Subject: Ham-radio is a hobby not a service
From: (William)
Date: 3/21/2004 7:14 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

I suggest you tell Average Citizen that he or she needs to have an
amateur radio operator strapped to their hip for emergency purposes.

Where did I speak of the average citizen?

That's who I've been speaking of all along. Do try to keep up.

JJ...please take CAREEFUL note.

YOU were talking about disaster preparedness, those sets of plans in place
by your local or state EMA, FEMA, etc. And in the overall scheme of things,
you (and I) are correct.

Brain, on the other hand, having been UNABLE to successfully argue against
the value of Amateur Radio in those plans, has shifted his definition of
"emergency comms" to those of STRICTLY "the average citizen".

In the very narrow slice of "emergency comms" that Brian the Brainless has
wedged himself into, yes, John Q Public is going to whip out the old cellphone
and call 9-1-1 to get a cop, report a fire, or request EMS for an accident or
medical emergency...Just like he would have dialed a payphone 5 years ago.

In a true "disaster preparedness" mode, cellphones may suffer all of the
bad things that you and I have said they will.

THAT assertion is made upon the evidence that such incidents have ALREADY
HAPPENED, and those occurences have been sufficient to impress the REAL
"emergency comms" planners to continue to incorporate Amateur Radio in a wide
range of plans.

This is not "urban legend" or based upon some " feel good news release of
the ARRL" as Lennie the Loser would have us believe. Real, front-page news
stuff. Sorry he won't admit it, but that only helps to substantiate MY claims
about his "superior intellect".

So they may, but in times of emergency, the military and other civil
authorites will not rely on cell phones to handle major emergency
communications.

And it's always about the military and civil authorities, isn't it?

Uhhhhhhh....Brain....Other than "military" or "civilian", what other
categories are there?

I am no longer an instrument of national policy. Are you?

As long as my Right to Vote has not been revoked, you're danged tooting I
am!

Try again, blockhead.

Steve, K4YZ