have you ever listened to a police scanner?
By cassidy22
@cassidy22 (2974)
United States
July 2, 2008 2:27pm CST
The other night, my husband was REALLY late coming home from work, and had lost his cell phone, so I couldn't call him. He was also on his motorcycle, so I panicked and didn't know where he was, or how to get a hold of him. SO I found a website that streamed the local police scanner to listen for any news of a motorcycle accident.
Now I am addicted and just like to listen to it while I am home alone. I don't know why - am I a snoop? Something about it also makes me feel comforted listening to the cops respond to all matter of incidents in the area.
Have you ever listened to a police scanner?
2 people like this
4 responses
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
2 Jul 08
I have never listened to a police sanner in my lie, and I really don't plan to start listening to one now. I don't know, but I don't tink it eer really caught on up here in Canada. We do not go for sensationalism the way that Americans go. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, I'm jus saying that's why I never listened to one.
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Actually, there doens't seem to be anything sensational about it. The language they use is very clinical, and they don't really get into a lot of details, except to say there is an accident, or there is a domestic disturbance, and really, I am surprised how many issues are about loose dogs.
It's really the tone of voice. It's not like any of the crap you see on TV, and I'm really not listening intently. THey all have such calm voices, and talk in codes sometimes that I don't even know what they are. I really think it's the calm voices that I like. It goes blank for long stretches too. I mean, I am no where near a big city, so this is all very low key. I've always been drawn to calm voices, as it soothes me. Heck, even my engineering lectures in college were calming to me, depending on the voice.
I'll probably get bored with this in a week and turn NPR back on, but for some reason it makes me feel less "alone"
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Jul 08
danishcanadian do not judge us Americans by our media as thats a whole different ball game. I am not a sensationist by any means
'andd the police scanner is totally not like your ideas of one at all, not media hype but daily ongoing problems and mostly part code. do not tar and feather all americans by our media as we are not that different from you canadians.I dislike anyone
saying that about Americans.do not judge someone you do not even know.
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
2 Jul 08
I used to have one when my ex-husband was with a sheriff's dept down in Texas, another mylotter's hubby and mine were partners, so she and I would stay up late listening to the scanner and crafting. What people don't seem to realize is that if you have a regular scanner, you can pick up cell phone conversations, which can get really interesting lol. I haven't owned a scanner since the day I joined a volunteer fire dept. we had pagers and radios, and there where times (after long call outs) that I just wanted to turn mine off, but couldn't do that. I am a wildland firefighter with the forestry service, not only do we have hand held radios, but we all use nextel walkie talkie, I turned my radio off in April, and have not had it on since. I was injured on one of the fires we were working and put on medical leave (I'd rather be working), listening to my crew out there on fires and not being able to be there right along with them was just making staying at home worse for me, so I turned it off. The other reason for not owning a scanner is that my s/o is in law enforcement, and between him and myself, we hear enough during work.
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
4 Jul 08
I can see that it would be hard to hear what is going on and not be able to go help yourself.
I don't actually have a police scanner, it's an online streaming audio of one, so I don't pick up any phone conversations on it. It's like listening to an online radio station.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
3 Jul 08
Yes. When I was growing up, my mom and dad had a police scanner. I used to stay up late and listen to it with my dad. My dad passed away and we didn't have use of one for years. My husband bought me one for Christmas a few years ago. I love it. I like to listen to it and see what is going on around here. There is always something happening. I get scared hearing some of the stuff though. It makes me feel like someone may try to break in here and get me also.
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I don't really pay attention to a lot of the details. And honestly, I am really new here, so most street names are foreign to me. Unless it is right in my area, I don't even know where they are talking. Sounds like most of the calls I heard about were people fighting, or people calling in on reckless drivers, or folks with medical emergencies. I haven't heard a lot of violent crime talk, so it doens't really freak me out.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Jul 08
yes I have and it is very interesting. I have not had ocassin
'to do so for a long time but when I did I found it a comfort'to know that the police were out there doing their jobs and protecting the public. I do not think this is being a sensationalist as we are just more or less learnign what our
police have to put up with daily.
