Haunted CB Radio Ghosts

As a child of the ‘80s who remembers a world pre-Internet, the first time I (Tony) saw a CB Radio in action was an incredible moment. A device that allowed you to talk to mystery people, whose names and personalities changed depending on your location, was exciting. The CB represented a whole world of information and conversations that could be had with the simple pressing of a button. Who would be on the other end once your message was sent out? It was a mystery and an adventure.
I remember as a teenager attempting to create a CB Radio station with an old CB and a large antenna I had purchased from a friend. I rigged up a way to “key the mic,” or keep my feed going without interruption, and began to broadcast Top 40 radio hits of the time and talk between the songs as if it were a real radio station. I was young, naive, and clueless to the proper etiquette one should use when broadcasting on a CB channel, and this idea backfired.
When my show finally ended, I had almost every CB enthusiast in my hometown riled up and searching the neighborhoods for the strong signal, trying to figure out where it was coming from. I knew this because looking out my front window, I found a bunch of station wagons sporting large antennas driving up and down my road saying, “I think he’s around here … damn … I lost his signal!” This event ended my CB broadcasting days.