my new hero; a freak with a bullhorn

via

this appears to be a real legit story

it's sick and it's sad and it's a statement on who we are

and i want to scream


Verizon to cops we won't help you track down sick, possibly dying man unless you pay his $20 phone bill

Posted by Cory Doctorow
A 62-year-old man had a mental breakdown and ran off iafter grabbing several bottles of pills from his house. The cops asked Verizon to help trace the man using his cellphone, but Verizon refused, saying that they couldn't turn on his phone because he had an unpaid $20 bill. After an 11-hour search (during which time the sheriff's department was trying to figure out how to pay the bill), the man was found, unconscious. Two K-9 units, several fire departments and 100 individuals on foot also were involved in the search for the man, who Sheriff Dale Williams said fled his residence on Kensington Rd. after a domestic disturbance call to deputies... Williams said he attempted to use the man's cell phone signal to locate him, but the man was behind on his phone bill and the Verizon operator refused to connect the signal unless the sheriff's department agreed to pay the overdue bill.............

hold the horses

or in this case THE CELL PHONE TOWERS

uh oh, this doesn't sound quite kosher to me
(wonder if anyone else who's running for prez got one OR TWO porto-cell-towers???????

whatcha think?

Exclusive: Verizon and AT&T Provided Cell Towers for McCain Ranch

BY JAMES V. GRIMALDI
Washington Post Staff Writer

Early in 2007, just as her husband launched his presidential bid, Cindy McCain decided to resolve an old problem -- the lack of cellular telephone coverage on her remote 15-acre ranch near Sedona, nestled deep in a tree-lined canyon called Hidden Valley.

By the time Sen. John McCain's presidential bid was in full swing this summer, the ranch had wireless coverage from the two cellular companies most often used by campaign staff -- Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

Verizon delivered a portable tower know as a "cell site on wheels" -- free of charge -- to Cindy McCain's property in June in response to an online request from Cindy McCain's staff early last year. Such devices are usually reserved for restoring service when cell coverage is knocked out during emergencies, such as hurricanes...........In July, AT&T followed suit, wheeling in a portable tower for free to match Verizon's offer. "This is an unusual situation," said AT&T spokeswoman Claudia B. Jones. "You can't have a presidential nominee in an area where there is not cell coverage."..............

hmmmmmmmmm

doctor doctor, it hurts when i do this................

(well don't DO that)

so verizon provided data without warrants (yeah, we KNEW that already. we also knew at&t and goddess only knows how many other phone companies did it) for HUNDREDS OF EMERGENCY cases .... HUNDREDS mind you

'hello grandma? this is koko calling. just calling to find out how you're doing. oh good! ummmmmm and oh by the way, can i borrow fifty bucks?'
Verizon Says It Turned Over Data Without Court Orders
Firm's Letter to Lawmakers Details Government Requests


By Ellen NakashimaWashington Post Staff Writer
Verizon Communications, the nation's second-largest telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided customers' telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005.
The company said it does not determine the requests' legality or necessity because to do so would slow efforts to save lives in criminal investigations.
In an Oct. 12 letter replying to Democratic lawmakers, Verizon offered a rare glimpse into the way telecommunications companies cooperate with government requests for information on U.S. citizens. ......