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Man Arrested for Wireless Piggybacking
Sommelier writes "As reported by KATU in Portland, Oregon, a man was arrested for parking outside a coffee shop in nearby Vancouver, Washington, and using their open wireless AP — for three straight months. '"He doesn't buy anything," Manager Emily Pranger says about the man she ended up calling 911 about. "It's not right for him to come and use it."' Turns out the guy was a registered sex-offender as well." A different computer expert might have pointed out some ways to see if anyone is piggybacking on a wireless signal (many APs have a Web-interface client list), or even suggested something like NoCatAuth.
How are they going to prove he never bought a latte? Are they going to be able to swear that in the last three months, of all the lattes they sold, not one was bought by him? How do they know his friend didn't buy one and bring it to him in the car?
Isn't that a public service? Wouldn't the coffee shop have to complain to the dude first? I've driven into coffee shops' parking lots while on the road *specifically* to use their WiFi. It's an open network. Not just an unsecured network because granny doesn't know how to program her Linksys, but an intentionally open network. Sure, it's not "cool" to be a leech, but it's not specifically prohibited.
And what does being a sex offender have to do with anything?
--Jim (me)
Reading the article, doesn't look like there is a charge; they've just arrested him, and now are trying to figure out if he broke any laws. I'm not sure that it's meant to work that way....
~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
Oh, there's reasons:
1. Sex offenders may be prohibited from using the Internet as part of their release/parole.
2. Anonymous surfing at an unsecured AP is a wonderful way of getting your "stuff" without being traced.
3. It's free
*soapbox on*
Now I didn't read TFA, but if #1 and #2 applied in this case, they would be trumpeting the fact from coast to coast. As far as I can tell, they just threw out the sex offender part just to color public opinion of the "perp". I know they seized his computer and rifled through the contents. If they found anything, the press would know it too. Much like theat guy that was caught a couple years back with a laptop accessing an open AP with his pants around his ankles.
Since the police know he is a sex offender, they know what his conditions of release are and can't seem to find a problem (as of yet). All this guy is guilty of is sitting in a public place accessing free Internet service that a business was supplying (at no charge) to attract customers. If the business really wanted to get rid of his ilk, they could just set up a click-through TOS or use NoCatAuth or some other access control method (like a time-limited passcode on a receipt) that spells out the conditions for use of the network (such as for customers only) and prohibiting unauthorized use - oh, I'm sorry - that requires money and effort.
*soapbox off*
I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
When she was about 10 years old, (she happened to be a curious kid) she took a peek into the neighbours window while playing outside
Really? you become a sex offender for that? That is totally fucked up. That ruins your whole life.
I also hear stories of dudes sleeping with their girlfriends when the guy is 16 and the girl is 15 and that's them 'sex offender for life'... fucked up.
Who knows what this guy did to become a sex offender. Maybe he just looked up an old ladies dress when he was a 3YO.. who fuckin knows -
But the press have made this a 'FEAR CRIME'. If the guy was Islamic, they'd arrest him on suspicion of terrorism (especially if he visited al-jazera)...now, EVERYONE who uses open access points is a sex offender/terrorist/kitten killer!