abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/10182004_bb_tv.html    


CORVALLIS, OR-October 18, 2004 — It's the case of the TV that was calling for help.

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An Air Force search and rescue alert was trigged by Chris van Rossman's flatscreen Toshiba TV. It has a built-in VCR, DVD and CD player. And an undocumented feature that has authorities scratching their heads.

Some sort of electric glitch was causing van Rossman's TV to transmit on the international distress frequency. The signal was picked up by a satellite and relayed to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Virginia.

Van Rossman had no idea until airmen, deputies and Corvallis, Oregon, police were knocking on the door of his apartment. The errant signal was traced to his TV set.

Van Rossman was warned to keep the TV off or face a $10,000 fine for sending a false distress signal.

A spokeswoman for Toshiba says they've never heard of this sort of problem before. But the company is promising to give van Rossman a new TV.

(Copyright 2004 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)


EDIT to hot link

HAAA HAAA HAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA!!!



Reminds me of an episode of Southpark!

It's NOT paranoia if they REALLY ARE out to get you.


I bet this guy is still scanning the sky for black helicopters !

That's enough to freak anyone out!

so how is he going to watch TV?

I can only imagine the look on his face when he opened the door...

"Ummm...yeah?...is something the matter, Sir?"

His first clue that his TV wasn't working right was that it only picked up shows like Emergency!, Rescue 9-1-1, and Lost!

Saw the report on Fox News just now.  "Fines if he keeps turning on his TV." What a load!

Reminds me of the oil rig workers who stole an EPIRB but then accidentally set it off in their London flat.  They were a bit embarassed when the authorities showed up.

Quoted: Reminds me of the oil rig workers who stole an EPIRB but then accidentally set it off in their London flat.  They were a bit embarassed when the authorities showed up.

Or the Boeing employees who stole a raft from a Boeing airplane and went riding down a river with it.  Sheriff shows up due to the distress signal.  Boeing subsequently fired their butts.

I wonder if he can get enough tinfoil for both a hat and to shield the TV.  

Quoted: Van Rossman was warned to keep the TV off or face a $10,000 fine for sending a false distress signal.

I'd tell them to go F' themselves and to stop landing helicopters on my roof.  

Sweet merciful christ.  Someone double tap this thread in the face.....its comeback from the dead!

ZOMBIE THREAD!

Someone forgot the wooden stake and a hammer.

Looks like it was The_Beer_Slayer's fault it's back.