FCC Chairman Suggests Holding Off on Lifting Ban on In-Flight Calling
O.K., speaking as a very frequent flyer, I’m quite pleased that Kevin Martin, the FCC Chairman, has suggested that the FCC hold off on lifting the in-flight call ban. Evidently, the proposal was based on installing picocells within each plane. However, there are numerous cellular frequencies and the picocells wouldn’t be able to handle all frequencies. So, if the handset and plane picocell couldn’t sync up, the handset would then try start hunting for other transmitters - thereby, supposedly interfering with aircraft systems.
However, according to Engadget the picocells might be tweakable. Which I think is not good news. There will be rioting in the aisles if cell phone usage is allowed on airplanes. The Engadget author argues that the FCC shouldn’t legislate based annoyance factors. He states that the market should be the guide. Well, that assumes that the market offers alternatives - which is not a valid assumption. There are tons of communities that are served by only one airline.
Also, a plane is a very different environment - if one is supremely bothered by a fellow passenger’s cellphone yacking, there is no escape. It’s not like a train or any other public space - you’re stuck by the yacker. Period.
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I agree with you. It is bad enough listening to babies cry etc without thinking about phone conversations. It is a shame that people think they can’t live that long without a phone.
I agree with you completely. People are ridiculous with cell phones. There’s no courtesy for the rest of us!
“Tuesday’s lifting of the in-flight call ban was marked by increased in-flight violence. Bruised and shocked phone-wielding passenger Mark Yaksalot said, “I didn’t think the phone would actually fit up there.” He is considering pressing charges.
It’s been suggested that the FCC help bear the cost of staffing the enhanced air marshal coverage this measure will require. The FCC Chairman could not be reached for comment; apparently his cell phone was forcibly removed and tossed under the beverage cart wheels on yesterday’s flight to DC.”
Adding people yaking cell phones won’t make a significant contribution to the commercial flight aggravation list.
I’m confident things like:
- Screaming infants
- The obnoxious drunk in the same row with you.
- The toddler with the smelly, leaky diaper with a seat next to you that absolutely insists on sitting in your lap.
- That toddler’s mother who brings down the seat tray and changes that wonderfully scented diaper right next to your drink and snacks.
- Sitting on the tarmac for an hour or more waiting for the airline to clear a gate.
- The row mate will surely perish if he/she fails to tell you his/her life story from beginning to end.
And on, and on, and on…
Jeri’s faux-news article cracked me up!!!!!!!
I’m actually pretty lucky on the babies and flying front - not too many bad experiences. Plus, I think the baby situation is a little different. Babies can’t be turned off or turned on silent. Even the best of parents can have squabbly babbies. So, I’m actually fairly tolerant on the babies and flying front.
I would be royally and spectucularly pissed off if I had to sit on the tarmac for anywhere approaching an hour while the airline had to clear a gate. Fortunately, I’ve not experienced that one. grrrr….
And for some reason, I never get chatty row mates. I think it’s because I clamp on my bose noise cancelling headsets as soon as the plane is at 10K feet.
I’m running off to invest in Bose and Shure. I strongly suspect that if that ever did pass there’d be a huge increase in sales of noise cancellation headphones.
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