Wireless Internet Thief

Wireless Internet for free:

Here's a concept that clearly needs to be an issue in our upcoming presidential debates. Everyone of us (that has a laptop) has wondered around town, perhaps even in their car, looking for an open signal to tap into the Internet (not saying I've done this, I just know a friend who did once =). Now some say this is illegal, stealing someone else's' Internet. Seriously? I'm stealing it from you? People are being charged with actual crimes for this! Maybe if I set up a relay and took it constantly then I'd be stealing, but to do it once in awhile, while you're sitting in Britania Arms and there is this guys wireless from an office across the street (this is how I may be writing this right now), this is stealing? I think not. Have we gone to that point where we covet things so tightly that we kill the sense of community from everything?
True there are reasons to not let someone piggyback:

• they could decrease your bandwidth - i.e. exit you off the Internet highway and onto a small one lane dirt road.
• they could hack your system if it is connected as well
  
• they could set up a porn ring and use your i.p. address as the base camp for that operation.
• they could enjoy the Internet

Other than that last reason, most of these NEVER happen, or so minimally that you'd never really notice. So why all the fuss?

I say let's be giving and let everyone use the Internet all over. Businesses should understand that people now are more likely to come there if they can get access. Although this is by no means a condoning of bad behavior with respect to courtesy in a public place (a whole other topic for a post.) Let's just get over ourselves and how much we need to have everything and no one can share.
NE