cell phone jammers

[bombadillo]

I know myself I am very distracted while talking on the phone and I can't maintain a line well in a car, so I don't do it anymore. I have thought of riding with a cell phone jammer because of issues around me that I have with people on phones. You can buy a jammer that will stop any GSM call within about 50-60 feet of you for around 200 dollars. I know I'd rather have one of these than any radar detector for my own protection. I can pay a ticket, but I can't afford a broken back or skull from an idiot in an SUV. I just wondered what people think about them and if anyone has ever seen or heard of them. I was just listening to some talk radio where a host used one in a restaraunt and it worked great. He stated "this was the first time I've used it, and even though its illegal, it definitely won't be the last!" Other than the person using it to dial 911 I don't see any downside to this at all. Tell me how many people really dial 911 on any regular basis to begin with.

[vtlion]

Don't be a dork-bag.  Obey the law, and respect other people's rights under that law.  Vigilanteism, in any form, is every bit as annoying and selfish as people abusing cell-phones.  If I leave the house with an earpiece on, I expect to be able to finish my discussion as though the person were in the car with me.  I would think most people would agree.

If you are scared to drive because of other people exercising their legal right to talk on the phone, take the bus. 

thats my 2 cents.

[spc]

It's an FCC violation and thus constitutes a federal offense.  Is it really worth that on your record???

[bombadillo]

It could definitely be worth it if people actually obeyed the law with their phone.  I don't think calling people a douchebag is helping any, but if it helps ya sleep, then    I am just posting a question out there asking what your opinion is.  No need for name calling.  "I have thought of riding..."  I think that it is a great way to stop people from being too distracted from seeing you.  Tell me you haven't cursed someone out yourself because jane is driving her suburban with 3 kids, putting lipstick on, while drinking her coffee having a conversation with betty.  I don't know where you live, but I know we get it here plenty.  Again, I was just throwing out the possibility of riding with one.   

[spc]

If they were legal, I might consider riding with one.  Even under those circumstances it displays a magnitude of disrespect for other people around you.  What about the businessman who's call you disrupt, maybe you just cost him a sale, maybe that sale is the difference in the college his daughter can go too??? 

Again FCC violation, that means, if you wreck with this device on your person and LEO or Emergency personnel find it, the FBI is going to question you, seize the item and most likely your bike also, then turn the case over to a prosecutors office.  Seriously, not even close to worth it.

[jordanearl]

Other than the person using it to dial 911 I don't see any downside to this at all. Tell me how many people really dial 911 on any regular basis to begin with.

would you wanna be the 1 person that was trying to dial 911?  would you hang up the phone on your mother or father? 

[CndnMax]

one thing you skiped over was what will the person do when their phone stops working? yeah thats right look at the phone and try to call back and will notice you even less 

[GeeP]

Unfortunately, they're more likely to begin frantically re-dialing, which is even more distracting than yakking on their talk box.  As a consequence, you may be more likely to be involved in a distracted driver related crash.

Yes, it is an FCC violation. 

I guess I don't understand the whole cell phone thing.  I run a business, I have employees, it get 3-4 calls per month on my cell, and less than a dozen people know the number.  I don't make sales in the car, I don't order supplies and equipment in Starbucks, and I sure as hell don't talk about personal matters while shopping for groceries.

Hang up and drive.

[jserio]

well, the jammer is illegal. and in most states, talking on your cell while driving is NOT. now, i know some states are trying to get it passed that you have to use a hands free device when you're driving. if bad drivers on their cell phones is that big of a deal in your area, contact your local gov. rep and try to do something to get a law passed. ask them to join in on the "hands free only" crusade. this would be a much more sensible approach than breaking a federal offense.

[yamahonkawazuki]

agreed, id rather jam a police radar then a cell call

[vtlion]

It could definitely be worth it if people actually obeyed the law with their phone.  I don't think calling people a douchebag is helping any

I wasn't calling anybody one.  I was saying, don't be one.  There is a subtle, but important distinction. 

[simon79]

one thing you skiped over was what will the person do when their phone stops working? yeah thats right look at the phone and try to call back and will notice you even less 

That's exactly the first thought I had when I read the 1st post.
A cell jammer might be OK in a restaurant or so.
but on a moving vehicle...naah, better leave'em jammers alone IMHO.

[scottpA_GS]

one thing you skiped over was what will the person do when their phone stops working? yeah thats right look at the phone and try to call back and will notice you even less 

That's exactly the first thought I had when I read the 1st post.
A cell jammer might be OK in a restaurant or so.
but on a moving vehicle...naah, better leave'em jammers alone IMHO.

+1 to both... Thats exactly what I was thinking.

I know of many people who dont like the way others do things and try and deal with it them selves.. Not a good idea. You worry about you and not so much what others are doing.

[bettingpython]

First off don't be a duck. Assholes do shaZam! like that. Iis that what you are?
Second if you can't avoid a cage you need to learn how to ride. Trolling along "Obeying the law" is what gets you killed either get through traffic to a clear spot or hang way back in a clear spot. Easiest way to avoid being hit. Don't be where a cage can hit you.
I wish I could count the number of times I heard, "I was obeying the speed limit and passing on the left when he just came over and hit me."
This was before the cellphone came out to the masses. This is nothing new, learn to ride in traffic.
The other one I love is the, "I stopped at the sign before going he was slowing down. It's his fault for not stopping."
I like to tell em yep your right almost dead right.
Or my favorite one of all, "I had the green light she ran the turn arrow."
That little bit of inattention was expensive and painful, it was also the last time I ever trusted any cage driver on the same road as me.

If it's too scary maybe you should quit riding.

[bombadillo]

For the above, I can post again that I was posting it as a potential solution to that, and some people did point out that it would possibly make them try their phone again and again compounding the problem.  Others may not do this.  I love the fact that since you've been riding since before cell phones were around to the masses that it puts you at a reasonable adult age and still can't start off a conversation without calling people names.  Yeah, I'm really going to take a post seriously when the first sentence has 4 letter words almost every other word!  Why don't you let me know how the tickets work out for you riding around my town.  You can't blow off speed limits where I'm at to get where you need.  Our cops have nothing better to do than to pull you over here.  2nd, we live in an area that has plenty of hills and cell service have quite a few dead areas around.  Its not uncommon to drop a call in the first place.  Think before you start calling people names

[Jughead]

You'll have to look at it another way too.What if Something Did Happen to you and Someone tried to Call 911.Even though it sounds like a Good Idea that is Infringing on everyones Right to Free Speech.

[erbilabuc]

I would definitely use this device at a restaurant, movie theater and  a lot of other public places. I would say yes to riding because I was ran off the road by a guy on his cell phone the other in Palm Springs, CA but my view may change on this. I would actually use this around my house and what not for the simple reason that I hate it when friends/family come over and every 2.5 minutes there is a cell phone ringing. I also hate trying to hold a conversation with someone that is on a cell phone with someone else.

my $.02

[bombadillo]

certain places, yes, but not a constant on while doing anything.  By the way, it seems as though people were thinking 1000 foot range.  They only go to about 50 feet for the inexpensive ones.

[Kasumi]

I personally think its a crap idea too.

Not to mention selfish and the huge amount of flaws in the idea. The 911 business, the people using their phone via handsfree etc.. By getting one your actually adding to the problem by creating new ones. If its a big issue for you then you need to look at the root cause, someone is making a buisness out of selling cell phone jammers therefore there is a market for it, this same market are probably full of people who want a law passed against driving while on the phone. We have that law here in the UK and it makes a big difference, people on the phone get pulled over and ticketed, those been safe and using handsfree don't.

These are all plus points with no downsides, things can only get better by taking away distractions however it is your responability to work around these problems when riding. You have to be vigilant, you have to be watching the drivers for those using the cell and keep clear. You can't expect a cell phone jammer to fix this problem. Your still having the people twiddling with the radio, opening a bottle of coke, chatting to their friend, all of those things are of equal distraction as a cell phone so you have to be prepared because you cant stop all those things as well.

One of the most important things to think about while out on the road is that the majority of accidents can be avoided. Looking further up the road, interpreting other cars movements, checking EVERY direction at lights even if your light is green and the others are red. You need to be constantly looking for any possible hazards. If you can see the hazard then you should be able to avoid it, if you can't see the hazards then your not looking hard enough. Even if someone cut you up and you hit them, did you not see it coming, were you driving beyond your ability to avoid an accident. Yes in some situations theres nothing you can do but in a huge huge huge number you could have done something about it.

You can clearly see the person on the phone, give them space, you don't need a cell phone jammer or a massive horn to alert them to your presance and make them notice you, you either ride to be noticed or you stay the hell out of the way of people who arn't paying attention.

[Kasumi]

And to add also, people who use cell phone jammers in restaurants and theatres and the like are just plain arseholes. You are being bloody selfish, someone might have an emergancy call to take, a call they can't miss. If you have a problem with someone using a cell phone then you talk to the management who will gladly ask the offender to put the phone down as it is upseting their customers based on a rationaly assesment of how important the call is.

Ive been in a restaurant when i got a call to get to the hospital quick because my mum had been rushed in, if you had been using a jammer at that point because you just didn't have the courage to ask someone who was yacking to their best mate over dinner to put the phone down then i can tell you i would have been mightly pissed off. what happens to people on call, doctors on call all sorts. Using a jammer is fixing your own selfish problems rather than going to the root cause.