A RANT, I'M DUE FOR ONE AND ENTITLED!

SELF | Feb 12, 2009 | swampsniper

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Well there are two reasons why they might require no cell phone. One is the interference with electronics, which is the reason they are kept out of Hospitals. The other is as a post 9/11 security thing in a federal building. It beats strip searching infants, IMHO. Annoying, I agree.

[Uncle Ike]

The gummint is afraid of ‘we-the-people’ — and it shows...

[Billthedrill]

Federal building, at a guess? I saw one of those clowns try to give a rather startled-looking FBI agent a hard time not too long ago. Don’t thrash him. Even if you win, you lose.

[Orange1998]

Good for you Smampy! The guard should be ashamed of himself, he should have treated you with a little courtesy.

[BenLurkin]

I don’t see why you can’t have a cell phone at a social security office. Seems maybe that clown was having a donut overdose — call the manager there and complain.

[greyfoxx39]

If ya carry a cane with you, you could bop them on the haid!

[gardengirl]

Now see, Swampy, if you were just an illegal or an indigent you wouldn’t be having these problems. Or maybe you need to have octuplets!

Seriously, take a deep breath—as deep as you can!—and go take some more of your great pics to cheer us all up!

Sorry you had a rough day. ((((HUGS, Swampy)))))

[SWAMPSNIPER]

What kind of electronics does Social Security use?

I don't wanna pick a fight with you, but tyranny always slips in on the heels of "good reasons".

Don't validate their crappy excuses by accepting them!

[freeandfreezing]

I doubt it. The "interference with electronics" story is really pretty silly. I have worked on electronic equipment that is used in hospitals and there are plenty of much stronger sources of RFI interference in a hospitals. Medical equipment is very carefully designed and tested to be able to withstand much greater levels of RFI interference than any cell phone can generate. The "no cell phone" policy is really just intended to reduce the annoyance factor caused by some cell phone users and their ring tones.

I doubt the security thing as well. I've been in plenty of high security federal buildings where cell phones are allowed.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I've been in plenty of high security federal buildings where cell phones are allowed.

Allowed for non government employees? I am surprised at that. I agree that the electronic interference is not likely, I only included it for the sake of theoretical completeness.

[freeplancer]

Obama has a Blackberry.

[La Lydia]

I work in a huge federal building and everyone has cel phones. Everybody in the Pentagon and the Capitol has cel phones. And they use them all the time. They aren’t banned. I can’t think why they would ban them from a county courthouse or a Social Security office. It doesn’t make any sense. The hospital ban I can understand, but the only other reason I can think of to ban them is the annoyance factor, in which case that is a very arbitrary decision.

[TomGuy]

I try to do everything I can online.

I do go to the local/county each January to assess and get the auto tag renewal.

[I found out after I went last month that I can even assess and get the auto tag via online.]

As for changing medicare providers, allot of that can be done online/snail-mail too.

[labette]

Always keep your cool.
A coworker did not keep his cool during a visit to a gov facility where he encountered teeny weeny's cousin. He made the mistake of asking teeny weeny's cousin if he would like to step outside and settle their differences hand to hand. He discovered teeny weeny's cousin's employers can afford bigger lawyers than the average citizen.
Always keep your cool.

And since this is your area of interest,
My grandson and I went for a stroll Saturday. He got to see his first bald eagle before his first birthday.

[St.Mark]

Swampy, thank you for the rant! I think we all of late have wanted to rant about whats happening to our country. The violations to our civil rights, whether good intentioned or not, are more than just annoying they are illegal IMHO. I felt the injustices under Bush were bad enough but under Obama it makes me sick to my stomach. Sorry you got me going off the rails again and Mrs St Mark just thumped me and told me to watch my blood pressure. I agree with everything you said Swampy Im outta here.

[Mr_Moonlight]

Is is possible that there was a 'credible threat' issued by Homeland Security that day? Such things are not publicized, for obvious reasons, but we see the effects of them all the time here in the NYC area.

About a month ago while driving to work, I noticed that there were several uniformed Cops walking the platform of the LIRR station, as well as a squad car parked across the street ... watching, just watching ... meanwhile, that same day, I noticed that on several entry ramps to the Interstate, a squad car was parked on the grass along the ramp ... watching, just watching ... same with one of the Parkways later that afternoon, State Police parked along the ramp ... watching, just watching ...

Obviously some sort of 'alert' was issued to LE that day, as these Cops and Troopers are not normally positioned in these places on a regular basis

Just a thought, thats all ...

[junkman_106]

Funny, here in Virginia the sign says “turn cell phone off”. I’ve seen (apparently) illiterate persons try to use same and they are only warned to turn the device off. And I don’t understand no use in Federal buildings...courtrooms I understand.

[freeandfreezing]

Allowed for non government employees?

Yep. As an example, many federal courts allow cell phones in the building, although of course they must be turned off in the courtroom.

[dforest]

God love ya sir. It is only going to get worse. Thats what all those antidepressants are out there for.

It makes getting threatened and screwed less stressful.