LSAT 149 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q7

LR Question 7 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Gerald: Unless a consumer secures his or her home wireless…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: Gerald says that any passerby can access your unsecured wifi networks. This isn’t illegal, as it’s like listening to your radio as you pass by.

Kendra replies that you normally don’t stand and listen to a radio for a long time. Whereas to use wifi means you need to stop for a while. This could be loitering or harassment.

ANALYSIS: Gerald and Kendra disagree about whether it is illegal to use a stranger’s unsecured wifi. Kendra doesn’t explicitly say this, but it’s a reasonable assumption she thinks it is illegal to loiter, or to harass someone. And she compares accessing wifi for a long time to loitering or harassing someone.

Kendra’s argument is pretty stupid, incidentally. She’s talking about walking by and temporarily using Wifi. Unless you repeatedly used the same person’s wifi on walks, or used it for hours while peering through their window, it’s hard to think anyone would charge you with loitering or harassment.

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1. CORRECT. See the discussion above. Gerald thinks there is nothing wrong with accessing open wifi. Kendra thinks it is illegal, just like loitering or harassment is illegal.
2. Kendra didn’t mention trespass. That would involve actually going onto someone’s property, while Kendra is talking about using wifi while passing by, presumably on the sidewalk.
3. Nobody talks about what should be the case. Both Gerald and Kendra talk about what the law does say now.
4. Only Kendra mentions the length of time. Gerald has no opinion.
5. Nobody mentions how to access wifi, so they don’t discuss whether you can do it by accident.

Recap: The question begins with “Gerald: Unless a consumer secures his or her home wireless”. It is a Point at Issue question. Learn how to master LSAT Point at Issue questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.