Congress Moves to Ban In-Flight Cell Phone Use
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 08. 1.08
America is facing many challenges at the moment: gas prices, two ongoing wars, health care, social security, and the credit crisis, to name a few. So it might come as a bit of a surprise (or perhaps not!) that Congress spent yesterday trading horror stories "about their worst experiences with annoying fellow passengers who talk loudly on cell phones before takeoff and after landing." No, they weren't just being chatty; there was at least a reason for the discussion. They were actually debating a new bill, cleverly called the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act, which would "make the current Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communication Commission ban on cell phone use during flight permanent."
EU Has Approved Cell Phone Use
This is in contrast to the European Union, which recently approved the use of cell phones during flights. Under that plan, "the European Commission will be tasked with ensuring that customers aren't charged exorbitant prices for making the calls." Congress, however, has several reasons for moving forward with a ban, including the obligatory national security concerns, as well as a desire to minimize the stresses of travel. After all, who wants to listen to someone spend an entire flight on the phone with a friend, attempting to calculate the CO2 emissions from their cross-country trip?
You Can't Legislate Courtesy
Other members of Congress were worried that "domestic airlines might try to get the cell phone ban lifted so they can charge passengers extra to sit in no-phone sections." In the end, however, the idea of banning cell phone usage during flights is a question of courtesy, and Rep. John Mica, R-Fla summed up that approach best when he said, "you are trying to legislate courtesy, folks, and that just doesn't work."
Via: ::Yahoo News
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At least they are doing something useful in Washington...
I also disagree with banning phone use just because it may be rude under some circumstances. If it isn't a safety issue, leave it up to the airlines. If customers demand it, at least some airlines will continue to be phone free, or maybe there'll be phone-free flights. Leaving it up to the market will have much better results for everyone, not least because company policies can be updated as often as necessary.
I say, ban talking on cell phones. If you need to use it for communication that is fine there are a number of various ways to do that. Like e-mail, text messaging, IM, internet, etc.
On my last flight I spent 3 hours listening to a lady talking to her friend about her bowels. I don't want to have to deal with that ever again. I fully support the ban, flying is stressful enough without having to listen to other peoples, sexual, medical, relationship problems.
I believe everyone needs to check their gadget etiquette occasionally, but there shouldn't be a ban/law prohibiting use, UNLESS there's a safety reason. (cellphones in Hospitals, for example).
People just need to remember, that on cellphones, there are other people around you. Simple as that!
I can't get too worked up about this one way or another. I only fly for emergencies(once a decade or so and it's always a horrific experience. I can't imagine how cell phones would make it noticeably worse.
Sounds like a strange law to me. Phone use should be allowed on planes - as Europe is starting to do - particularly if everything is on silent mode. Surely allowing texting on airplanes is fair game, especially now that we're all clear on there being no interference with the plane's systems. (what a hoax that was...)
What about the screaming babies, snoring fat guys, and grandma's stinky diaper? Can we ban those from planes too? And those engines are awfully loud, can we get rid of those?
Minimize the stresses of travel? Are you kidding me?! Since when do they care about that! Believe me, the least stressful aspect of air travel is my concerns about cell phone usage. How about dropping some of the completely unnecessary "security" restrictions that don't actually make anything more secure? What a crock.
I think it's a good to ban cells during flights, I was on a bus and the person behing me chattered for 20 minnutes in a different language before I got up and loudly said "Will you please hang up!" Just because you want to talk, doesn;t mean I have to listen.