Guy arrested for stealing wi-fi

[Genx87]

btw most franchise store owners do not own the land they have their business on. Most of them lease it from either corporate or from a private business\individual who owns the building and land.

 

[yowolabi]

All you guys saying that the fact he was told to leave makes him in the wrong are missing one crucial point.

He wasn't arrested for or charged with trespassing, so whether he was told to leave the parking lot or not is immaterial. The charges had nothing to do with him being in a location he wasn't allowed to be in. The only issue is whether it's illegal for him to use a free public, unprotected wi-fi spot. I think there's room for discussion on that.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: CadetLee
When the cops tell you to leave, GTFO. It's not that difficult.

Oh, make that 3 laws he broke.
1) Stealing wi-fi.
2) Trespassing.
3) Ignoring officer orders.

All that and he still shouldn't be arrested? You are losing the battle KillyKillAll. You won't convince me or anyone else here that you can break 3 laws and not deserve to be taken away by the police.

Especially if one of them is defying police. We all know that legality doesn't make a bit of difference when a cop is throwing his donut-fed weight around. He'll fabricate probable cause and trump up whatever charge he feels like, and sort out the legal aspects later. Even if he's totally wrong, you're still going to jail.

You do what the mustache says, or you get arrested. Period.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: yowolabi
All you guys saying that the fact he was told to leave makes him in the wrong are missing one crucial point.

He wasn't arrested for or charged with trespassing, so whether he was told to leave the parking lot or not is immaterial. The charges had nothing to do with him being in a location he wasn't allowed to be in. The only issue is whether it's illegal for him to use a free public, unprotected wi-fi spot. I think there's room for discussion on that.

I guess it all depends on whether or not they advertise 'free wifi' or 'free wifi for customers'..

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: CadetLee
When the cops tell you to leave, GTFO. It's not that difficult.

Oh, make that 3 laws he broke.
1) Stealing wi-fi.
2) Trespassing.
3) Ignoring officer orders.

All that and he still shouldn't be arrested? You are losing the battle KillyKillAll. You won't convince me or anyone else here that you can break 3 laws and not deserve to be taken away by the police.

Especially if one of them is defying police. We all know that legality doesn't make a bit of difference when a cop is throwing his donut-fed weight around. He'll fabricate probable cause and trump up whatever charge he feels like, and sort out the legal aspects later. Even if he's totally wrong, you're still going to jail.

You do what the mustache says, or you get arrested. Period.

:disgust:

 

[BooGiMaN]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: CadetLee
When the cops tell you to leave, GTFO. It's not that difficult.

Oh, make that 3 laws he broke.
1) Stealing wi-fi.
2) Trespassing.
3) Ignoring officer orders.

All that and he still shouldn't be arrested? You are losing the battle KillyKillAll. You won't convince me or anyone else here that you can break 3 laws and not deserve to be taken away by the police.

Especially if one of them is defying police. We all know that legality doesn't make a bit of difference when a cop is throwing his donut-fed weight around. He'll fabricate probable cause and trump up whatever charge he feels like, and sort out the legal aspects later. Even if he's totally wrong, you're still going to jail.

You do what the mustache says, or you get arrested. Period.

im going to take a stab in the dark here but my well honed sherlock-like mental abilities tell me you might not like policemen.......i may be wrong.....but i sense that in you.....

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: CadetLee

Originally posted by: SampSon
The employees used 911 to report this guy. What a joke.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who caught that...it's not exactly an emergency..

And they should have done... What? The receptionist at a police station isn't giong to dispatch you an officer, they're going to transfer you to dispatch - the same person who is answering 911 calls. Or at least that's the way it works here.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: CadetLee

Originally posted by: SampSon
The employees used 911 to report this guy. What a joke.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who caught that...it's not exactly an emergency..

And they should have done... What? The receptionist at a police station isn't giong to dispatch you an officer, they're going to transfer you to dispatch - the same person who is answering 911 calls. Or at least that's the way it works here.

That's not the way it works everywhere.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: KillyKillall

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

You are a turd. Get off the internet

While I don't agree with KillyKillall, I think you need a look in the mirror. Don't worry, if I ever step on you I'll be courtious enough to scrape you off on the sidewalk.

What the fvck is that supposed to mean? And I looked in the mirror and all I saw was myself.

It means YOU are the turd.

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: KillyKillall

Originally posted by: mugs
Depends on the store policy.

Edit:

County deputies charged Smith with theft of services after returning to the parking lot after they told him to stop.

Seems pretty clear-cut to me...

This goes back to the age old debate - if your neighbor sets up wireless and you use it because he didn't take the time to protect it, should it be illegal.

They said that this charge was typically used for hackers who used service without paying - well, what the hell did this guy hack? nothing. He used a public connection that was set up in the area. If they really care that much, they should monitor usage and protect it.

Since when does store policy mean it's the law???

Originally posted by: dullard
He should have been arrested for tresspassing too. He was asked to leave and not do that and kept coming back.

You do NOT have the right to stay on private property and use private items/services after you are asked to leave.

Since when is being in a public parking lot trespassing? They don't own the lot and can't tell him not to be in it.

Stop typing. You know not of what you speak.

 

[Ika]

this is the same as using a building's parking lot, then going somewhere else (say you're staying at a downtown hotel and the parking rates are horrendous; you decide to use a nearby bank's parking lot). that's not legal either.

 

[purbeast0]

im confused as how it's "stealing wi-fi" when it's free? 😕

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
im confused as how it's "stealing wi-fi" when it's free? 😕

Yeah, I don't understand either.

One time a local charity was offering free soda and hotdogs on campus for stopping by and looking at their display.

They got so mad when I took several 24-packs of soda they had... I mean, WTF... they told me it was free!

 

[pclstyle]

illegal or not, that man is a scrub.


hope he gets humiliated badly during the proceedings.

 

[altonb1]

While his actions may have been unethical, I do not think they were criminal.

"You can't censor the web, Man...you have to let the web be Free...."

(I don't type like a hippy very well at all...)

 

[theeedude]

As far as I am concerned, it's their responsibility to set access controls, and if they don't he and anyone within range can use it. They chose to broadcast wireless internet over public airwaves without encryption to everyone within range. It's like some FM radio station decides they want to charge for service, and tell everyone who isn't paying to stop listening, even though it's broadcast to every receiver in range. That would be ridiculous. This is the same, just with internet.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
im confused as how it's "stealing wi-fi" when it's free? 😕

How do you know it was free ??
Maybe the coffee shop advertise "free wi-fi with purchase"

The dude is just ignorant and deserved to be arrested.
Worst case scenario, he should have just bought the cheapest thing on the menu and sit out there all day.
Or just buy a cup of coffee and always have that cup in your car, then he can say he made a purchase.

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: senseamp
As far as I am concerned, it's their responsibility to set access controls, and if they don't he and anyone within range can use it. They chose to broadcast wireless internet over public airwaves without encryption to everyone within range. It's like some FM radio station decides they want to charge for service, and tell everyone who isn't paying to stop listening, even though it's broadcast to every receiver in range. That would be ridiculous. This is the same, just with internet.

No, it's not the same.

Using your logic, I should be able to walk into your unlocked house and start taking stuff, right? I mean, afterall, it is YOUR responsibility to lock me out, and I didn't see a sign that said I wasn't allowed to take your stuff.

The fact of the matter is that thos "public airwaves" happened to be on their property, which they control. Therefore, they have every legal right to forbid use of their property any way they see fit.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: CTrain

Originally posted by: purbeast0
im confused as how it's "stealing wi-fi" when it's free? 😕

How do you know it was free ??
Maybe the coffee shop advertise "free wi-fi with purchase"

The dude is just ignorant and deserved to be arrested.
Worst case scenario, he should have just bought the cheapest thing on the menu and sit out there all day.
Or just buy a cup of coffee and always have that cup in your car, then he can say he made a purchase.

A Vancouver, Wash. coffee shop tired of seeing a 20-year-old man mooch off their free wireless Internet access called the police, who charged him with "theft of services."

straight from the article ...

in the article a worker then goes on to say "it's not right" ... that doesn't mean its illegal.

as someone else stated, sure it's unethical and morally wrong ... but legally wrong? hell no.

 

[theeedude]

Originally posted by: MathMan

Originally posted by: senseamp
As far as I am concerned, it's their responsibility to set access controls, and if they don't he and anyone within range can use it. They chose to broadcast wireless internet over public airwaves without encryption to everyone within range. It's like some FM radio station decides they want to charge for service, and tell everyone who isn't paying to stop listening, even though it's broadcast to every receiver in range. That would be ridiculous. This is the same, just with internet.

No, it's not the same.

Using your logic, I should be able to walk into your unlocked house and start taking stuff, right? I mean, afterall, it is YOUR responsibility to lock me out, and I didn't see a sign that said I wasn't allowed to take your stuff.

The fact of the matter is that thos "public airwaves" happened to be on their property, which they control. Therefore, they have every legal right to forbid use of their property any way they see fit.

He was using the internet from his truck in the parking lot, not inside their coffee shop. Completely different scenario from someone entering into unlocked house, which would be private property. What he is doing is receiving publicly broadcast airwaves and transmitting his own airwaves. It's the coffee shop who chose to configure to respond to his computer signals. They are giving away free wireless internet, and then they want to pick and choose who's stealing and who isn't. It's their responsibility to restrict access and not use police resources as rentacops.