Posted on 08/12/2011 3:31:28 PM PDT by SmithL
BART officials acknowledged this afternoon that they shut down cell phone and wireless data service in its downtown San Francisco stations to disrupt a planned protest. Their announcement sparked denunciations from civil libertarians and the apparent threat of a cyber-attack on the BART website.
A statement posted on the transit agency's website said the communications blackout was ordered in the interest of public safety:
"Organizers planning to disrupt BART service on August 11, 2011 stated they would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police," the statement reads.
"A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform overcrowding and unsafe conditions for BART customers, employees and demonstrators. BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
It simply amazes me how well - how much better, indeed - we did as a society before being so electronically “connected” 24/7. What co-dependent nonsense!
Who in their right mind wants to be available or connected to everyone, or even anyone, every frickin’ minute of every day?
Now the criminals and ferals are using “social” media to coordinate their thuggery, and screaming about their “rights” when society reacts appropriately.
Sick, and past-ripe for the endtimes. Over-ripe to the point of rotten. Like a purulent, festering pustule, now broken open, oozing foul death and decay.
Tweet me with some feedback before I withdraw.
Jamming is illegal, but BART didn’t jam anything. There is no cell phone service in the underground BART stations unless BART actively provides it. They just turned off the cell signal.
There is a difference.
Fantastic idea! Shut down cell phones for everyone so that people can’t communicate and form a flash mob! Hey, I have a great idea to stop gun violence. Let’s outlaw guns for everyone so that people won’t get killed by them any more!
That looks like a real magic card! very nice!
So how is that going to keep the mobs from communicating with each other when they are not at the BART station?
Same thing we were taught to do in school...
Find the nearest ‘officer’ and ask for assistance...
I guess I’m on the other side of this situation... I have no problem with this.
Let’s take an alternate scenario. There is a bomb in a BART station that will be triggered by a cell phone. Do you shutdown cell phone service?
These flash mobs are getting more and more violent. People are getting injured, hospitalized etc. If one tactic is to shut down service temporarily...no problem with it really.
All the bugout training tells you not to depend on your cellphone in an emergency. They likely won’t work either too many people making calls or power outage or shut down. You are supposed to have secondary plans. Get a grip FReepers that time has come.
All of which seem a lot less likely if the assembling mob has trouble communicating with each other.
“Second, if you read the TOS, you are not guaranteed to have coverage everywhere you go.”
That is in the event there is no coverage, not with their complicity in shutting it down. That is theft, pure and simple.
“But since BART is a quasi-government agency, they are probably allowed by law.”
There is no such law.
“It simply amazes me how well - how much better, indeed - we did as a society before being so electronically connected 24/7. What co-dependent nonsense!”
Perhaps we should just go back to the 7th century with the Moose Limbs? How people live their lives should not be decided by government or any quasi-governmental agency...or popular psychobabble spouting liberals. If having your phone up you ass makes you happy, it’s your phone and its your ass...have at it.
You are assuming the carriers had anything to do with it - it doesn't sound like it.
Also, it is only illegal to jam cell phone service. It sounds like they just shut down the repeaters/antennas that they installed themselves to provide service to the riders. There is no law that says they are required to provide that access in their stations - they just can't jam signals that originate from oustide the stattion. So if the station cannot receive a signal under normal circumstances, I don't see how BART can be required to provide that service.
No, actually, when BART or anyone gets a license to set up a station, they agree to abide by federal law and ITU treaties.
You can't just turn off a licensed station, unless that's allowed. And common carrier rules apply.
/johnny
If they have a federal license, they are a carrier. Period. And if they emit RF on that freq without being licensed, they are outlaws.
And if they have a license, they agreed to follow FCC carrier rules, federals laws, and the ITU agreements.
/johnny
Judgement call for the AO commander. But Constitutionally, the feddies can do just that. I assume they have an expidite phone number to some middie that may be able to track down a flag admiral and get that done in less than 12 hours. Or maybe not.
If I was a local official and that was my choice? I'd nuke the connections and get medieval on the bad guys, knowing in my heart that I did unlawful acts, according to federal law and ITU agreements. And, if I go that way, the laws of land and sea warfare are just paper. Which way you want to go?
/johnny
It turns out that that's not acually the case.... It's unlawful to jam ANY communications on ANY frequency. (or screw around with wirelines, in regard the the articles that have appeared here about Verizon and the union) Just wanted to point that out to you. It's a foundation stone of the ITU for over 100 years.
/johnny
And what a lovely person you’ve turned out to be. Please tell your mother, “Good job!” for me.
Yes, it is illegal to jam any communications, although there are exceptions for law enforcement and military. What I was referring to here is that while it is illegal to jam cell signals, it may not be illegal to turn the repeater/antenna off, if BART owned the repeater. Of course, they may also have had the right under the law enforcement powers - BART has their own police force.
Cite those in federal law and ITU treaties. Please, because I don't know what those are.
/johnny
Unless war is overt or declared.
Does the military jam signals? yes. Do they have a bunch of lawyers to dispute it? yes.
Meh... you aren't worth much... you don't know the organic level or the top level.
Is it unlawful? Yes.
Do we do it? Yes.
And stil we fight. Some idiots deserve what they get, and never a Free Republic.
/johnny
“And what a lovely person youve turned out to be. Please tell your mother, Good job! for me.”
My Mother is dead.
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