I agree jbird that there are two sides to every story.
However, there are too many people who do talk throughout the safety demonstration. In two seats next to each other, yes you can do it discreetly.
But more often than not, the people talking across the aisle are doing it loudly. It was about time an example was made of someone who talks through the safety demonstration, and hopefully now people have seen that you WILL get kicked off a flight, less people will do it.
I once asked a business man to be quiet when he was talking acorss the aisle during the demo. Further into the flight he asked for a comments card to complain about me telling him to be quiet. So I had a word, explained that people around him, including young children, probably couldn't hear because he was talking, and that he wouldn't like it if someone talked through his important business presentation, so why should he do it through ours. It put it into perspective for him, and HE apologised to US for talking in the first place.
Crew are there to save your ass, not kiss it
