AboutStooge Expertise 8 year crew member, 25 year NASCAR historian with VAST collection of
NASCAR data (stats, photos, old magazines, books, programs). I know all
or can find all about NASCAR Winston Cup trivia, including stats, driver
facts, race records, pit & inspection info, pics of old cars and
drivers, etc.
Experience Almost 40 year fan, 8 years on pit crew, high traffic NASCAR website, hundreds of old info sources including pics
Education/Credentials Life: lived it for 8 years, been following it for almost 40 years, been to more than 200 races, worked shoulder to shoulder with many of the drivers and crewmen of the present and past, been quoted in magazines and newspapers, website listed in a book, had picture published in Nextel Cup Scene (was Grand National Scene back then). *Just quoted in a Las Vegas magazine last month (Feb/March '07) about the Vegas race*
Expert: Stooge Date: 6/2/2008 Subject: Talk on scanner
Question QUESTION: I wanted to ask Nascar if they still listen to the scanner and the address when foul language is used.
We were at Dover for the truck race, and was surprised at the language we here when a driver (Busch) transmission broke.
Is there a way to contact Nascar?
ANSWER: Nascar does not monitor scanners. Radio transmissions between teams are private and believe it or not, your listening in on their transmissions is the same as listening in on someone's private telephone conversation. Complaining to NASCAR would only cause all the teams to invest in scramblers so that you couldn't listen to anyone. If you don't want to hear the language between two adults in a private conversation then you should not eavesdrop.
My suggestion, leave the scanner home and you won't ever have to worry about hearing someone's private conversation again.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: according to the FCC all radio transmissions are not private conversations. Anything that is over the public airways are mabe listened to. So, why did Nascar fine JR for using foul lanuage, if they are not listening?
Answer If I remember, JR's got played on TV. Yes, they are public radio transmissions but they are still private conversations between two adults. If you listen over the shoulder of two strangers talking in public, the space they occupy may be public but their conversation is still private. You may listen, you may hear things you don't want to but you also have the option to not listen. That was my suggestion. If you find something objectionable, don't listen. If you eavesdrop on a private conversation on a public transmission is it still not eavesdropping? Does your scanner have an off button?
What I am saying is if teams keep getting complaints, keep having fans sic NASCAR on them, there will no longer be any teams to listen to, they will scramble their signal to their car. It's happened in the past and will most certainly begin to happen again if complaints become a problem.
My only question to you: Is what you heard in the "heat of battle" bad enough to want to ruin a good thing for everybody else?
