# My hero: Man silences cell phones on Philadelphia bus **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773 "2012-03-05T02:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/41 "2012-03-05T14:50:11Z")
I don’t drive, so I ride the buses all the time. The last time I checked, talking on the bus is not illegal. As a matter of fact, I spent the time riding the bus this morning in a coversation with the bus driver. Of course, it’s also not illegal to join in the cell phone user’s conversation with your own comments. It’s also far more annoying. Great line stolen from Doper **Eve** , to be used after cell phone talkers refuse your request to be a little quieter: Well, if you can’t be less noisy, can you at least be more interesting? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/42 "2012-03-05T15:08:01Z")
> [@dzero](#): > > I was thinking more in terms of movies and cafes, but I see your point. I’d probably pay double to go to a movie theatre built inside a Faraday cage. But I don’t really care about most other places – I’m probably more annoyed by loud in-person conversations (that drag on seemingly forever) than loud cell phone conversations (which are often pretty short). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/43 "2012-03-05T15:08:39Z")
In the movie theatre, I’d be all for it. On a bus? Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/44 "2012-03-05T15:14:35Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > As annoying as I think cellphone use is, I think if you want a quiet bus or train then the transit authority needs to establish no cellphone rules and then enforce them, … This. Every public transportation I’ve been on bans radios, etc. unless you’re listening through a headphone. If the public desire was that cellphones be banned too, it would be so. Personally, I’d support such a ban, but I recognize that I’m in a very small minority. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/45 "2012-03-05T15:16:43Z")
Where I am, the first car of any daytime train is “quiet ride” which bans cell phone use, conversations above a whisper, and music audible through headphones. It seems to work well as a compromise, since there are obviously people at each station who either line up for or actively avoid the quiet car. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/46 "2012-03-05T15:27:44Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > Besides, assuming the guy was riding a bus in downtown Philly, the homeless guys and people talking to one another are going to be WAY louder than even relatively loud cell phone talkers. What’s he going to jam them with? A rag on a stick? Since he likes gadgets, he could use [this device](http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27620/); a “speech jamming gun”. Would the people supporting the cell jammer support the use of a speech jammer, I wonder? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/47 "2012-03-05T15:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=dzero] I just want to point out that even if you miss a call because of jamming, as long as someone leaves a message, you’ll get it as soon as you get off the bus - same with texts. So what we’re really talking about is only a delay for as long as you happen to be on the bus. [/QUOTE] > [@Vihaga](#): > > That’s not always true; only my newest phone has voice mail show up instantly. With some of my previous phones/ carriers, messages took a while to show up. I’ve read this 10 times and I still have no idea how your point has anything to do with what **dzero** said. He is explaining that a voicemail or a text being successfully sent has nothing to do with your phone being on or available. They go to the network and are on the network’s servers until the phone can a) Retrieve notice of there being a voicemail b) retrieve the text itself. You are saying that sometimes this process of retrieving the notifications take longer on some carriers or phones. And…??? **dzero** is saying that jamming is not keeping you from ultimately getting a message - it’s basically like losing signal or turning your phone off. Just like turning off your computer doesn’t keep you from being able to receive email. > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > NO, ffs. Why should I have to use earplugs?? All pollution should be stopped at its source, and that includes noise pollution. Wow so you can’t take a step to make yourself more comfortable - _everyone else_ on all public transportation everywhere should stop talking to make you more comfortable? Balls. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/48 "2012-03-05T15:40:49Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve read this 10 times and I still have no idea how your point has anything to do with what **dzero** said. He is explaining that a voicemail or a text being successfully sent has nothing to do with your phone being on or available. They go to the network and are on the network’s servers until the phone can a) Retrieve notice of there being a voicemail b) retrieve the text itself. I thought his point was that if you miss a call, it’ll immediately go to voicemail and you’ll get it the moment you get off the bus and have a signal again, so it doesn’t matter if you miss an emergency call on the bus. That hasn’t always been true for me with all phones/ carriers; sometimes voice mail has taken a while to show up, so missing an emergency call could result in a significant delay before I got the voice mail and responded. It would only matter at all for time-sensitive emergency calls, but I’d still consider it an extra downside of having someone jam my cell signal on the bus. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/49 "2012-03-05T16:01:12Z")
I do think it’s a travesty that so many people can’t seem to go through their day without constantly being on the phone. First thing people do out of work or out of class seems like they get on their cell phones or start texting. People are constantly updating Facebook or Twitter or whatever. It seems strange to me that so many people feel a need to stay THAT connected but in so doing ruin the social aspects right around them. It could just be being rude or annoying, or sharing private information with others, or missing out on opportunities to meet new people and have new experiences for the sake of pointless mini-conversations with people you already know. But jamming cell phones isn’t the way to address the larger social problem. We need to take steps to fix the social problem. Like, don’t have lengthy or private conversations with anyone you wouldn’t have had one with at times before cell phones. I won’t take those sorts of calls in a public place because it’s not only rude to the others there, but I think it’s just as rude to the person I’m talking to that I can’t make time for them and have to have a private conversation in public. If you do have to have a conversation now, maybe it actually is important or timely, fine, but at least don’t use speaker phone. I’m at least glad the PTT/Walkie-Talkie things have gotten much less popular; the only thing worse than hearing one person talk loudly about private or mundane details is hearing two, with obnoxious beeps between them. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/50 "2012-03-05T16:20:53Z")
Had a great response, but no, this guy is a fuckstain. Who the hell is he to decide how to control conversations? He should have invested the money for the jammer into a bike or moped so he could have his precious peace and quiet. But wait, there’s no silence in those two modes of transport, either. Listen, Philly douchebag, people sneeze, cough, smell funny, talk too loud, and commit any number of human behaviors in public places. If you have a problem - a major problem - with this, remove _yourself_. Yes, I am annoyed by loud cell phone talkers. I would never impose my will, however, on others. I think anyone who missed a ride, couldn’t get in touch with a family member or friend, should be able to sue this douchebag, or at least, be given the opportunity to drop the jammer device on his groin area from a great height. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/51 "2012-03-05T16:43:40Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > In the movie theatre, I’d be all for it. On a bus? Deal with it. Yup. One citizen taking the law, or his own crazy opinions, into his own hands is just being a dick, and a vigilante dick at that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/52 "2012-03-05T19:09:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Since he likes gadgets, he could use [this device](http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27620/); a “speech jamming gun”. Would the people supporting the cell jammer support the use of a speech jammer, I wonder? According to the article “Japanese researchers build a gun capable of stopping speakers in mid-sentence.” And I call bullshit. Americans have had guns that can stop people talking in mid-sentence for a couple hundred years now. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/53 "2012-03-05T19:25:21Z")
I never thought I would be praising NJ Transit, but they have \*finally \*implemented Quiet Cars (the last car on every train during rush hour is no cell phones, no loud talking). Now we actually have permission–the other prissy library ladies and I–to pounce upon cell-phone screamers and tear their heart out and show it to them before devouring them bit by bit and throwing their gristle from the train. Which plays \*havoc \*with a girl’s manicure, but is totally worth it. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/54 "2012-03-05T19:35:32Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > I remember most of my life people didn’t have cell phones and we still seemed to handle emergencies pretty well. I gotta take issue with comments of this sort. It’s just like “hey, back when I was a kid we never wore seat belts and none of us died”. Obviously none of you died, because you’re here posting now. Heck, back before penicillin plenty of us survived infections, back before telephones people still found ways to communicate, back before cars people were able to survive, etc, etc, etc. Before cell phones, there were all sorts of other things built into various systems to help deal with emergencies… I’m sure there were elaborate systems where surgeons would call into hospitals from pay phones letting the staff know where they were and how to reach, etc. And I’m sure those systems worked a lot better than nothing. But with cell phones they can (at least in theory) work _better_. So (a) the system is better than it used to be, and (b) now that we have cell phones, the previous systems are likely no longer being used, so if you suddenly turn off cell phones we might not just revert to pre-cell-phone levels of emergency response, we might get much worse because we are now depending on cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/55 "2012-03-05T19:58:01Z")
I’m glad to hear the cellphone jammer device exists; the public bus probably isn’t the place for them, but movie theatres, study areas, school classrooms, etc. all are. ETA: And private cars! When the car ignition gets turned on, the cellphone jammer goes on. Sorry passengers who want to make calls - you’re collateral damage from all the idiots who refuse to stop talking while driving, forcing a draconian solution. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/56 "2012-03-05T20:07:42Z")
I wish there were cell free zones. Libraries, theaters, bookstores should jam cell phones. Make people step outside for their phone calls. But the FCC doesn’t see it that way. Instead we get a-holes talking in the middle of movies. Ruining the movie I paid to see. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/57 "2012-03-05T20:18:05Z")
Apparently the guy figured out that what he is doing is illegal. [http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Philadelphia-Cell-Phone-Jammer-Septa-bus-jammer-signal-blocker-mobile,news-14341.html](http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Philadelphia-Cell-Phone-Jammer-Septa-bus-jammer-signal-blocker-mobile,news-14341.html) > [@](#): > > According to NBC10, shortly after they confronted Eric, he called them to say he had confirmed that his use of the cell phone jammer was illegal and would be disposing of the device. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/58 "2012-03-05T21:29:25Z")
Did he give a big \>WINK!\< when he said he would be disposing of it? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/59 "2012-03-05T21:32:43Z")
The man was an ass. Smoke on a Septa bus and the other passengers will complain. The driver will eject you. Listen to music without headphones and the same will happen. There is no rule, written or unwritten, about using a cell phone while on the bus. Additionally, as somebody pointed out, the driver uses a radio system to stay in touch with dispatch and other drivers. Jamming that system has got to be a separate violation as well as grounds for ejection from the bus. I find the bus to be too loud. However, I can’t afford a car. I just deal with the noise. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773/60 "2012-03-05T21:49:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Instead we get a-holes talking in the middle of movies. Ruining the movie I paid to see. I find it’s rare for people to actually talk on the phone during a movie. But I can’t count the number of times that some dude in the next one or two rows “sneakily” checks his cell phone for new calls or texts without realising that he’s basically turning on a flashlight in my field of view. Grrrr… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hero-man-silences-cell-phones-on-philadelphia-bus/614773.md?page=4)