Wi-Fi foe sues neighbor for using electronics

Arthur Firstenberg, has been active in groups that have unsuccessfully tried to stop the city from installing wireless systems at City Hall and public libraries. He has also opposed the installation of cell towers, claims he has now been made homeless by his neighbour Raphaela Monribot's. Why? she wont turn off her IPhone...

Story

A Santa Fe man who says he suffers from electromagnetic sensitivity is suing his next-door neighbor for refusing to turn off her cell phone and other electronic devices.

Monribot's actions have effectively ousted Firstenberg from the house he bought last year and forced him to stay with friends or in his car, says a document filed Monday in state District Court by lawyer Lindsay Lovejoy Jr.

Firstenberg "cannot stay in a hotel, because hotels and motels all employ wi-fi connections, which trigger a severe illness," says the request for a preliminary injunction. "If (Firstenberg) cannot obtain preliminary relief, he will be forced to continue to sleep in his car, enduring winter cold and discomfort, until this case can be heard."

His Suit is accompanied by dozens of notes from doctors, some dating back more than a decade, about his sensitivities. The 59 year old man, said he began to experience stomach pains, memory loss and other symptoms as a medical student at the University of California, Irvine, in 1980. Since then, various physicians have diagnosed him as being extraordinarily sensitive to both chemicals and electromagnetic radiation...

Along with the offending IPhone he lists several other sources of electromagnetic radiation that effects his health. his neighbour also has a computer (With WiFi), compact fluorescent lights, dimmer rheostats!!!



[edit on 8-1-2010 by DaddyBare]

Wow.
Well, I feel for the guy, it's in a similar vein to those suffering from chemical sensitivities and must be very hard to live with... certainly prevents him from living a "normal" or typical life. However, he has no control (and should not have any control) over those around him who are not on his property. His rights do not take precedence over another's. Sad for him. But, it's his problem to work out and it's his duty (to his health) to find a lifestyle and a living place that will best suit his health and future. I completely disagree with his attempt to control those around him...

[edit on 8-1-2010 by LadySkadi]

Wow! It must be horrible to have this condition but why is it his neighbors fault? Did she make him that way? No, he was born that way. I feel bad for him but suing your neighbor for something like this is just insane! You could never get me to turn off my iPhone or wi-fi.
I wonder if there is anything medically that can be done to help him feel more comfortable. I mean what is he going to do if he wins? Then someone else moves next door and what he sues them next? I really cant stand silly wasteful lawsuits.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Wow.
Well, I feel for the guy, it's in a similar vein to those suffering from chemical sensitivities and must be very hard to live with... certainly prevents him from living a "normal" or typical life. However, he has no control (and should not have any control) over those around him who are not on his property. His rights do not take precedence over another's. Sad for him. But, it's his problem to work out and it's his duty (to his health) to find a lifestyle and a living place that will best suit his health.

Yep!

I'm sensitive to people's energies. I moved out to the middle of the desert on 2 acres.

There are people who live out here - in trailers - with only gas generators and out houses. It can be done.

Maybe instead of harassing neighbors with frivolous lawsuits he should just do a cheap Faraday Cage.

Otherwise this strikes me as just another get rich quick scheme at the expense of others.

I see this can be a sticky subject.
How is the electro-pollution different from noise pollution.
This same neighbor would not be allowed to run her stereo on high 24/7, why should she be allowed to pollute with an unseen, unheard nuisance?

This man is another Canary in the coal mine.
These sensitives are warning us all that our environment is becoming increasingly dangerous to our species. Maybe for some folks the effects are more subtle and take longer to manifest into something serious.
We each have different tolerances for various poisons.

So Lady, are you just goning to tell this guy that this is just his tough luck, or what?

The Canaries - www.thecanaryreport.org...

Isn't this like someone who has a peanut allergy suing their neighbours for eating peanutbutter after he saw a jar of peanutbutter in their home? It's ridiculous to even think he has a case against some one using common legal products in their own home in the manner they were meant to be used.

First I'm not downplaying the seriousness of his affliction....
However this man does have a history of suing to put forth his agenda, unsuccessfully... to date...
so I have to wonder... is this an attempt to set precedence for future cases? so much easier to win a battle against a neighbour than it is the well staffed legal offices of a full fledged city

[edit on 8-1-2010 by DaddyBare]

If he is so sensitive to all these electronics then what about cell phone towers, electric wires, radio signals, etc... The world is saturated with them. Wouldn't that make him sick too? If he sleeps in his car, isn't he pretty much exposed to all these aforementioned sources of his alleged problem?

Magnum

reply to post by OhZone


No, it is BS. Wi-Fi runs on radio waves. Our planet is bombared by radio and electro magnet waves trillions of times more powerful than your run of the mill IEEE 802.11A/B/G/N-Draft router. This man should also be affected by Radios, Cordless telephones, Televisions, and airport RADAR.

I whole-heartedly concur that if he has had this condition for decades, then he should have been remedying his debilitating condition by removing himself from the source of his pain and anguish, not moving to a city a year ago and then suing his neighbors!

If he truly was so adversely affected he should have gotten out of Dodge a long time ago and headed for the hills far away from people and their new-fangled wiz-bang electronic gadgets...not moving closer to them!

And living in a car? Oh, like a car doesn't have electronic components or give off radio frequencies! Puh-leaze!

He only has himself to blame for his pain and suffering.

You don't see the Quakers suing their neighbors for owning cars do you? Instead you see them moving to intentional communities without cars.

Frivolous lawsuit even if he is afflicted with this debilitating condition, and it deserves to be thrown out of court. If his condition is psycho-somatic, then he deserves to be counter-sued.

[edit on 8-1-2010 by fraterormus]

So Firstenberg has been forced to seek refuge in his car (or with friends) due to his sensitivity to electromagnetic fields.

Really? His CAR!?


Dude, if you're sensitve to EM and you crawl into your car...YOUR SOAKING IN THEM!


Cars are wired cages, coursing with electricity, producing EM fileds. All but the oldest of the old vehicles have at least Electronic fuel injection, controlled by, yes! A COMPUTER!

On board radio, CD, or even an 8 Track tape player? EM Generators all!


Sheesh!

I wouldnt turn off my computers or WI-FI or change my reostats or re-wire my entire home to run off bio diesel just for the sake of some neighbour who claims to be alergic to WI FI.

So what is his next step Sue the Hotel managment for not taking adequate provisions to allow for his "Disability" (sarcastic Homer Simpson tone!)

how far does he take it. Did he strip out his house from mains cable? MAins creates loads of electromagnetic interfearance - one of the biggest problems for electronic engineers is to shield sensitive signals from mains!

Why does this guy not just buy a caravan and go live in the wilderness? he surly cannot hold down a Job - what place of work does not have comuters - wifi - IPhones. So He sues the employer for discrimination.

Maybe now I can sue this guy for being a jackass!

Its as crazy as when I buy peanut cookies with great big peanuts in them and big pictures of peanuts on the peanut cookie packet, flit it over and theres still small print disclaimer "warning this product may contain traces of nuts"
If a person was alergic to nuts - what the heck are they doing buying peanut cookies in the first place -- oh oh i know.. they check the lable first and if it does not have the warning, they drive themselves to the hospital, open the packet of peanut cookies , take a bite, proceed to die, then rush into the A&E. Law sute follows + nice big pay cheque!!

I should point out 2.4Ghz signals used for 802.11b/g are limited by law to a maximum total output of 4W EIRP this is far lower then a microwave oven by over three orders of magnitude. Even high output cards only put out 200mw (milli-watts) of power, and thus need an antenna to hit the legal limit.

So if Wifi makes him queasy His Microwave should put him in a coma.

This guy is delusional, plain and simple. There's radio waves everywhere, all the time, from terrestrial and from a variety of cosmic sources. You can't stand anywhere on the Earth's surface and not be bombarded by EM waves, this guy wants attention or a reason to sue, it's America fellas c'mon.

I would be willing to bet each and every single dime that I've ever earned in my life, that if you took this guy, or anyone else who claims this ridiculousness, put them inside of a room lined with solid lead, randomly fill the room with common frequencies of EM waves and have them raise their hand when the "pain" starts and stops. They'd fail, badly.

All of this came out of new age energy nonsense, not science.

Problem solved





Next

God Id hate to have something like that, I literally would lose the plot if I didnt have my phone, internet & tv.

BUT.. how ridiculous that he's trying to sue his neighbour. Zero sympathy for him on the basis of that.
Its almost like being severely allergic to say, dog hair. And then moving next door to someone who has a dog, & going on to sue them for owning said dog.

As inconvenient as his disability is, there's no reason why his neighbours should carry the burden of it.


reply to post by pazcat


That would only work if he had a coat & boots to match!

[edit on 9/1/10 by Bluebelle]

I’m sorry, but if that bloke has such a serious sensitivity to such things, then the right thing to do would be to move away from populated places. I can walk for miles in my local area and my Wi-Fi scanner never stops reporting a healthy signal and I’d never dream of asking all of those people to turn off their mobile phones and their Wi-Fi routers if I had such a sensitivity. It’s totally insane!

What that bloke needs is a slap for being so cheeky and for wasting everyone’s time. *grrr*

Talk about a neighbour from hell...only in America. Makes me think my crap/rude neighbours aren’t quite so bad now. heh

Rev

Thinking about it, this reminds me somewhat of a story that came out last year -

Let there (not) be light.



[edit on 9/1/10 by Bluebelle]

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is such a ridiculous disorder. Its basically nature's way of saying "You aren't meant to be around" and can't be escaped. Maybe he can use his money if the case goes through to line his house walls and roof with lead. If this guy is living in a city then his neighbours shouldn't be to blame, it is his choice to live in a region of overlapping wireless hotspots.

Of course, if he does have any credibility maybe this can become a precedent, by which we all may have a large problem with people who have rare (or unlike this one, increasingly common) disorders who may or may not legitimately need compensation.

My friend has a cellular disorder that makes his life hellish over a long period of time when he's exposed to things he's allergic to. In this case, its certain foods. All fifty of them. But would he sue every food manufacturer and confectioner under the sun for having little traces of tree nuts in their products? No, because despite his problem he can still live a normal life. He just has to adapt and keep his wits about him to minimize exposure to what he ails him, which is what this "canary" obviously cannot do.