Kudos to anyone who gets/renews their GMRS license. Something that is dwindling every day due to non-enforcement by the FCC. Of the 200+ active licenses in the area a couple of years ago, my last search revealed only 34 remain active.
Being licensed for bigger power is a blessing in disguise. When I first put up my legal type accepted repeater, there were a lot of bubble pack radios trying to mess around on the channel. (Most have no idea that their bubble pack radio is not repeater capable, in fact, the illegal FRS simplex repeaters in the area have led them to believe that all repeaters are simplex and repeat the transmission) in the area I PL'd everybody but myself (I clear the channel and even converse with the travelers by the 395/14 junction) and turned up the power to 20 watts or even 40 on a couple.
Since then they have pretty much tired of trying to disrupt our transmissions. I will sometimes transmit 'the ants are out today' since that is what it's like. They are there, but we step right over them.
Not only that but using your call sign will usually clear the pirate Hams (those that transmit 50 watts with their radios but without a GMRS license).