Before I accidentally blow something up! :)

[W6EM]

Doing anything to a CB rig voids the license that comes with the radio.  That makes transmitting with a modded CB a crime, just like any other transmitter operation without a license.

The Enforcement Bureau is that part of the FCC that is charged with prosecuting violations of the Communications Act and promulgated rules such as Parts 90, 95 and 97..  Laura Smith is one of their employees.  Her title is Special Counsel for Enforcement, if it's the same as Riley Hollingsworth's was.

Lots of CBers have run afoul of the Communications Act.  Also, a few hams have had their licenses revoked for other violations of the Communications Act, like transmitting without a license in some other service.

I'd be willing to bet that by now, Ms. Laura's probably heard about or has actually read this thread.

73

Lee

[N9ZHW]

Oh, let her read it if she wants.    If she believes my crack about seeing how many tv sets in the next State I can mess up with a 3500 watt "toy" -and whatever else I put in that mix- she needs another job.
My main point is that people need to use something called discretion which, in retrospect, it sounds like most amateurs don't. That's why I haven't been on the local repeaters in several years except for ARES storm spotting....the ones that have this "policing everyone" and "I'm better 'cause *I* have a license" attitudes take the enjoyment out of it. (The allegations KB9BYQ/K9ALN made a few years ago to Hollingsworth about "interfering with emergency communications" and what's written on the ARRL page about "operating my 2 meter on non amateur frequencies", and the comments here about me being "kicked off repeaters", are in some cases exaggerated, in others flat out lies or at least misinformation.) There are amateurs in the area that think just because I don't know as much as they do about electronics, I "shouldn't have a license". THAT'S where this shhhhhhhugar (AHEM!) mentioned above all started.
Anywho again, people need to start using discretion a bit more. Getting bent out of shape about a 5 watt CB is the same as getting bent out of shape over 1 4-letter word spit over the air. There's a difference between that and talking like a marine drill sergeant on the air or powering up a CB so much you interfer with tv or radio stations. The people who don't see that kind of thing, and who take it upon themselves to police everything and everyone are the ones who take the fun out of radio. That's basically my original point.

[KA1MDA]

"My main point is that people need to use something called discretion"

Discretion is great, as long as what you are doing remains within the law. Once you cross over into the realm of illegal activities, that's a whole different story and discretion has nothing to do with it.

Isn't the concept of using discretion to justify doing something outside the law the very reasoning that caused the Enron meltdown and the Wall Street crash? I bet the individuals responsible for those fiascos felt just as strongly as you do that the rules they were breaking were silly, outdated, and inconsequential. Should we begin using such "discretion" when approaching stop signs or traffic lights?

When someone speaks about "using discretion" when doing illegal things, it's not discretion- it's self dillusion in an effort to justify doing something they know is wrong.

[N9ZHW]

You're missing my point. There are just some things that, while they may be letter of the law are too minute or irrational to worry about. In my State, it's still illegal to have a bathtub in your house, and illegal to have a car parked on the street over 2 hours unless a horse is tied to it, as well as a whole bunch of other laws from 150+ years ago still on the books and since they've never been repealed, they're still law and enforceable. Who is going to bother trying to enfoce this kind of thing though today? Yeah, in a 55 MPH zone, it's illegal to go 56 MPH. But is any reasonable (keyword) cop going to chew someone out for it? Look at the 18th Amendment....perfect example....the cops that tried to nail everyone they could under the letter of the law probably eventually got shot or what have you -or at least got looked at like "Chill man! Go after the real troublemakers" by society. The ones that took the approach of "Joe" having a 12 Oz.glass of beer there is different than Al Capone making thousands of gallons were probably more liked by everyone.