[geeks] Stuff fo' sale

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: wa2egp at att.net
>Date: 2006/08/13 Sun AM 12:06:30 CDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] Stuff fo' sale

>> Well, most speed limits are (or atleast were) imposed by the Federal Government 
>> in response to a gas crisis back in the '70s - if you didn't have 55 as your top 
>> speed limit you couldn't get federal highway funds...
>
>Not that they improved the highways any.  NJ was the last state on the eastern 
>seaboard to drop it AFAIK.  Not that anybody followed it....

They also doubled fines in 65 MPH areas to restrain folks. Now, if you get a ticket in my area (central NJ), you have to be going about 80 MPH (the ticket is only worth the cops time if it is for 15+ MPH over the speed limit), and most folks find it possible to stay under 80 MPH on their way to the movies.

>> I would *love* to see an absolute crack down on folks that talk on cell phones 
>> while driving (without handsfree). It is illegal in NJ, and as I understand it, 
>> it is considered a primary offense, meaning it is sufficient cause to pull a 
>> driver over and write them a summons. Also, I'd love to see insurance companies 
>> follow up and see if folks were on their cell phone at the time of the accident, 
>> and DENY CLAIMS if they were breaking the law when the accident occured by 
>> talking on their cellphones while driving...
>
>It is illegal but I have never seen anybody pulled over for it that I can 
>positively say it was for that.  The only problem I would have is for my ham
>radio equipment. Some overzealous rookie might pull that on me.  I think my
>federal license might trump the state law since it says I can work mobile
>on the license but I don't want to be the test case. :)  Of course I have
>a cell phone too and they are different in the way they are used.  The
>radio is simplex by hardware, cell simplex by usage.  I've found that to
>make a big difference in attention paid to driving, at least for me.

Your federal license doesn't enter in to it. The law specifically states cell phones, the studies the laws are based on do not mention anything other than cell phones, and you can use your radios because you are a "trained professional radio operator".
  
>> Maybe I should invent a camera that detects cell phone activity in the area and 
>> starts shooting pictures of drivers to see if they are hands-free or holding 
>> their cell phone.
>
>That could be done.  Detect RF in that part of the spectrum and start snapping pictures.

Sure, the photos would be the basis for the complaint against the driver, and their cell phone records could be obtained to confirm the cell phone activity (I was just holding it up to my head, I wasn't on the phone!).
 
<snip>

>Like that's a bad thing?  I've been thinking a designing a cell phone jammer for
>my immediate area (radius 25').  Might help with the knuckleheads driving and for
>me not being looked at like an idiot because I thought someone jabbering on a cell
>phone in a store with the earpiece (corded or bluetooth) was actually talking to 
>me.  Now I can't tell if these people are actually crazy, have a cell phone or 
>both!

Put me down for one as well - I'd love a device that would disrupt the signal long enough to interfere with on-going conversations (triggered and to emit a timed pulse long enough to break the call, without causing too many health problems for me) - I hope it wouldn't be, in effect, a spark-gap transmitter operating in the near-microwave spectrum!

A bluetooth zapper could be fun as well for headset jockeys, but that has no legal standing, it would just be fun.

Manners would be a great thing to teach in school if not in the home...

Lionel