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Turn your phone off when told to - or risk being kicked off your flight
Anyone that has flown knows that the cabin crew will make a big deal about having all passengers turn electronic devices off as soon as the cabin doors are closed. Of course, there are always a couple of people that need a little extra reminding. Then there are of course those passengers that need to make a call that is apparently so important, they'll ignore all requests to turn their phone off. A 20 year old man from Colorado fits that profile - and his phone call was so important, that it triggered a fight when he refused to turn his phone off. By the time the fight broke out, the plane had taken off from Charles De Gaulle airport, and four American security agents got involved.
With a disruptive passenger on board, the pilot took no risks, turned the plane around and landed back at the airport where the man was handed over to French police officers.
To make matters worse for this
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 5)
Bert Hardin Jan 30th 2010 11:24AM
FLYER IF YOU FLY LIKE YOU SPELL HEAVEN HELP US ALL
m Jan 29th 2010 11:40PM
Yo Cathy are we talking about the "weather" or the "whether" or what?
deep Jan 29th 2010 11:45PM
Yeah! Dan the Man!
Dorance Jan 30th 2010 8:27AM
The individual identified at Mark above would be an individual that would be very
dangerous in a critical situation. When your in an airplane, train, bus, or
ship, you MUST count on the crews and those responsible for the crews to
have made decisions from years of research and experience for your safety and
not some idiot that just thinks he knows it all and does what he wants. I am an
airline employee of 35 years but I speak from any business that an individual
or individuals own. They make the rules for their company and they are
expected to be followed. In this case there are also Federal Rules involved
and these rules will be enforced or consequences will follow. People when
your in Public and using other people facilities .... they make the rules and
not you!
KAS Jan 29th 2010 11:53PM
It does not interfer w/ the equiptment.. it is a proven fact. If it did.. do you think you could turn them on after landing and still taxi down the run way to get to the gate?
Think about it.
If its going to interfer it would do it 100 % of the time.. not when they want it too.
Duh
Gene Jan 29th 2010 11:55PM
Title 47 U.S. Code section 333 provides that it is unlawful to interfere with "licensed uses." Cell phones are such licensed used that may not be interfere with. Actually, the FCC allows airlines to limit cell phone use IF an airline claims, based on data, that the aircraft's equipment doesn't function properly with cell phones.
On the other hand, most of the devices that we call cell phones are licensed as "personal communications service" (PCS) devices, not cell phones. And the rules would allow such things as CB and "ham" equipment anyway.
It's time for the airlines to comply with the law!
leni Jan 30th 2010 12:03AM
GOOD! Why on earth do some of these people think that the rules are made for everyone but themselves?
Whether you agree that you;re putting your fellow passengers in peril or not is not the issue. Turning off electronic devices during a flight is a small enough inconvenience and a simple rule to follow. If your time management skills are so poor that you absolutely have to spend that hour or two on the phone you will have bigger problems in life than this. It's not rocket science.....if there's a rule, follow it.
jmamma Jan 30th 2010 12:15AM
this is the best posting (s) I've ever seen...thank you for being aware and not over reacting. I am a flight attendant...have been doing this for a very long time. was around for the first burst of terrorism via twa. I'd wager that not many twitters even remember John Testrake on the tarmack in Beirut , but it happened. All of this rigamarole is just that. A lot of people might be surprised to learn that the rules apply to them. When I go to work, I'd much rather focus my energy on security from point a to b. And yes, taking care of you... Those of you that engage in this behavior might be wise to remember that from where you sit. All of these type things are distractions. The sad part is that due to current press, many feel that they are trained to run an on board emergency. Just disregard the not needed "waitresses" anyway and be ready to hop into action if someone displays anything out of what you might consider normal.. With no information other than what is available to you via your apps. You only have any given sliver of information on any given day. When a plane takes off the crew has the final info. Please do not mess around with rules, etc. We are there to get you..and us..safely home. You have no idea what is in the cabin regarding security risks, body organs or weapons, etc. or sky marshalls for that matter. By the same token I am not a banker or dot com king. Just get on and let me do my job. In an emergency, you'll be very happy with my experience...we have only the hudson in nyc to prove that we are trained. they didn't get out of bed that morning expecting to be national new by lunch. this is what we do... And by the way, there have been on board disruptions since for ever. Not all are terrorists.
Boston Blackie Jan 30th 2010 12:15AM
Wasn't that long ago that the oh so small Charlie Schumer/D/NY was asked to turn his phone off and then called the FA a b word. too bad that no one had the balls to put old Charlie off the plane.
Bruce Jan 30th 2010 12:29AM
It's amazing but true,how many people who fly that are just like little kids in that you have to take the time to tell them but then they feel the need to see what they can get away with. Anybody who starts a fight on a plane needs to have their ass kicked off and it doesn't matter if they're in a foreign country or not. This isn't a game people. Most electronics don't interfere with communications signals or intructions from the tower. HELLO!!!!! BUT SOME OF THEM CAN. Would YOU like to be on the plane with the idiot who's PED does interfere with ATC??? This isn't asking much. Probably about the first 5-10 minutes of your flight. And if you can't do that I feel sorry for you.
bruce Jan 30th 2010 12:33AM
That's why you're not suppose to turn them on until AFTER you pull off the main runway. DUH
Bob Jan 30th 2010 12:40AM
Another good rule is that the punishment should fit the crime. This kid's punishment was excessive. Stay off United if you can help it. Keep smilin'.
karar0se Jan 30th 2010 1:33AM
I can't believe all of you people are telling us you never ever broke a rule .... hard to believe your all saints lmao
clc Jan 30th 2010 1:58AM
I don't recall anyone saying they never broke any rules. A lesson I taught my kids was about rules or laws. You're not likely to go thru life without breaking any. If you choose to not comply with some of them consider the ramifications of your actions. Every one you break is a calculated risk. The question should be-can you afford to pay the price if caught? Speeding-small fine. Talking on cell phone when told to turn it off-big problem. Seems like someone may have learned a lesson the hard way. The only problem is a bunch of other suffered right alone with him, through no fault of their own. For those that insist you should fight the system if you feel it is wrong- I agree, just fight it using those processes that are in-place for such things, not outright rebellion that drags others who could care less into your fight.
The bottom line is - some cell phones on some aircraft, in certain situations may and have caused interference with onboard aircraft systems and are therefore banned for use in-flight. Then why do the airlines tell you to shut them off when the main door is closed? Because the flight attendants have lots of things to do prior to takeoff and if they waited till later in the taxi to make the request, then it may fully well delay the takeoff while they waited for that one last person to turn it off.
Just my opinion as an airline pilot who also travels aft of the locked door for 100's of thousands of miles a year just to get to the airplane I will have to fly...i.e. I get to see what's on both sides of the fence!
Mary Jan 30th 2010 12:46AM
Give everyone a paper bag and a marker when they get on board. Tell them to write their name on the bag. Tell them to put their cell phone in the bag. Take the bag from them. Staple it shut and store it until they land. Then give them back their bagged cell phones. Problem solved!
explosion Jan 30th 2010 12:47AM
Carl hit the nail on thehead with this butt pirate. However they should have shoved the phone UP his bunghole (along with some C4 and a detonator).
explosion Jan 30th 2010 1:00AM
I am a private pilot and own 3 Gulfstreams for which I have specially trained pilots that do a bang up job flying me around the globe.
I have had TONS of problems with cell phones jamming up our equipment. I even noticed one time when I opened my cell phone and started to make a call on takeoff, that a jet on the next runway suddenly veered off and plummeted to the ground and exploded into a huge fireball. I felt bad.
So now I just use a really, really long string and a soup can on the end of it. I have found this is the ideal solution to any radio waves that may be interfering with any other aircraft, not to mention my own. And the calls are crystal clear! Also, I have trimmed my waistline dramatically by switching to low fat, low sodium soups from which I create the phones. I plan to market my ideas in a book entitled "Man am I a genius!" Look for it on Amazon soon.
SkyBlue Jan 30th 2010 1:29AM
It doesn't matter whether cell phones interfere with the plane or not. You are obligated to live by the airlines' rules, or get off the plane if you can't. The rules may no longer apply, but until they're changed, the airline has the right to toss your butt out if you break them. United did the right thing, and bravo to them.
I for one am glad. Aside from being forced to listen to the inane conversation you're having on your phone ("We just boarded. We'll be taking off soon. Etc., etc., etc.), I'd rather be safe (alive) than sorry (dead).
Lester Jan 30th 2010 1:28AM
Think about this, let the azz use his cell phone. You know that you can blow up a plane using one? by setting it up to blow a bomb with another cell phone as a trigger. You people better care, we don't live in a perfect world anymore.
Joseph Papierz Jr Jan 30th 2010 1:50AM
The man deserved the treatment he got and more. Proven interferance or not how dare he think he is smarter than everyone else and more important than everyone else on that airplane. Whatever tests that have been conducted could not have checked every combination of cell phone used in every seat and location inside the every model of airplane flying. Why would he dare risk the lives of every person on the airplane, including himself, if there was even the remotest chance there might be RF interferance? What was so important that he couldn't wait until he reached his destination to call? If that call was so important why didn't he make the call in the hours leading up to departure? He should be ordered to compensate everyone on that flight, passengers and crew, for their time that he wasted through his stupidity, and also repay the airline for the wasted fuel to bring the plane back. If he can't afford it, throw his sorry butt in jail for a "few" years to think about it.