faigin@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Daniel P Faigin) (02/24/88)
In article <1943@ttidca.TTI.COM>, sorgatz@ttidcb.tti.com (Erik Sorgatz) writes: >CB radio is a sewer, the majority of CB >users are braindead, burntout Kids that have so little to do with their >miserable lives they congragate around the 11 meter band hoping for any >kind of amusement. I occasionally read rec.ham-radio. When I find an occasional article on CB radio, it is generally blasting the CBers. This attitude upsets me. I am a member of a CB club based in the San Fernando Valley (Greater Los Angeles), California. The legal name of this club is "Valley CBers Inc." -- informally it is called the "Over the Hill Gang". The purpose of this club is threefold: 1) to exchange traffic information on the I-405 freeway during rush hours -- this benefits not only club members but others who monitor channel 14 (the channel the club uses). This is a form of SERVICE. 2) to perform a SAFETY service, by notifying base stations (either REACTS or club members with base stations or cellular telephones) of traffic accidents that do not have police or ambulances on the scene. 3) to provide a SOCIAL outlet for club members -- garage sales, hayrides, picnics, spagetti dinners, etc. The club has over 200 members, I think. The occupations of these members range from professionals such as lawyers or engineers to auto mechanics to small business owners to ... you name it. As with any medium, it is the special cases that bring about a reputation. Yes, there are twits on the airwaves. There are people who like to blast across the country with their power. There are twits who like to send dead carriers and misuse the airwaves. We don't like them either. But it is wrong to characterize the entire users of the spectrum as "braindead, burntout Kids". Would it be correct to characterize ham radio users as braindead, burntout engineers? :-) Daniel Faigin --- "Otherbeast" --- OTHG Channel 14 -- W: UNiSYS/Defense Systems/System Development Group 2400 Colorado MD 91-01;Santa Monica CA 90406;213/829-7511 x6393 H: 8333 Columbus Avenue #17; Sepulveda CA 91343 Email: (uucp) faigin@sdcrdcf.UUCP (arpa) faigin@RDCF.SM.UNISYS.COM
kmd@sdcsmb.sm.unisys.com (Karen M. Davis) (03/02/88)
In article <5102@sdcrdcf.UUCP> faigin@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Daniel P Faigin) writes: >In article <1943@ttidca.TTI.COM>, sorgatz@ttidcb.tti.com (Erik Sorgatz) writes: >>CB radio is a sewer, the majority of CB >>users are braindead, burntout Kids that have so little to do with their >>miserable lives they congragate around the 11 meter band hoping for any >>kind of amusement. > >I am a member of a CB club based in the San Fernando Valley >(Greater Los Angeles), California. The legal name of this club >is "Valley CBers Inc." -- informally it is called the "Over the >Hill Gang". The purpose of this club is threefold: > > 1) to exchange traffic information on the I-405 freeway > during rush hours -- this benefits not only club members but > others who monitor channel 14 (the channel the club uses). > This is a form of SERVICE. > > 2) to perform a SAFETY service, by notifying base > stations (either REACTS or club members with base stations or > cellular telephones) of traffic accidents that do not have police > or ambulances on the scene. > > 3) to provide a SOCIAL outlet for club members -- garage > sales, hayrides, picnics, spagetti dinners, etc. > >The club has over 200 members, I think. The occupations of these >members range from professionals such as lawyers or engineers to >auto mechanics to small business owners to ... you name it. > >Daniel Faigin --- "Otherbeast" --- OTHG Channel 14 As another member of the "Over the Hill Gang", I thought I would add my $0.02 to this discussion. I do a *lot* of work-related driving for my job, alone. So does my mom. I can get help anywhere on the LA freeways a *lot* faster by using my rig than by getting to the "one every 1/4 mile call box" on the freeways. I know which channels the twits are on, and where the serious drivers are. I have saved much time and aggravation by getting traffic reports from other OTHG members on the 405-corridor (one night, it saved me at least 45 minutes -- someone told me not to get on the freeway at my normal spot -- I didn't -- and he was still several miles back by the time I got home), and from truckers on many of the other routes that I travel (being a lone female *does* have a few advantages when it comes to dealing with MCPs ;-). I enjoy the social aspects of the club, and the traffic reports help. Last week, we called someone on a base to get a hazardous driver removed from the road. The CHP know us, and when we call in, they respond. I also discovered (by accident) one morning that LAPD regularly monitors OTHG reports -- seems that someone we know as K9 is actually the human half of an LAPD K-9 unit (with police band back-up). Would the LAPD and CHP regularly respond to the rantings of a bunch of "brain-dead kids"? I sincerely doubt it. One other question for those of you who hate CB so much: what would you say about those of your own (hams) that use CBs? I know several members of the OTHG who regularly use Channel 14 until they get close enough to hit the Valencia 3m repeater with their low-power mobiles (T.O.M., where are you when we need you?) Karen Davis -- "Silver Lady" -- OTHG Channel 14 -- Email: kmd@sdcrdcf.UUCP (uucp) kmd@RDCF.SM.UNISYS.COM (arpa) Work : UNiSYS/DS/System Development Group; 2400 Colorado; Santa Monica CA 90406 (213) 829-7511 x6295 Home : 8333 Columbus Avenue #17; Sepulveda CA 91343