We have a scanner that was my Dad's. They used to have it on ALL the time, and it drove me up the wall. Everybody had to "shhhh" while they listened, and there was always something going on.

I don't have it on all the time, but I have the local volunteer fire department programmed in, the local rescue squad, state police, fish & wildlife, highway department and local road crew. My neighbor gives a little "whoop" on his siren when they're toned out, and I turn on the scanner to keep track of them.

We also have my Dad's short wave radio that he got when he was in the Navy during WWII. My mom used to collect QSL cards (is that the right term?) and listen to folks from Belize during the night. They never transmitted, though, just listened.