BART Interrupts Cell Service

[K7SGJ]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...g-protest.html


According to this article, BART officials interrupted cell service in one of their stations. I was under the impression that intentional disruption of cell service, or jamming of cell service, was a Federal No-No. Perhaps things have changed, but at one time theater owners wanted to disrupt service in order to eliminate cell phone traffic during the show. I believe that it was not allowed because A. someone might need emergency communications, and B. intentional jamming or interference of any radio service was a violation of some part of the Telecommunications Act. If all of that is still true, I am curious how BART got away with it.

[NQ6U]

It is illegal, per the Telecommunications Act of 1934, as amended. As far as getting away with it goes, well, it's also illegal to run a kilowatt on 11m but that doesn't stop some people from doing it. Now that the FCC knows about BART, they may take some action although, given the normally glacial pace of that organization, we may never live to see it.

[W1GUH]

I say...more power to BART! But why just a station? In a station you can usually move away from that inane conversation that the participant thinks is so all important (but is less useful than tits on a boy). I say shield the cars people ride on and eliminate the idiotic conversations us riders have to endure.

"I believe that it was not allowed because A. someone might need emergency communications, "

:rofl:
That's a good one! What's 911 going to do that can't be done with the emergency system already in place? Answer is NOTHING. The real reason that jamming is being fought in places where it would be totally appropriate (transportation, theaters, some restaurants -- or anywhere else people should expect peace and quiet) is because it'll cost the carriers $$$$$$.

[n2ize]

I say...more power to BART! But why just a station? In a station you can usually move away from that inane conversation that the participant thinks is so all important (but is less useful than tits on a boy). I say shield the cars people ride on and eliminate the idiotic conversations us riders have to endure.

"I believe that it was not allowed because A. someone might need emergency communications, "

:rofl:
That's a good one! What's 911 going to do that can't be done with the emergency system already in place? Answer is NOTHING. The real reason that jamming is being fought in places where it would be totally appropriate (transportation, theaters, some restaurants -- or anywhere else people should expect peace and quiet) is because it'll cost the carriers $$$$$$.

So in other words you uphold the idea of breaking the law ? Let's face it. It's a changed world and cell phones are now an part of it. We'll just have to get used to it. As far as dealing with annoying people, well, that was always a part of life in the big city. You don't inconvenience everyone and break FCC rules just because a few people are annoying.


As far as an emergency, you might be surprised what a station full of people with working cell phones might accomplish. The ability to call 911 might mean the difference between somebody living and somebody dyying.

As far as not being allowed to jam it has nothing to do with whether people need it for an emergency or for a casual call. It has everything to do with FCC rules governing the deliberate and illegal jamming of services operating on the rf spectrum.

Joan was quizzical; Studied electrophysical
Science in the home.
Late nights all alone with a test tube.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Maxwell Edison, majoring in medicine,
Calls her on the phone.
"Can I take you out to the pictures,
Joa, oa, oa, oan?"

But as she's getting ready to go,
A knock comes on the door.

Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head.
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead.

Back in school again Maxwell plays the fool again.
Teacher gets annoyed.
Wishing to avoid an unpleasant
Sce, e, e, ene,

She tells Max to stay when the class has gone away,
So he waits behind
Writing fifty times "I must not be
So, o, o, o.."

But when she turns her back on the boy,
He creeps up from behind.

Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head.
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that She was dead.

P. C. Thirty-one said, "We've caught a dirty one."
Maxwell stands alone
Painting testimonial pictures.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery
Say he must go free
(Maxwell must go free)
The judge does not agree and he tells them
So, o, o, o.

But as the words are leaving his lips,
A noise comes from behind.

Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon his head.
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that he was dead.

[W1GUH]

No, I favor changing the law. You made a huge leap there, John.

[KG4CGC]

I interrupted w/Trademark.

[n2ize]

No, I favor changing the law. You made a huge leap there, John.

Okay. It's just that you didn't state that you feel the law should be changed to permit jamming. So I was curious if you were of the mindset that jamming is a good idea regardless of the current law. That is why I phrased the material that I wrote as a question rather than a statement.

My perspective is that whether you love them or hate them cell phones are a part of modern day life. It is true that in decades gone by we lived without them and we survived well without them. However, like most technology they grew on the populous and became a convenience and, like many technologies the become conveniences over time, society has grown dependent upon them, almost to the point of necessity. Indeed, i can see some good applications for this technology and some that are not so good.

My personal way of dealing with cell phones is, I don't let them bother me.

In as far as BART goes, it seems that the cell phone jamming had nothing to do with preventing people from having annoying conversations. It seems to have everything to do with keeping protesters from communicating. The police have enough trouble dealing with the criminals that ride the BART system.

[kb2vxa]

Here you go assuming interruption of service is synonymous with jamming. Since many BART stations are underground, interrupting service is as simple as powering down repeaters. Nothing illegal about that, BART owns the repeaters and operates them under license from the service provider(s) and can do whatever they want with them including removing them altogether. Service underground is a courtesy to the riders, nobody ever said anyone has to be courteous to hooligans.

"But why just a station?"
Because that's where the repeaters are.

[W3WN]

It's not clear from the article exactly what BART did. But they never used the word "jam" or anything else to imply deliberate interference.

Now, if they simply turned off their cell repeaters, that is within the letter of the law (ie FCC R&R) as I understand it. I don't agree with either the action or their self-serving justification reasoning for this stupid asinine bone-headed unsafe unwise decision, but it's not a violation of the laws.

OTOH, if they are jamming cell phone frequencies, nuke the bastards.

[K7SGJ]

Reading some follow up articles today , BART shut off their underground cell sites instead of jamming or other methods of interference. No laws broken there. Well, I guess it's their stuff and they can do what they want.