Most commuters experienced anger because they had to hear the fellow travelers’ phone calls.
But anti-social travelers are also increasingly taking matters into their own hands by interrupting commuter calls with portable cell phone jammer.
Jennifer Lopez demonstrated one in the film Enough. The worrying new trend in reality came to the fore this week when a bus driver in Philadelphia was caught by astonished commuters.
“I guess I’m taking the law into my own hands,” he told an NBC10 reporter, “and frankly I’m proud of it.”
The jammer was stopped by a fellow traveler who noticed that everyone on the bus in his cell was having trouble getting a signal.
The jammer held a device that looks like a walkie-talkie with four antennas in hand.
The commuter said, “Every time someone tries his cell phone again, this guy subtly turns in their direction, presses a button and points to him, then continues reading his book under his creepy hood.”
Users feel that they have some control over society that they see as an increasingly ruthless society. ‘
The illegal devices block both radio and mobile phone signals, including nearby emergency centers, which can lead to a public security disaster in the event of a terrorist attack.
Incoming calls are also blocked, so travelers cannot hear emergency messages.
A daily commuter from New Jersey to New York, who carries a jammer every day on his transit trip, said: “These are the best things ever”
He told Forbes that he uses the pocket-sized device bought from a website that selectively imports it from China when a fellow traveler speaks too loud or too long.
“If I used it, I have to cut off a loud speaker on the train next to me.” He claims he never felt guilty. “No fault,” he says, “just personal high fives.”