Should In-Flight Cellphone Use Be Banned?
A bill in Congress would bar in-flight cellphone use, declaring it a danger and a nuisance. But critics point to Europe, where some airlines allow phones, and argue that what works over there will work over here. Should in-air cellphone use be prohibited aboard American carriers?
Edited by Steve St. Angelo
Yes
With airline customer satisfaction at an all-time low, this is not the moment to consider making
By Peter DeFazio
Congressman from Oregon; member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
airplane travel even more torturous by allowing in-flight cellphone conversations. After arriving hours early at the airport and often after waiting for a delayed, or even canceled, flight, what could make air travel worse?
How about being stuck next to a person droning on about his latest breakup or medical procedure for the length of your flight? Sadly, this scenario is already a reality...
No
On a recent flight, most likely there was a moment when you wished that you could
By Carl Biersack
Executive director of the Inflight Passenger Communications Coalition
immediately reach a person on the ground or that they could reach you. If you fly on one of the 20 equipped carriers around the world, this is no longer a problem. Many Americans flying on these thousands of overseas flights are surprised and pleased at how the service is treated as routine by passengers and cabin crews.
As the United States stands still, the rest of the world is rapidly gaining...
What do you think?
Reader Comments
Why me?
Cell phones are rude because unless they have a good speaker phone on them you can only eavesdrop on half the conversation and I am having no fun Why should they?.
Seriously: True people should be asked to keep their voice down. But on A Plane cellphones is not hurting anything but giving one of those distractions or annoyance's that is really unavoidable in life.
Whats next when people board the plain you going to tell them to sit down and shut up so those who want to can sleep?. What about children they play and cry, Try and keep them quiet!. I do not believe it is possible to have a quiet flight on a commercial plane, Get your own jet if you canot put up with life.
Don D. Brock
Ban Them By All Means
It's bad enough in the waiting areas in airports - you know the types - they get bored and start going through their list of contacts and calling everyone they can get to listen to them. The worst is the hammerhead with the briefcase and the earpiece jabbering on about business - and saying nothing. Some people just cannot be quiet and never have a private thought. When the plane lands and cell phone use is permitted, you can hear it all over the cabin - "we just landed, we're on taxi to the gate now, the plane has stopped but they haven't opened the doors yet" - and on and on - and they yap all the way to baggage claim. No one should have to be subjected to this. Airline travel is bad enough.
personal cell jammer
Sounds like it's time to carry on the plane my personal 'jammer' that blast everything jam the airwaves within 40 feet. Hopefully it won't affect the avionics while it disables the loud obnocious cellphones. It is effective on trains and buses although illegal in the US. Best 4350 I ever spent.
advertisement
