertarian
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 12:45amDictators always want to impose their will on others because they are offffffended. These are the types of people that should not govern.
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 9:46am@wakeus_com
People talk on cell phones. Get over it. If you have a problem with people talking on their phones why don’t you man up and confront the person instead of being a baby about it.
All you people in support of this man are nut jobs. Plain and simple.
Report Post »SavingtheRepublic.com
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:28pmThat is AWESOME I hope more people invest their money in gear like this. Its readily available! Restaurants should have them b/c Im sick of the loud mouths their and their annoying ring tones. Gyms should have them b/c Im tired of people hogging equipment up while they are gossiping. WTH are people talking about all the time it cant wait btw? Are they all closing 6 figure deals? I use to burn through 3000-5000 minutes a month when I had a job in B2B sales. I had a reason to be on the phone all the time unlike the majority I see lately and looked I forward to it being off!!
Report Post »daveinlex
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:28pmi wish i had something to send a surge to peoples stereos and fry their speakers when they are sooo dang loud
Report Post »jespasinthru
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 12:29amIn my town the cops have the right to pull you over and write you a ticket for having loud music coming out of your car. It’s called the “Anti-Noise Ordinance”. 350 bucks! I hate that. But around here, they always pull over the Lexus, the Mercedes, and the Lamborghini. It’s the middle of tourist season, when all the rich old farts come down here from New York, Canada and Germany. And they don’t even drive their cars here. They‘re rich enough to ship ’em here. And the local cops are soaking them, big time
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 3:29pmI used to live in San Jose CA. There the cops told me more than once that my neighbors could play their music as loud as they wanted between 7AM and 10PM. I asked them what I should do and they said ‘move’. I did move thank God, but it sucks when rude a$$ holes have the law behind them.
Report Post »HiredMind Blog
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:28pm“Well, of course if there were such a situation on the bus … I’d be dialing 911 myself,”
Hypocrisy anyone?
And, you what if someone else was using a jammer? If someone dies because they can’t get ahold of the EMS, then you deserve the death penalty.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 1:12am~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »Hey Moron,
How did we contact an EMT before the invention of the cell phone? Are you and your brain-dead generation to stupid to figure out how to reach out for help during an emergency without a cell phone? You’d probably sit there with your head up your anal-opening in complete dumbfounded confusion!
You better hope you’re never in a life-threatening situation where nobody‘s around and there’s no cell signal and/or your battery is dead.
But then again, maybe we’d all be better off with one less idiot to deal with and one less Democrat vote!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOMUSTGO
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:27pmI wonder if you can jam a telepropmter?
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 1:15am~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »I wouldn’t jam it. I’d rewrite it!
Oh, the possibilities!
Oh, the fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2theADDLED
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:15pmIt does get real annoying when you get the loud talkers and then another loud talker, and then another loud talker, and then another loud talker, and then another loud talker,and then another loud talker,
Report Post »and before you know it is a shouting match and pack it all inside a bus it becomes unbearable.
BOMUSTGO
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:22pmAs a teen, in the 70′s, my parents would take all four of us kids out to a Pizza joint once a week to get away from the ringing phone. Now people have phones every where you go…They talk about nothing.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:09pmI need one at work. Some people talk on their cell phones all day long…Where can I get one?
Report Post »TerryDo
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:59pmGreat invention, all buses, trains, and subways should have them installed and if they are not permitted, travellers should be able to buy one and use it, on these various systems of transportation.
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:52pmJammers are needed near the WH. All jammers are not created equal. Some have more power than others. Should be able to knock out Barry’s cell.
Report Post »BigDaddyTex
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:39pmWhile I CAN appreciate what he’s trying to do, he needs to remember that the cell phone carriers all paid BILLIONS of dollars for the privilege of transmitting on the frequencies he’s jamming. Unless he’s got a BUNCH of money for lawyers and fines, he ought to consider launching his electronic countermeasures in a more covert manner…..
just sayin’……..
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:32pmHe’s my hero!
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:30pmMaybe my wife will get me one of those japanese speechjammers for my birthday. I won‘t tell her what it’s for – she will realize soon enough.
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:16pmPoor guy is going to get in so much freaking trouble for doing that like he was, especially on public transport. Of course I’m not against buying a big box of those at the next OWS event and quietly dropping them in piles of trash everywhere…..LOL
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:09pmI like the Japanese researchers’ idea. I think those speech jammers will catch on like wild fire. I’d love to have one. I was talking to a friend of mine in an waiting room once, and a lady got on her cell phone and talk so loudly, we were uncomfortable listening to it. After 30 seconds or so of this, we began screaming over her conversation. The rude lady finally noticed and looked embarrassed. She ended her call.
Report Post »PoliticallyRightUs.Com
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 11:14amAwe… Nothing like suppression of “Freedom of Speech” huh?!
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 6:25pmI don’t understand this. Why does he have a problem with people talking on the phone? Does he get mad at people talking to each other on the bus too?
Get this man an mp3 player and a girlfriend.
Report Post »tactacfox
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:06pmThis loser really needs to get a life. His actions are akin to those busy bodies who drive 55 in the fast lane because they hate seeing people drive faster than themselves. What if a gunman shoots him first? I suppose nobody’s going to be able to call authorities.
People like this make me sick. They think the world revolves around them. I‘m sorry you have nothing better to do than screw around with other people’s productivity but if you don’t like hearing people talk on their phones, stop using public transportation.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:25pmI think its the other way around guy! Thats why he’s jamming them! He should have done it more on the stealth side than bringing any attention to himself then I would not have to hear your pontifications. Go jammer man!
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 7:51pm@ tactacfox
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:06pm
This loser really needs to get a life. His actions are akin to those busy bodies who drive 55 in the fast lane because they hate seeing people drive faster than themselves. What if a gunman shoots him.
Sounds like you are the LOSER, you would shoot someone for doing the speed limit,
Report Post »but jamming someones phone is a No, No !! GOOD GAWD, Loosen Up Libotard ,
you should consider decaf…Have you ever been out for a nice Dinner, and had some
airhead at the next table yakking on her phone telling someone what shes been doing
all week.. or maybe YOU don‘t have to worry about that at Micky D’s..YAK ON, Dude..
If I had one of these I wouldn’t hesitate using it, especially in the Grocery Store……..
Chad
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:05pmEarplugs, problem solved! :D
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:04pmRule number one about being sneaky, don’t be blatant about it. If this guy had just quietly been reaching into his coat pocket to push the button, he would have been just as effective as silencing cell phones, but nowhere near as noticeably to the TV news crew.
There’s another oxymoron, “obvious stealth”.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 11:27pmI totally agree! Holding the dang thing out in space for all to see was his way of saying to them…”I’m jamming you and theres nothing you can do about it” Pride is ultimate downfall! Low key is best method.
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 9:57pmA brother Old Crow! Way to go guy!
Report Post »LIVINGTHEDREAM
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 10:06pmLet ‘er rip Eric, those people irritate me. I have heard my own voice boucing back at me though. Do you ever come to Montana?
Report Post »liberalescheisskopf
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 9:54pmPsst Eric! That heavy breathing you hear is the FCC watching over your shoulder!
Report Post »