Cell phone scuffle settled- Senior who stood up to cursing sentenced

Pioneer Press ^ | 12-15-04 | David Hanners

[Rakkasan1]

A retiree who got fed up when a cell-phone user refused to clean up his language in a restaurant in July got three months' probation Tuesday. Unlike many defendants who walk into Ramsey County District Judge Paulette Flynn's courtroom to plead guilty to a crime, 79-year-old Bill W. Stevenson got thumbs-up signs from attorneys and others in the court who identified with his motives, if not his actions. "I felt a lot of sympathy, and they were giving me the thumbs-up when I walked out of the courtroom," Stevenson said after pleading guilty to a single count of disorderly conduct. "I think I could've won my case by going to trial, with a sympathetic jury. I've had over 30 calls and letters and e-mails, and I've not had one negative call. They're all on my side." The bagel bakery imbroglio happened July 15 when Stevenson and another retired 3M engineer, Sten Gerfast, 74, were sitting at a table at Bruegger's in the Sun Ray Shopping Center and going over a design Gerfast had invented. Jesse Russell Tabor, 40, of Minneapolis entered the bakery with his 13-year-old daughter. In an interview after the incident, Tabor said he was talking on his cell phone with a man whose home he was remodeling. Tabor said in the interview he didn't recall cursing while on the phone. Stevenson and Gerfast remember it differently. "He was using the F-word against this guy he was talking to," Stevenson said. "There was an argument on the phone. The third time he walked by our booth where Mr. Gerfast and I were trying to design something, Mr. Gerfast said to me, 'Should I do something about it?' I thought a moment and thought, 'What can you do in a case like this?'

[Bluegrass Conservative]

I've yet to see a remotely 'conservative' post from Bluegrass Conservative.

Try looking a little bit harder. I think you'll find that I'm very conservative. However, I'm not a knee-jerk conservative that refuses to use logic.

I'm not defending the cell phone guy's comments. They were inappropriate. I'm just saying that the older gentleman is not a hero here. He was right to be offended and would have been right to complain. He was out of line when he tried to take the cell phone from the man.

Put it in a different light. What if the man with the cell phone had been singing the praises of President Bush and the older gentleman was a hardcore liberal. He would have been offended by the political comments, but that still didn't give him the right to do what he did. The proper course of action would have been to register a complaint with the management.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Sounds like you socialize with a classy lot.

[Cathy]

I don't know if playing tug of war with a phone constitutes assault, but they old guy took the punishment. I think he knew what he did was wrong.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Time was, when you acted like this creep, you would have gotten a punch in the nose. . .

Fine with me. But they both deserved a punch in the nose then. First guy for inappropriate language. Second guy for attempting to take away the man's cell phone.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

The 'old guy' never said he believed what he did was wrong, in fact he says the opposite. It's the 40 year old punk who's totally responsible for what happened.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

There have been a few instances of deaths from road rage due to the careless uttering of that word.

[Slicksadick]

The guy needs one of these instead...

JAMMER - SH066PL2A/B

This model comes in 2 options: SH066PL2A - For USA/Canada -£169.99 GBP Quantity:  View Basket  SH066PL2B - For GSM (Europe  etc) - £169.99 GBP Quantity:  View Basket    Important - Please read sale conditions below before purchasing See also - accessories for this product below

This cell phone jammer looks just like a cell phone and is ideal for use when commuting on the bus and train or when eating in restaurants etc, anywhere where you need effective control at close quarters!

Make sure you have this phone jammer with you whenever you are out and about as you never know when you are going to need to use it. With this cell phone jammer switched on in your pocket you will be able to silence those anti-social types who insist on using their mobile phones in the most indiscrete way, the beauty is that they will not know it is you that has switched them off!, all they will see is that their signal has dropped on their phone. When you have had your meal or enjoyed your coffee in peace and quiet, you can then switch off your phone jammer and continue on your way completely stress free.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Now you don't know whether you could have bested the older man, do you Bluebell? Perhaps the older man might have taught you that at his age, he hasn't much left to lose. LOL!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Do you know whether these actually work?

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Are you saying that you act in public like this jackass, Tabor?

No, I don't scream profanity into my cell phone in public places. However, I probably have done something that is offensive to someone in public. Most of us have. I don't think anything I have ever done reaches this caliber, and if someone called me on it and it was a reasonable request, I would like to think that I would stop. However, if I didn't find what I was doing to be offensive, didn't want to stop, the management did not request me to stop and some guy like this one took it upon himself to remove my cell phone from my person . . . yes, I would take exception to that.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

He doesn't understand that he did anything wrong because he didn't do anything wrong, Bluebird.

[Slicksadick]

I'm sure they do. It's very simple science, they may however be illegal. Getting caught would be pretty hard though.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Now you don't know whether you could have bested the older man, do you Bluebell? Perhaps the older man might have taught you that at his age, he hasn't much left to lose. LOL!

LOL Well, no I don't actually know that I could have. He might have surprised me. But at 6'6", 220 lbs. and in relatively good shape, I'm willing to take my chances. : )

[LanPB01]

I read a small blurb about those things in a magazine a few month ago. They work, but there is a hefty fine from the FCC if you're caught using one; I think it was around $10,000.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

I did some quick checking and you're correct, cell phone jammers are illegal in the U.S.

The company that makes them is based in Israel. Based on how the terrorists like to use cell phones to detonate IEDs, I think jammers make a lot of sense.

http://www.netline.co.il/index.html

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

I'd like to have heard that this old man put young Tabor in the hospital. We can't have everything.

Jesse Tabor's character, or lack thereof, is indicative of most baby boomers. Spoiled punks. A near deadly beating might shake some sense into the lad.

[Slicksadick]

I did some looking as well, found that our government, as well as others, uses these jammers to follow Presidential motorcades around with a large "jamming bubble". Prevents all kinds of mayhem, including detonation by cell phone.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

I don't have the extra cash to pay the FCC fine, but it would be fun to have one.

[TChris]

...perhaps some old man will have to oblige and teach you a life lesson...

And you don't want to get a life lesson from Hub!

[Rakkasan1]

know it's range? I'd like one mounted on my cycle to
zap morons on phones weaving to and fro in their cars.

Could also be used in movie theatres to combat morons there,too.