Say No to Cell Phones During Flights!

by Marty

What has made Lenny Bruce's material stand the test of time? It's decades old, but much of it rings true. The reason is that the insight is there. Yes, his insight stung a bit then, as it might today. However, that insight is the key to his comedic genius. Akin to great music, if you can apply the insight years later, it's a very good insight. My insight may sting a tad bit.

Cell phones are like security blankets. Think about it, want to get out of a meeting, get an "important" call. Want to feel less awkward in the social situation, pick up your phone and call someone, even check your voicemail messages. People do this all the time at bars, notice the next time you're at your local watering hole and someone single steps in and starts fidgeting with their cell. Cell phones have become the security blankets for our times of insecurity. Because of this, I have to plead to the public at large and airline carriers: Please do not facilitate in flight calls.

Flights can be a place of insecurity, new faces, tight quarters and the whole tube traveling at 500mph at 5-7 miles in the sky. Because of this time of insecurity, individuals will be inclined to share their "status" with people they have not contacted in years. I can't imagine a flight with 150 chatty Cathies or Jims or otherwise. Seems like a horrible proposition to me, regardless of how much people are "clamoring" for this feature on flights.

They are starting to test this in the EU. I'm starting to officially get nervous.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-04-07-eu-inflight-cell-phones_N.htm

Start with inter-web access and perfect that first. Oh yeah, give us hookups for our battery drained laptops while you are at it. Please, please do not allow in flight calls. A flight may be our last bastion of solace where we can be without them. We don't need this security blanket on the plane.

Comments

[4benders]

another reason to leave my ipod buds in my ear, now I don't just have to worry about my seat mate talking to me, but now listening to their stupid cell phone conversation.

[Chad Edward]

Worse than someone making a personal call outloud on public transportation? Someone making the same call to several people and you having to listen to the same pathetic, idiotic blabber again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again...

Remember the guy on the train back from Tijuana?