Final solution - Cell phone jammers

Metalhead999

On my daily commute I see no less than ten drivers fiddling with their cell phones in some way. It slows me down, creates unexpected hazards, and generally irks me. (Not to mention it's illegal where I live)

Browsing the web led me to a simplistic and inexpensive solution... Cell Phone Jammers!

I purchased myself a cellphone jammer, played with it a bit to maximize the effective range, installed it in my vehicle, and suddenly I don't see so many people fiddling with their phones anymore.

For about $30 I have an effective range of up to 100 feet of jamming.

It's not an eloquent solution by any means, but it certainly gets the job done!

cigroller

Is that legal? I'd love to see the first 911 call that gets cut off or made impossible by such a thing.

I also wonder whether its actually safer or not: person on cell phone 100 ft away loses call...by the time I close the 100 ft. they are now not talking into the phone but fiddling with it instead to see why they lost the call. This is worse.

VDCdriver

Actually, jamming the signal may increase the hazard, IMHO.

Imagine Joe Cellphone or Jill Cellphone is engaged in conversation while driving, and then that conversation suddenly is cut off by your jamming of the signal. Because they do not know why they lost their signal, they are likely to take their attention away from their driving tasks in order to try to connect again, and again, and again.

Ergo--your solution may actually result in even less attention to their driving tasks than if you had just gritted your teeth and ignored them.

I share your frustration and annoyance with cell phone scofflaws.
However, I don't think that your solution is an elegant one, and because it does not talk to me, I also doubt that your solution is "eloquent".

MG McAnick

Not only are cell phone jammers not a good idea for the reasons cited above, they are absolutely illegal in this country. Get caught with one, and the fine will be significant. It's basically an unlicensed radio station.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6468920_fcc-rules-cell-phone-jamming.html

shadowfax

Plus I wonder if the OP is aware that law enforcement, fire, and EMS use cell phones as part of their daily jobs, and therefore his jammer is interfering with emergency services.

Metalhead999

I suppose I'll have to rethink my use given the legality of the device.
Though I notice they certainly have no problem SELLING these devices in this country. Or rather, I obtained one easily enough...

MG McAnick

In case you haven't noticed, there are all sorts of illegal things that you can buy. Drugs, for instance.

Metalhead999

I accept your point and that I am in error. Though, most people don't buy drugs with a credit card.

Bing

Everybody thinks it is their job to regulate everyone else. While I see as many dumb moves as anyone on the highway, the best defense is maintaining a good cushion on all sides of your car and staying away from those you consider unsafe. Just relax a little and slow down. After cell phones, its radios, then sparkly things hanging from the mirrors, and then coffee, and and and. There is no end to what some people will want to regulate and don't we really have enough.

Whitey

While I share your frustration, I am glad you have seen the light. It's nice to see you keep an open mind.

cigroller

It was a good try though Metalhead.

CamaroBeau

not a good idea!!! :)

shadowfax

That's because it's not illegal to buy or own one. But it is illegal to use it in such a way as to cause interference to other electronic devices. Any other use you want to put it to, such as a door stopper, is perfectly legal.

Similarly, it's legal to buy and own a gun, but it's not legal to shoot someone with it.

Joseph_E_Meehan

Bad idea. First it is illegal. Second, it is dangerous, all those that are trying to be on the cell phone will be distracted more because of the non-functioning cell phone.

jtsanders

Are you sure? How do you know that?

jtsanders

Speeding is illegal and it's also dangerous. Yet, most people go ove the speed limit if they are able to.

Whitey

jt, what's your point, that two wrongs make a right?

Cal Learner

I suspect a great many people have toyed with the idea of jamming cell phones out of annoyance with oblivious drivers on the phone, but recognized the dangers of actually doing it. Now, if someone can devise an inexpensive EMP generator that'll disable audio systems that register on the Richter scale, I might be interested.

[Deleted User]

Reguardless of the forum. this jammer is doing nada. they r gna b trying to figure out what went wrong with theyre phn in this minimal radius n probably more likely to cause an accident

CallMeIshmael

I'm glad you've reconsidered your use; but with the Transportation Secretary suggesting a similar thing today, well, the road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions.

When you go through any sort of FCC licensing, you learn a lot about why the FCC is so conservative. When you're emitting RF, the law of unintended consequences is in full effect.

In this case, you're not only dropping the calls of your fellow drivers. You're also dropping calls for every pedestrian, house, office, and business you drive past. You also probably drive by a lot of cell towers every day without realizing it. And depending on conditions, that advertised 100 feet could be 10 feet, or it could be half a mile.

Even if you magically limited the interference to cars, you're also killing passengers' calls and emergency systems like OnStar.

Besides (and this may be anathema here), I think there are some legit reasons to make a call while you're driving -- reporting a drunk driver, or calling 911 in a situation where you don't feel safe stopping.

DeArmond1

I hate that the jammer is illegal. My second job is at a sandwich shop where there is a lot of interaction with the customers; beginning with the order taking. In order to properly process the order from beginning to end, we have to ask a lot of questions. It is extremely annoying when the customer is standing there talking on the phone & they won't hang up, or worse, they hold up one finger in the universal "just a minute" sign. I guaranty that is a sure fire way to p*&^s off the person who is making your food and taking your money. LOL For a minute I thought I had the perfect solution. OH WELL!