

Those who would dare violate the public peace in Philadelphia, consider yourself on notice: You have a sworn enemy. He's not quite as noble as Superman, and his gadgets aren't up to par with those used by Batman, but to those sick of loud cell phone conversations on city buses, he's a genuine superhero.

His name is Eric — last name withheld by request. His tactics are simple, but terribly effective: He uses a cell phone jammer to interrupt loud conversations on the city's number 44 bus route, resulting in dropped calls.

"A lot of people are extremely loud, no sense of just privacy or anything," said the DIY hacker to an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia. "When it becomes a bother, that's when I screw on the antenna and flip the switch.

"I guess I'm taking the law into my own hands and quite frankly, I'm proud of it."

Though some may agree with Eric's version of Radio Shack justice, jamming cell phone communications is a federal crime. The type of device used could easily interrupt crucial emergency communications, though city transportation officials insist that their buses' communication systems are impervious to this type of jamming.

If caught and prosecuted, Eric could face a $16,000 fine as well as jail time. After learning of the consequences, he has agreed to get rid of the device

(Source)

This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca

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