Some hope this high-pitched device will keep teens away

You probably remember the Mosquito ringtone that was all the rage a couple of years ago. To refresh your memory, this high-pitched ringtone was very popular among teens because only people under a certain age could hear it. This obviously made it easy for students to exchange text messages in class without the risk of getting caught or having their phone confiscated.

It appears the tables have turned, and adults are now turning to the same high- frequency sound to keep young troublemakers off their property. The device was first sold overseas where it caused quite a stir among civil liberties groups in Australia, Scotland, and England, where the Children's Commission even proposed a ban against the device.

But thanks to importers, Kids Be Gone made its debut in the U.S. last year, and over 1,000 units have already been sold between the U.S and Canada. The biggest buyers of the Kids Be Gone torture device appear to be schools, businesses, and government agencies who don't mind paying the $1,500 price tag as long as it keeps naughty teens away.

I've never heard the Mosquito ringtone (bad hearing on my part), but apparently the sound is not a pleasant one. Some say it sounds like fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard or a buzzing mosquito in your ear, and believe me, that's not a sound anyone should ever have to hear at a higher decibel output.

What do you think? Should this thing be installed in public places? 

High-pitched device drives teens from loitering spots (AP)