Should In-Flight Cellphone Use Be Banned?

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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

Don D. Brock of AZ 10:55AM September 06, 2009

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.

Galasso of SC 1:34AM August 31, 2009

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.

Dislikes Loud Voices of OH 2:30AM August 28, 2009

unless it is done out of fear that phone calls might be used to detonate something.
But, truth be known, many people had happier lives back in the days before cell phones were ever heard of. Their bosses were not calling at all hours and their tweens were not doing "God knows what" with those contraptions.
Are we ever going back? Nope.

Muser of NM 2:36PM August 27, 2009

In addition to the civility issue already mentioned, let's not forget that cellphones can be (and already have been)used to detonate explosives! JUST SAY NO to yapping, self-important fools who need to hear their own voices in a commercial aircraft. Besides, if they are that important, they either own/rent a bizjet, where they can yap all they want. We do need a uniform set of standards for public use of these mostly childish devices!

ChristmasTree of NY 10:40AM August 27, 2009

Let's just cut to the chase and make everything that is not compulsory forbidden. Then we won't to have to have any more such arguments. I have flown general aviation with porivate pilots, and they let me use my cell phone (not that you could hear anything over the engine noise of a Cessna 172). Air safety? Poppycock. If our avionics are that bad (they aren't), they ought to be re-engineered. But as I understand it, that's a moot point. We won't be able to use our own phones, at least not directly (even though we know they work because the doomed passengers on 911 used them in violation of the rules). We will be stuck with a third-party service like the old AirFones at five bucks a minute. I was on my way to a milliion-dollar mediation once and Continental was late (again), so I had to do the best I could by AirFone. Unsurprisingly, the airline did not refund the $250 phone charge. Airline travel has too many insufferable and arbitrary rules already. Lets not add one more.

Benevolus of WY 3:48PM August 26, 2009

As current as this morning I have already waited for one person at a green light, and traveled 25mph in a 40 mph zone. Now you want to lock me in a cage with people talking ever so loadly on their cell phones. Lets face it what should be administered is "cellular etiquet." I have no desire to spend time in flight with a blow hard yapping about their prowess. Here is another thought with the shrinking available air ways do we really know that the cellular tranmissions wont interfer with the cockpit? Please, leave the cell phones at home or in your rectum, but don't bring the out in public.

Tiowedo of CA 2:10PM August 26, 2009

The current cell phone usage ban is presented by airlines as a safety measure, not something to make a flight more pleasant or less miserable. If we're legislating a more pleasant onboard environment, that may be OK but let's be honest and say that's what we're doing. That would allow drilling down and restricting only what is really potentially disruptive to the comfort of others, i.e. voice calls, while allowing texting and emailing from phones.

justannesopinion of FL 10:03AM August 26, 2009

With most Europeans getting 4 weeks vacation every year from the first year they work, they have far less stress at their workplace than Americans. You can hear how obnoxious Americans are on their cell phones just about anywhere you go at any time of the day. Whether or not you get stuck to some blowhard ego tripper for business or their personal life is what it comes down to flying in American. You will get stuck next to one and depending on your current mood or others around you will depend on how you will respond. More than once I personally have wanted to take someones cell phone and cram it down their throat while we were just sitting on the ramp

rd1160 of GA 9:32AM August 26, 2009

Flying is already a painful, hectic process. There is the TSA, late flights, and turbulence, but let's not add another hassle, cell phones, to being stuck in a metal tube for many hours. There is an ever expanding menu of options to keep in touch with the office while on a plane. Every major airline is rapidly adding WIFI on their aircraft. Air Train already offers it on every aircraft. This allows email, online chatting, or sending and receiving texts to cell phones. My biggest complaint is that people seem to speak twice as loud on their cell phones than in normal conversation. Imagine fifty people doing this, frequently asking, "Can you hear me now?", and you get the picture. Time to hang up on this idea.
Randy Brown
Arlington, VA

Randy Brown of VA 5:05PM August 25, 2009