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Calling in the Air
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We've posted a number of times about the upcoming possibility of being able to use your cell phone while flying.
It looks like the future is almost here.
Budget airline Ryanair has recently announced they will provide their passengers access to this service in 2008.
But won't the calls disrupt the plane's navigational equipment and cause it to crash, you ask?
Apparently not: New technology minimizes "the strength of signals from passengers' phones and prevents them from seeking out ground networks."
While this is a great technological advancement, it will make flying infinitely more horrible in my opinion. A plane-full of yappy passengers droning on about their personal lives for five hours will leave me yearning for some navigational equipment disruption and a fiery crash to earth.
Time to get some headphones, I guess.
Filed under: Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)
Susi Sep 23rd 2006 1:53PM
If I'm paying as much for a plane ticket as the next person, I have a right to make as many phonecalls as I want during the flight, as long as the airline allows it. If you don't like it, take a bus. Nobody's making you fly. I'm sick of all you self righteous jerks always telling other people what to do!
Michelle G Sep 23rd 2006 1:59PM
A plane won't crash and burn if you try to use your cell phone while it's flying. I think if they do allow the use of cell phones on planes, it should be for text messages only. As for phone booths, they should just put a sign on the door of one of the bathroom stalls on the plane that says "phone use permitted here only". Then if they want to talk they have to go in there. However, there should be priority given to people who actually want to use the toilet, so they should be able to knock on the door and ask the other person to leave if they hear cell phone yapping.
Mike Sep 23rd 2006 1:52PM
The cellphone on planes will be abused mostly by business people conducting conference meetings over the phone, they will have their laptops humming like mad as they type and "Boss" the meetings. Why should we have to endure their rude behavior. For me, flights are a welcomed break from cellphones.
SM Sep 23rd 2006 1:55PM
It's hard to believe someone would even jokingly wish for a fiery crash to earth not even 2 weeks after Sept. 11. You owe all the 9/11 families a big apology.
Gary Sep 23rd 2006 1:56PM
Perhaps the phones could only be used in the restrooms. I think exposing the 70% of the passenger list to the 30% who will go on about totally insinificant topics because they think people being forced to overhear their conversations is nothing short of cruel.
Perhaps we will now need to go to "Non Talking"
flight
The airlines will surely charge more for a ticket on these civilized flights.
Or may be it should be considered polite if you simply walk up to the loud mouth and simply take their phone away and smash it.
Heaven help us all
Gary
SM Sep 23rd 2006 2:00PM
It's hard to believe someone would even jokingly wish for a fieryvcrash to earth not even 2 weeks after Sept. 11. You owe all the 9/11 families a big apology.
Jeff Sep 23rd 2006 2:34PM
You're a complete idiot, Tommy. I saw the planes hit the buildings.
You're probably one of those people who talks loud into his cell phone.
What we need is a no-children airline.
JACQUELINE Sep 23rd 2006 2:17PM
I FOR ONE DO NOT WANT TO BE BORED TO DEATH AND PISSED OFF JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN'T NOT SPEND A COUPLE HOURS ON A FLIGHT WITHOUT PHONE AVAILABILITY. SCREAMING BABIES ARE BAD ENOUGH. PHONES CONSTANTLY RINGING WHILE DINING AND TOO LOUD OBNOXIOUS CONVERSATIONS ARE PISSIFYING. IT'S NO WONDER PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE MORE HOSTILE AND RUDE TO THOSE MORONS. HOLY CWAP! WHAT DID WE EVER DO BEFORE CELL PHONES? THE REAL BEAUTY OF CELL PHONES IS THE 'OFF' MODE.
Gordon Jensen Sep 23rd 2006 2:27PM
I have to fly often, both domestically and internationally. It is bad enough to be confined to a tiny space, strapped in for hours, sometimes with very obese people pushing into my space from both right and left. Sometimes this is compounded by an inconsiderate oaf putting his seat back into my face taking another thirty percent of my space. Now you want to let the innane babblings of dysfunctional people addicted to their cell phones bombard me the whole time I'm stuck in that position. Must we be charged with and convicted of a crime before we have a right to be spared from cruel and unusual punishment?!!!
Jeff Sep 23rd 2006 2:43PM
You're a complete idiot, too, SM.
The nature of a joke is that it's a joke.
The main person who owes the 9/11 families an apology is George W. Bush.
If we do have a fiery crash, let's pray that it involves Dick Cheney.
Jeff Sep 23rd 2006 2:48PM
You're an idiot too, Susi.
Your post says that if you get a discount ticket, you lose your right to annoy others.
FRANK Oct 6th 2006 8:43AM
Susi, please, talk about self righteous jerks. You are the self centered one not caring about the next person. Listen to yourself, MY RIGHTS, ME, ME,ME. No one else matters but ME, is there anyone else in this world that could be annoyed or inconvenienced? What happened between comment #70 & #74, did you get a phone call? No one is telling anyone what to do, all we are asking is to be considerate of your fellow man.
When would you not want to be annoyed, maybe on your wedding day or a moment equally as important to you. Hope someone isn't as inconsiderate to you as you want to be to others. I bet it will happen one day and
than you will be annoyed. Sweet revenage, I only wish I could be there to see it! Sad world isn't it!
Mary G. Russ Sep 23rd 2006 5:17PM
I just plain would go nuts with cell phones on a plane. It is bad enough having to listen to the conversations in the waiting area, rest room or eating spaces. I cannot imagine being on a cross country or international flight with someone near me yakking on the phone for no good reason except to look like a supposed "big shot". Sorry folks, but my cell phone stays in my carry on unless it is needed in a dire emergency!
Laura Sep 29th 2006 11:50PM
Alas, the fighting over this issue will continue unabated between those who want to call at will and those who want some respite from the noise. The same issue applies to any place where more than 2 people gather. Where do we draw the line? Maybe the cabin of a plane is going to be the showdown at last.
Looking over the responses (with the exception of the doofus named Tommy who's completely off point), it's plain to see this is a polarizing topic, kinda like smoking in public places. Non-talkers don't want their "air polluted" by talkers. Talkers feel they have the right to "dial up" wherever they want to. Neither side is going to budge, no matter what logical arguments are made.
Here's what it comes down to: talking on a phone in public is very easily abused and THAT is real issue here. Nobody on a plane cares if a passenger picks up the pay-per-use handsets on board, because we know the caller is going to keep it short and sweet. It's too expensive to talk long. Hey, maybe that is the litmus test. If the caller really had some crucial information to impart, he/she would use the phone on board. But, wow, it turns out very few people are really that important that whatever they have to say can't wait until they land. In my 7 years of being a road warrior for my job, I've only heard a passenger use the phone once -- and he ordered cigars out of the airline magazine!! The rest of us choked on our pretzels, laughing at his self-importance.
The folks opposed to cell phones on planes are terrified that allowing the things is going to open the door to abuse. And we all know it will. Susi pretty well proved that in her posting, now didn't she.
So, what are the options?
A) no cell phones, period
B) unrestricted use of cell phones
C) use of your cell phone at a premium price to discourage long-winded, useless conversations
What would you vote?
cp Nov 2nd 2006 5:02PM
What is the difference between someone talking on a cell phone and that same person talking to someone else in the seat next to them ... or even better talking to their travel partner who is sitting in a different row?! Bottom line is people talk on airplanes, babies cry, people laugh, carry on, fart, etc. What are you gonna do about it? Not allowing cell phones won't make it any worse than it already is.
You have to accept that you are basically trapped in a box with other people for a certain amount of time and they are gonna do what they are gonna do just like you will.