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Back in the '70's when CB's were the rage, we talked to HAMs cross-country all the time. Now, if they were talking "on our level", I can understand.
You were talking to *other* CBers. I started in 'radio' about that same time and do not -ever- remember hearing, or talking to, 'hams'. At that point in time, the rules on CB operation (if you will recall) were rather strict as to who you could talk to on certain channels - and, to boot, Hams and CBers *never* shared any common frequencies.
Licenses were also *required*. (It wasn't the free-for-all that it is now.)
Is the channel or frequency space just so limited that folks guard their reach zealously so as not to get walked on or what?
Hams are courteous. If you recall again, it was 'mayhem' on those first 23 channels (before more spectrum was allocated for 17 more making 40 total) - especially when the 'band' was open. You couldn't talk two or three miles local sometimes with the 'skip' was rolling in.
Hams enjoy TONS more spectrum (frequencies - if you will) than CB ever has had, and are probably 3rd or so in the lineup as far as dedicated spectrum overall. The biggest users are broadcast (AM, FM TV, satellite), 2-way users incl local govt, and the US Govt.
Hams enjoy enough spectrum that we aren't "on top of" each other - we have some spectrum that works well for country-wide coverage at night, some that works well during daylight hours, and still other spectrum that works well day or night.
We also enjoy spectrum in the VHF and UHF area adjacent to the 2-way public safety and busines radio services work. These frequencies are used with a lot of the same 2-way radios that the public safety people use (like Motorola and GE). We also had 'telephonce interconnect' (phone patches) with this equipment decades before any cell phones appeared on the scene!
Hams also have *legal* power limits that far and away exceed 'CB', which legally used to be "5 watts DC into the final PA stage" which equates now tro about 4 watts RF output. SSB CB is around 12 to 15 watts PEP. Ham, by contrast are allowed something over like over 1,000 (one thousand) watts (somewhat dependant on band in some areas) output power. (I think max ham output power might be actually around 1,550 watts, but since I don't quite approach that limit I'm not concerned ...)
So, between a lot of availble spectrum, general courtesy, coordination in the use of the VHF and UHF spectrum (via VHF Repeater Coordination Commitees and the like) we cooperatively use our spectrum to the benefit of all hams.
Assuming average Joes were licensed to "pulse" at will ... that would be the equivalent of popcorn popping continually on your receiver?
... yes ... and it wouldn't that hard to find, either. I've tracked down and located malfunctioning gear of all types, 1) from active TV antennas (set top mounted types like the Radio Shack ATV-1000) and several brands as used on RV/motorhomes, 2) malfunctioning telemetry on a city water tank 3 mile away, 3) malfunctioning paging services in the UHF band and others ...
I guess I was operating under the impression that run-of-the-mill RF arcing would take place as someone approaches their house, car, office or small plane and a single pop would do it.
One thing - detonating an electrical detonator doesn't require an arc - just electrical current (DC or AC or even high frequency AC like RF will do it). A 5-watt 2-way radio as carried by the poh-leece or a firefighter could do it. 600 milliWatts from a cell phone probably wouldn't (unless you were right on top of the device).
There cautions printed on those things listing the cautions - and safe distances - to be observed.