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Should the public have the right to own and use cell phone jammers?
Results so far:
| No | 52% | 202 votes | Total: 387 votes | |
| Yes | 48% | 185 votes |
No
by Sarah Vigue
Created on: July 07, 2008 Last Updated: July 08, 2008
If you were given the privilege to own and use a cell phone jammer, would you use it? It would be so tempting to zap the phones around you in a place like the movie theater or even better- the library. The satisfaction that comes from silencing the disturbance next to you is almost empowering. The problem is that intolerance to others and the desire to punish or restrict minor annoyances like cell phone noise, will only cause difficulties to you and those around you. Those obnoxious cell phone rings and their inconsiderate owners may have a good reason for disrupting the peace or may turn around and give you a taste of your own medicine.
The whole point of the cell phone jammer is not to jam the phone of the loud talker sitting next to you. The secret service members in Israel were noticing that terrorists were detonating bombs via the terrorists' cell phones. In fact, the infamous train bombings in Madrid of March 2004 were executed this exact way. As a result, the Israelis devised the cell jammers that the secret service now uses to block the signals transmitted to cell phones from the cell towers. Should a member of the secret service have to use a jammer, the unsuspecting terrorist's cell phone, blackberry etc. will experience a disability in "mobile telephone communication within a three-mile (five-kilometer) radius, according to Marco Visscher of Ode magazine's July/August 2008 edition. This particular story in Ode also mentions that this mechanism is "only available for military purposes" but obviously powerful and exciting devices like this are going to be popular enough to crossover to mainstream commercialism. For example, Japan allowed phone jammer use with a permit and France allowed jammer use as long as a functional phone is present and in close proximity in case of emergencies.
Moreover, almost anything can be bought on the Black Market or over the internet. Despite the fact that most countries institute a ban on phone jammers, people are finding ways to obtain and use these illegal devices. Sometimes it makes sense that churches, libraries and government officials would use jammers, but jammers are not necessary for these groups to perform their functions.
The purpose of the cell phone jammer is to prevent or stop crimes like terrorism, not to infringe upon a personal right (talking on a cell phone) or to cause someone to miss an emergency phone call. Universities and banks can continue to post and enforce signs declaring that phones are prohibited. Since the general public uses cell phones and everyone makes mistakes, including the accidental call received during work hours from family members and such, it is necessary for jammers to be used by certified officials only. However, it is extremely necessary for cell phone users to shut off their phones when appropriate and to not just lower the high pitched chirping of the phone volume but to lower the talker's voice when in a restaurant or some other place where others will be disturbed. Freedom of speech and the privilege to own a cell phone should not be abused.
Learn more about this author, Sarah Vigue.
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Yes
by Matthew Fulton
Created on: May 17, 2010
Cell phones have become a necessity for some and a plague for others. Those who believe they have to have a cell phone and constantly talk on it believe they cannot live without the technology and their lives would be much more difficult without them. They find it necessary to make calls in the most public places because of emergencies like making sure little Johnny gets to soccer practice or where they will be meeting their friends for drinks.
People who find the new addiction to cell phones unwelcome feel that the loud conversations in public places, the rude people who insist on carrying on their phone conversations while a store clerk or restaurant server is trying to do business with them, and the downright dangerous driving habits of cell phone users have no place in society. In many cases, the rights of those who find cell phones unwelcome outweigh the needs of those making and receiving calls on their cell phones. Therefore, the use of cell phone jamming technology should be allowed to the public in most cases.
Think about some times when you do not want to have someone using a cell phone around you for quiet's sake. Say you are in the library and you are busy working on an important report for an upper-level university course. You are working diligently until someone next to you gets a phone call and starts talking. Typically, a cell phone conversation is carried on louder than most face-to-face conversations, so the theoretical conversation will likely cause a huge distraction.
Of course, a glare at the person on their cell phone or a request to talk elsewhere would be met with hostility. After all, their discussion with their significant other about where they will dine that evening is much more important than your paper on American foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century. But hey, you have a new option if you have a cell phone jammer. Click, now their call gets dropped and they begin to wonder why they have no reception until they walk off and continue their conversation away from you. Your quiet is restored and then they have to go somewhere that does not disturb you. Problem solved.
How about the movies? You are very excited to see the new romantic comedy that is packed full of big-name stars. You pay your eight to ten dollars for admission, get your popcorn, sit down, and begin to enjoy the movie. Just when you are really becoming interested, someone in the row behind you starts chatting away on their phone about what they will be doing after the show is over with their friend who could not make it. You turn around and look at them but they quickly develop a look on their face that suggests that it is their right to talk. Here is where your fun new toy comes in handy. Click, they walk outside and you get to pay attention just in time for the next joke. Sorted. Not only should this be a right for movie patrons to use, but theaters with cell phone issues should be allowed to jam signals in the auditoriums and post signs outside announcing that they are jamming. This solves the problem for everyone.
If you have ever worked in the retail or restaurant industries then you will understand how rude some people can be with their cell phone use. Someone will come into a checkout line or sit down at a restaurant table, continue talking on the phone, and refuse to stop talking about what was so incredibly important to them long enough for the cashier to ask their required questions or the server to inform them of the daily special and find out what they want to drink. This is incredibly rude and makes the clerk or server's job much more difficult when they have to deal with people who refuse to hit the pause button on their conversation for a minute or two.
Not only do they make the job more difficult, but it makes everyone else have to wait since the employee has to wait for the right moment to spout out the things they have to ask. They have to be patient with the rude customer and force all the other customers to wait, since interrupting the customer's conversation could be perceived as rude and the employee could get in trouble. In essence, it is a losing situation for everyone but the person talking on the phone. But just wait for it, wait for it. Click! Hi, what would you like to drink today? The job is easy again and the other customers do not have to wait. One more irritating situation dealt with with the use of a cell phone jammer.
Now it is time to hit the road. You are on your way to work when next to you is a driver using one hand to jam a cell phone into their ear, the other to shove a breakfast biscuit into their mouth, and one knee operating the steering wheel. Or maybe they are staring down at their phone while they send and receive text messages when they are traveling at 60 miles per hour. In either situation, you probably fear for your vehicle and your personal safety. Oh but wait...Click! Their conversation ends and you can breathe a sigh of relief as they slow down to figure out what the problem is.
As you can see, cell phone jammers force people who use cell phones to keep their conversations limited to places that do not bother or endanger others. While there is of course the possibility of someone abusing their jamming ability, this would only require walking a few feet away. People need to realize that they do not have to have a cell phone jammed into their ear 24/7. Until then, a cell phone jammer can keep people nice and courteous.
Learn more about this author, Matthew Fulton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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