So I'm traveling across the country, and I'm lost in some city in Montana. This particular city is big enough to get lost in, but small enough that there's no road details in my atlas. So what do I do? I find a residential neighborhood and pull out my Mac. Within 30 seconds I've located an open network and connected to Google maps. I find my location and directions back to the main route and I'm on my way.

It's pretty convenient - especially with as much traveling as I do. I've been a wireless subscriber in the past, and currently have wireless where I live. Unfortunately, I can't take that with me everywhere I travel. So when I'm out on the road I connect to open networks for directions, local stores, and to check my e-mail. This is called piggybacking.

The question is whether or not this is legal. And the answer is, "it is so long as a bored police officer doesn't see you." Here's the attitude police have adopted toward piggybacking:

"I had a feeling a law was being broken, but I wasn't sure which one."

"I'm sure it's illegal - it has to be!"

In one case the piggybacker was arrested, in the other he wasn't. In both cases, officers were acting upon ignorance and assumption. Neither were aware of any law being broken, but both took it upon themselves to intervene on a "feeling".

Now, maybe it's just me, but this doesn't seem right. Add to that these recent events in my life:

Sep. 1st, 2006, five vehicles at Radiant Living were broken into and about $1,600 worth of electronics was stolen. I filed a police report, the police got a set of fingerprints from the scene and told us they'd contact us. Several of us called the police station multiple times but nothing was ever done. To this day I've not heard anything from the police regarding that event.

Sep. 17th, 2007, a friend's car was broken into and two purses were stolen. In these purses were visas, passports, credit cards, driver's licenses, cell phones, and house keys of two U.S. citizens; this took place in Canada. It's incredibly difficult for U.S. citizens to get new forms of I.D. within the U.S., much less in Canada.

One of the credit cards was used at a convenience store within one hour of the theft. A police report was filed and this fact was included.

Now, maybe I'm just too practical, but I'd think that the police could take the time the credit card was used, go to the store, review security tapes and get a license plate I.D. of the thieves. But this hasn't been done. Maybe all the police are out looking for dangerous piggybackers.

Am I wrong to be frustrated by cops that sit on blind corners pulling over people on their way to work for speeding while someone is being stabbed? Doesn't it seem a little irresponsible of cops to be arresting people on assumptions when there's thieves leaving a trail of evidence that doesn't require a hint of intelligence to follow?

Maybe my plight would be more tolerable were I able to do something, but I can't. The law prohibits my involvement. My hands are tied and it's FRUSTRATING! I'm not sure whether I'd rather see the thieves behind bars or the cops...

And so the law abiding citizens must roll over in submission whilst criminals and their government walks all over them. Is this liberty or tyranny?

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson

Does your government fear you?