He finds other things to do
Unlikely source emits international distress signalCORVALLIS, Ore. — Chris van Rossman's flat-screen Toshiba TV came with a built-in VCR, DVD and CD player.
Still, the 20-inch color TV aspired to higher things.
On the night of Oct. 2, it began emitting the international distress signal.
The 121.5 MHz frequency signal was picked up by an orbiting search-and-rescue satellite, which informed the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
Before long, van Rossman heard a knock at his door.
Outside were men in Air Force uniforms, a Corvallis police officer and a Benton County Search and Rescue deputy.
The international distress signals usually are emitted from electronic locator transponders that help search-and-rescue workers find overturned boats or crashed airplanes.
It's said that more than 90 percent of these signals are false alarms, but each one is checked out.
...
Van Rossman was instructed to keep his TV turned off or face fines of up to $10,000 per day for emitting a false distress signal.
He's not taking any chances and is keeping the television unplugged just in case he forgets.
He has a DVD player on his computer and, besides, he mostly likes to watch public-broadcasting programs, especially "Arthur."
"I find other stuff to do," van Rossman said. "It's not too important."
But but couldn't they save him from Arthur? That's distressing.
* Ray, 10/22/2004 12:17:51 AM
