Ham radio operators seek exemption from hand-held cellphone ban

[The Straight Story]

On the eve of their annual convention, Vermont amateur radio enthusiasts told a Senate committee Friday that they should be exempt from a bill restricting the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving.

Mitch Stern of the club Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont told members of the Senate Transportation Committee that licensed ham radio operators provide a valuable emergency communications resource that benefits the public. Amateur radio operators will hold their annual Ham-Con convention Saturday at the Holiday Inn in South Burlington.

At issue is whether a bill passed by the House, H.62, would allow amateur radio operators to use their devices while driving. Amateur radio equipment requires the user to hold a microphone while speaking, but does not require drivers to punch in numbers or look at the device to dial like a phone, for example, Stern said.

Stern said amateur radio operators are recognized as a safety organization by the state, in the same manner as fire and rescue groups. He said their networks are vital in emergency situations when mobile phones and other networks fail, such as during Tropical Storm Irene.

http://vtdigger.org/2014/02/21/ham-radio-operators-seek-exemption-hand-held-cellphone-ban/

[seveneyes]

1. If cops, firemen and others can use handhelds, so should the citizenry

The citizens are not in a class lower than their employees.

[The Straight Story]

2. I dunno. It's the same idea some have with guns

only let the 'good people' who work for us carry them and the rest of us will just have to trust them.

[proudretiredvet]

3. Not anywhere near the gun issue.

This is a designated well organized group of people who are the emergency communication network in our nation. Our federal government has recognized them as that for decades.
The Ham nets are up and running every day and night. They are not a bull session on the airwaves and are not used for idle chit chat.
Ham operators spend a lot of time and a lot of their own money in maintaining this emergency communication system. Putting them in a situation that they could not share necessary information and could not do on time radio checks while mobile is pretty stupid.

[The Straight Story]

4. Well, I do agree, having been on both sides of that

My uncle was a ham operator and we recognized them in general in the ambulance business (as part of disaster training).

As far as the gun quip goes - it addresses the underlying thought brought up by the person I was replying to "The citizens are not in a class lower than their employees." and a simple application of it to other areas.

Ham operators are not the 'same', serve a different function, but in that particular respect there are some who apply the logic the poster was talking about and it has ramifications in many other areas.

Citizens having similar tools to those in government is not a bad thing, and with ham operators we can see a direct correlation to that idea and how it benefits the community (ie, not solely depending on a few paid people for everything but utilizing the hobbies of people in the community to the benefit of all). Some would like to continue to restrict the individual and make community less about all of the people in it and more about the few in it.