Santa Fe WiFi foe strikes again: sues neighbor for using wireless devices, lives in a car
By Richard Lai 
posted January 12th 2010 6:12AM
posted January 12th 2010 6:12AM
No, this isn't him, because the real Arthur Firstenberg (with or without a cat) would probably need more than an aluminum helmet to cure his "electromagnetic sensitivity," symptoms of which allegedly include stomach pains and memory loss. In fact, this man -- an active member of the anti-wireless group in Sante Fe -- has taken one step further by suing his bewildered neighbor 25 feet away for refusing to switch off her wireless devices, which he claims has forced him to stay at friends' or live in a car. We'd say just chill out, find some place in the middle of an African desert, and then fly out. Oh, wait.[Photo courtesy of Wally Glenn]
@MN82
Speaking of not telling me what to do in my own home..
Reminds me of the guy who was sued by his neighbour because he walked around his house naked
The person being sued should run an experiment to prove his craziness is psychosomatic, then counter sue the gent.
It's not a lawyer this kid needs, it's an intervention...
The key in his car probably has an RFID chip in it
He is safe nowhere...
Cat's face tell us everything...
Nice picture though.
@turu
Yea, the cat looks pissed off!
I think I'll try and recreate that look... if my neighbor's cat cooperates.
What a fool. And if a judge grants him or entertained this suite, that judge is a fool too.
"has taken one step further by suing his bewildered neighbor 25 feet away for refusing to switch off her wireless devices" - There's this thing called the "inverse square law". It means that the signal 25 feet away from a wireless device is 1/625 of the signal 1 foot away. There are also probably at least one set of walls in the way too so the signal in this idiot's house is probably 1/1000 of the signal in the neighbor's house.
Even if the guy has some strange allergy to electromagnetic waves, the fact that the average person has no ill effects from a signal 1000 times stronger gives him no reasonable expectation that his neighbor(s) should change their lifestyles.
@daqman what in the fuck did you just say. lol cheers.
@MN82
WTF did daqman say Bones?
It's Physics Jim!
But that's impossible...
@daqman I love it. Kill this nonsense with science. Too bad the neighbor will have attorneys fees to pay for this nut's mental issues.
They already did research on this alleged condition. A dozen or so subjects were individually placed in a room with a large device they were told was a high output radio. When it was turned on, all subjects immediatelly claimed to feel I'll, and to feel better when in was off.
Only problem was, the 'radio' was actually just a large box with an LED they switched on and off. A real one was directly above them in the drop ceiling, however, which was switched on and off at random intervals. When the REAL radio was on, none of the participants noted a change in the way they felt, but all 'felt ill' when the LED was on.
TL;DR - This is psychosomatic bullshit.
When I bought an ASUS wifi dongle it had a notice saying I should not use it within 2 feet of my body, (funny for something designed for a notebook that comes with a 2 inch USB cable, but that's another story) point is that there was official advise of that nature, so although I also don't believe you can feel it and that there are a lot of crackpots it doesn't mean it's not healthier to not expose yourself to too much sources of EMR.
Also don't go and assume the claimed effects would be death or something like that, but migraine or cataract aren't fun either one would assume.
@Wwhat
Just because it's on a label doesn't mean it's true. Currently the state of Maine in the US is considering forcing all cell phones to have warning labels, despite 0, let me spell that out, Z-E-R-O evidence that it has any effect on the human body.
And again, no medical test has ever shown that people who claim to have this condition can actually feel anything of the sort. It's almost always obviously psychosomatic.
If this were true, then walking through an average apartment building in a major city, where everyone has one or two wifi routers, would bring you to your knees. And walking through a major city, like New York, even outside, would damn near kill you, as you can typically see like 30 different wifi networks in some areas.
The fact is that wireless technology is incredibly prevalent, and most people have no idea how much EM they're exposed to daily, and we KNOW what frequencies living tissue responds to. It's how a microwave works. It's also how the army's microwave cannon works. This isn't voodoo guesswork. We KNOW how this shit works, and this is not how it works.
Don't broadcast the SSID and the Loonball wouldn't even see a WiFi. He'd have to know the name of it to find it... I'd call it "Brainfry mofo"
@Prowl
hate tou burst you bubble but you can still find the wireless signal. it is just a lil bit harder this way
@hexideciml Well yeah with a triangulation device, sure. If this guy wins I am going straight out to sue Vodafone.
Reminds me a bit of a friends, neighbour that is trying to sue them cos they won't cut down some trees that they claim will fall and kill them in the middle of the night. They are rock sold and have been there at least 150 years. Some people are idiots!
LOL @ picture.
The stupid things people can sue for now a days...
Just a small nit. Which Sante Fe? I know of at least three (CA, NM, TX) and I live near the one in TX so it would be nice to know. Just in case don'tcha know.
@ArhcAngel
Santa Fe, New Mexico. This man is proudly representing my home state!
So this guy is only picking up on home wireless em frequencies, and not the rest of the em radiation which is naturally occuring everywhere? (and a lot stronger than anything a mere home wireless hub could produce).
He's just pissed as they changed from WEP to WPA encryption which he can't crack as easily...
cracking wep lol well that will take about a minute
those cellphone towers and high voltage powerlines have way more radiation than wifi
Yet another frivolous lawsuit. What is guy living right next to high voltage transformer or something his sensitivity must be really high to tell that its coming from a neighbors wireless, the guy should check for something much closer like in his own home.
Transformers are designed to NOT radiate out, since they then cause a hum in all audio devices, and I had audio interference from neighbor's cellphones on my computer's headset and my amplifier, showing devices designed to transmit can pack a punch, if you excuse the overdrawn expression.
@Wwhat
It's not "packing a punch."
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question230.htm
Wwhat, do everyone a favor and stop talking about subjects, which you clearly don't understand in the slightest, until you actually do some research.
I love that cats face on that picture.he is like "WTF?!"
I personally know for a fact the effect wireless signals can have on the human body. About 6 years ago, I did a clustered-redundant server farm install for a company that manufactures mobile TV stations. You know, those semi-trailer mobile units. They have a faraday cage used to test their product. I think it measured 100'x80'x60'. Huge. Anyways, they were going to test a mobile unit when I was there and let me inside when they "energized" the cage. It was amazing. I suffer constant headaches, joint pain, weird background sound in my hearing and "waves of color" in my vision (hardly noticable in daylight, but going to sleep it's like watching Auroras). Anyways, I knew exactly when they activated the cage because all my weird symptoms went away. I felt 20 years younger. When they de-activated it, it felt like I got hit by a wave. I was sitting in a chair otherwise I would have fallen down.
For anyone who doesn't believe the negative effect wireless radio has on the human body, go way out away from urban centers where you know there's no wifi or cell towers and even with longrange emt, you'll feel better.
@strommsarnac I've been in primitive areas and totally agree with how great it feels to be out there, but I don't think it has anything to do with EMR of any kind. It's called fresh air, beautiful scenery, and nature. Also, the psychosomatic effects of thinking being away from EMR helps you will make you feel better if you think it will. It's the placebo effect.
@strommsarnac You don't "activate" a Faraday cage -- you just get inside it and close the door. It's a box (or the topological equivalent) of close-mesh screened conductor--completely passive! I think your comment tends to confirm a psychosomatic basis for your condition. No offense.
The guy clearly has been out under the influence of the largest source of radiation around for far too long...
still its The Overly Lawyered States of America ..
sue for what you can eh ..
@strommsarnac, Sorry friend, I hate to be bearer of bad news. the fact you thought that Faraday cage is "turned on" tells me two things. First, someone in your professional circle of "friends" realized you have a psychosomatic reaction to the thought of being affected by EM waves and made a good joke for everyone behind your back by "turning the cage on". Those snickers you heard...yes, they were AT you, not WITH you. Second, you need to seek professional help. You CAN be cured and lead a normal life, just like everyone else!