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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!elroy!mahendo!jplgodo!wlbr!scgvaxd!trwrb!sdcrdcf!sdcsmb!kmd
From: kmd@sdcsmb.sm.unisys.com (Karen M. Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio.packet,rec.ham-radio,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: CB is a sewer (was: Re: low power license free packet?)
Message-ID: <745@sdcsmb.sm.unisys.com>
Date: 1 Mar 88 17:25:22 GMT
References: <8802111609.AA16271@decwrl.dec.com> <440@n8emr.UUCP> <5102@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Reply-To: kmd@sdcsmb.sm.unisys.com (Karen M. Davis)
Organization: Unisys Santa Monica
Lines: 65
Keywords: CB == garbage, LICENSE-FREE == CB;

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)
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