Arrested for stealing what is free

[NOFX]

Alaska police crimp wireless surfer
PALMER, Alaska, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Free wireless Internet service at a public library in Palmer, Alaska, doesn't mean its available for use after hours.

A Palmer man has been waiting to see if he'll be charged with criminal wrongdoing after a patrolling police officer seized the laptop he was using to play online video games in the parking lot.

Authorities told the Anchorage Daily News Saturday that Brian Tanner, 21, had been chased out of a number of locations around Palmer where he had been latching on to wireless service.

Police said that although Tanner was using an essentially free service, there are library rules governing its use and Tanner wasn't following them.


Cliff notes:
Using free wi-fi after house = No more laptop for you
Library rules = Law

 

[Gonzo]

lmao....talk about anal people

 

[kangaroo]

that might end up on the J-leno show....hahaahaha....BS rules.

 

[Genuine Rolla]

o gosh......

 

[oc_civic]

what complete bullshit.. tell them they need to use reasonable effort to secure something before you can consider it stolen..

 

[NOFX]

Hell, even if I left my car out in the driveway with teh door unlocked and the keys in the ignition, it could be stolen. The thing is, the wireless is at the public library (paid for my tax payers) and is free at the library.

Now if I left some furniture in the front yard with a big sign that reads "FREE", and a guy with a truck comes and takes them... I'd feel stoupid to file a theft report on that.

 

[lilwhitecoupe]

wow that is seriously messed up

 

[oc_civic]

Hell, even if I left my car out in the driveway with teh door unlocked and the keys in the ignition, it could be stolen. The thing is, the wireless is at the public library (paid for my tax payers) and is free at the library.

Now if I left some furniture in the front yard with a big sign that reads "FREE", and a guy with a truck comes and takes them... I'd feel stoupid to file a theft report on that.

it even goes past that for me.. a wireless router is you transmitting YOUR internet conection out.. it is YOUR duty to secure it imo... if they did not want it used there were EASY ways to deal with it...

and i think they were WAY wrong to take his comptuer.. i would be PISSED..

 

[NOFX]

it even goes past that for me.. a wireless router is you transmitting YOUR internet conection out.. it is YOUR duty to secure it imo... if they did not want it used there were EASY ways to deal with it...

and i think they were WAY wrong to take his comptuer.. i would be PISSED..

If they didn't want anyone using it after hours, just turn the router off.

 

[Genuine Rolla]

If they didn't want anyone using it after hours, just turn the router off.

right.


some people...

 

[Akiahara96]

If they didn't want anyone using it after hours, just turn the router off.

why is that so hard?

 

[Matt.]

Theres a name for what he was doing, I forget what it is, but its considered a form of hacking.

 

[Akiahara96]

'cuz it takes a really smart person to hit, "view available wireless networks" and click connect on the one that doesn't require a key.

just shut it off, geez...

 

[Jmoto911]

lawl... did you guys not read where this happened??? what the hell else do they have to do besides pursue meaningless "crimes"... Palmer, Alaska has a population of 6,920 according to the 2005 census bureau. Nuf Said! lol

 

[ImportFan1]

that is a bunch of BS and i would be extrememly pissed. if anything he could have been picked up for tresspassing, not stealing the free WIFI.

 

[anfrey]

this is ridiculous... they should've hired me to secure their wifi.

 

[ryanM]

lawl... did you guys not read where this happened??? what the hell else do they have to do besides pursue meaningless "crimes"... Palmer, Alaska has a population of 6,920 according to the 2005 census bureau. Nuf Said! lol

the town i live in only has 3,171

 

[Matt.]

the town i live in only has 3,171

you're not a state.

 

[Going-West]

you're not a state.

Neither is Palmer, Alaska.

This is retarded. It's their fault for not turning off the internet after hours.

 

[Declectic]

thats stupid... if they don't want anyone using wireless afterhours, then they need to set permissions on the router to stop distributing IP address after whatever hours they close

: to the law and that library