Driver caught using cell phone jamming device • Hacker News Board

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#71

Post by john_b » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 9:49 PM UTC

incision wrote: post #6

Certainly a terrible idea on every level, but I can't help but sympathize with the intent. Too much of the public simply aren't responsible about driving and there doesn't seem to be any good way to identify and prevent or penalize them for it.

Until self-driving cars or a viable nationwide public transportation system comes along, a well-funded and sustained marketing campaign along the lines of "don't drink and drive" could help reduce fatalities (see [1] for the historical trend). Many people think they are the exception to the rule and can safely drive while texting or whatever. If, during the process of getting a license, drivers were forced to operate a driving simulator while texting it may cause them to realize how bad everyone is at this.

[1] http://responsibility.org/sites/default/files/files/AIDF%20R...

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#72

Post by hsod » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 10:03 PM UTC

zo1 wrote: post #63

dublinben wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The FCC does not even allow cell phone jammers at prisons. The Secret Service protecting the President is probably one of the few authorized users of cell phone jammers anywhere in the country.

Guess the "pigs" # are indeed more equal than the rest of us. #And no, I don't mean pigs as in the derogatory term for the police.

Are you arguing that it's wrong for the President's security team to be given special privileges under the law?

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#73

Post by maresca » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 10:06 PM UTC

sukuriant wrote: post #50

maresca wrote: post #36

My opinion is probably in the minority on this issue, but I think cell phones should be disabled by default near vehicles(Except for emergency services). As a stick-driver and motorcyclist, I see way too many distracted drivers. People will miss lights, swerve, and worse because of their cell phones. The one thing that will help reverse this trend will be self-driving cars.

Do you like listening to Pandora or Spotify in your car? That would be disabled, too. Same band. I understand the desire, and it makes a lot of sense; but ... it's just not going to happen :/

I actually don't, but that's mainly to make my battery last. I get what you're saying though.

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#74

Post by maresca » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 10:08 PM UTC

hueving wrote: post #56

maresca wrote: post #36

My opinion is probably in the minority on this issue, but I think cell phones should be disabled by default near vehicles(Except for emergency services). As a stick-driver and motorcyclist, I see way too many distracted drivers. People will miss lights, swerve, and worse because of their cell phones. The one thing that will help reverse this trend will be self-driving cars.

This completely ignores everyone considerate enough to car pool. One of the major advantages is being able to read emails, check news, etc. If you can't do anything on your phone, it kind of wrecks one of the major perks.

A very valid point. I wonder what people did before all of these wonderful gadgets. Enjoy the scenery?

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#75

Post by zo1 » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 10:24 PM UTC

hsod wrote: post #72

zo1 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guess the "pigs" # are indeed more equal than the rest of us. #And no, I don't mean pigs as in the derogatory term for the police.

Are you arguing that it's wrong for the President's security team to be given special privileges under the law?

No, I'm saying we're not all equal if such "special privileges" are granted to some special few individuals for one reason or another. Overall, it was a reference to the Animal Farm book.

But if you want to know if I think it's wrong for us to have inequality in the form of non-universal applications of morality or "law", then I'll answer with Yes.

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#76

Post by jacquesm » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 10:57 PM UTC

TheCapn wrote: post #41

"Agents from the FCC used direction finding techniques to find that strong wideband emissions were coming out of a blue Toyota Highlander SUV driven by Humphreys." This I find interesting and am curious what devices they had to obtain in order to accomplish this. I used to work for a telco that, to this day, continues to have this very issue with _someone_ in a remote rural location. By the time the NOC can inform lo…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_finding

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#77

Post by hsod » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 11:09 PM UTC

zo1 wrote: post #75

hsod wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you arguing that it's wrong for the President's security team to be given special privileges under the law?

No, I'm saying we're not all equal if such "special privileges" are granted to some special few individuals for one reason or another. Overall, it was a reference to the Animal Farm book. But if you want to know if I think it's wrong for us to have inequality in the form of non-universal applications of morality or "law", then I'll answer with Yes.

Interesting. Is this essentially an anarchic worldview? I can't see how a government could function without privileging certain individuals.

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#78

Post by prawn » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 11:50 PM UTC

zo1 wrote: post #59

jablan wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution is not only logical, but also an answer to lots of other problems: ditch the car-centric culture and move these people out from their cars to buses, trains, trams, bicycles and other forms of sustainable transport. It's not that hard, takes some time getting used to, but will do good to all of us.

Here's another non-obvious solution to the problem: Start making sure that insurance companies have no payouts if the driver's phone was on X amount of time before the accident. That way they pay for their own damage, and the damage done to everyone around them. Regardless if they were "at fault" using conventional reasoning. How about another one: Require all vehicles to install cell phone tethers that have the driv…

I will frequently have my wife look up something on my phone or handle the GPS on it while I'm driving or take a call. These are perfectly reasonable and go against your two suggestions.

Further investment in public transport is one part of a solution (and has other benefits) but another part should be reducing the "always available" expectation.

Phone calls are almost always a huge intrusion. I'd rather they act, rather than a ringing phone, as more of an "x needs to speak with you, initiate call when convenient" alert. Then if they become unavailable, they can set a time or wait until your "ready" signal is active and contact you.

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#79

Post by Bluestrike2 » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 11:59 PM UTC

incision wrote: post #6

Certainly a terrible idea on every level, but I can't help but sympathize with the intent. Too much of the public simply aren't responsible about driving and there doesn't seem to be any good way to identify and prevent or penalize them for it.

I can't.

There are accidents where even seconds matter and the effects of the jamming can mean the difference between life and death or even simply a shift in the a victim's odds. Or consider emergency services whose radios were affected: maybe paramedics were radioing in status updates to a hospital, or perhaps police officers were in the middle of receiving an Amber alert. Or, imagine that he's injured in an accident himself. He, and anyone else potentially injured in such an accident, are potentially at risk because people can't notify 911. If he's lucky, he's able to turn it off. If he's unlucky, and is incapacitated or otherwise unable to turn it off, well, that's quite the problem now, isn't it?

I hate dreaming up hypotheticals, but this story practically demands it. His actions were no less selfish than someone else's texting while driving.

Re: Driver caught using cell phone jamming device

#80

Post by koenigdavidmj » Thu, May 01, 2014, 12:03 AM UTC

prawn wrote: post #78

zo1 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's another non-obvious solution to the problem: Start making sure that insurance companies have no payouts if the driver's phone was on X amount of time before the accident. That way they pay for their own damage, and the damage done to everyone around them. Regardless if they were "at fault" using conventional reasoning. How about another one: Require all vehicles to install cell phone tethers that have the driv…

I will frequently have my wife look up something on my phone or handle the GPS on it while I'm driving or take a call. These are perfectly reasonable and go against your two suggestions. Further investment in public transport is one part of a solution (and has other benefits) but another part should be reducing the "always available" expectation. Phone calls are almost always a huge intrusion. I'd rather they act, ra…

If parent commenter already wants to require tethering your phone and your car in order to disable the phone, I have little doubt they're okay with what they would likely describe as a small inconvenience to save lives.