Can someone (TightSlot?) define "electronic device" (as in "Please turn off all electronic devices now") for us.
Anything with an off/on button or switch is a very good guideline.
But no comment was made as people sat there and read their newspapers and books during the safety demo.
I agree but they aren't an electronic device, which is what we are debating. Plus just because they are reading a book during demo doesn't automatically mean that you should be allowed to use your electronic device on take off.
People reading during the demo annoys me too but for crew to start demanding that newspapers and books are put away for the demo could be argued as being a step too far. Being told to be quiet during the demo is a completely different matter and the crew I fly with generally have no issue with telling pax to be quiet.
On the flight from Geneva, while the french language tape safety demo was playing (softly) the cabin crew was walking through the cabin talking to passengers. They were not demonstrating things that the tape was telling them the cabin crew were demonstrating. At least on the flight from Gatwick (HB registered) we got a professional demonstration in two languages, with an offer to provide instructions in German or Italian (in those languages) if anyone wished.
Crew should not be talking during the foreign demo and they are aware of this through recent memo's. Occasionally when it comes to pax there are times where you need to speak to them briefly regarding something....usually of importance.
The actual foreign PA at EZY is not demonstrated at the same time. If you could understand the French that was being played you would realise that the wording is in the context of the actual demonstration coming afterwards. With so many languages, particularly from LGW, you can't expect the crew to be able to give a fully coherent demonstration if they don't know what they are listening to. Video's would be a great way to overcome this but it isn't going to happen.
Actually people don't mind being told what to do, provided what they are being told actually makes sense.
I don't agree. A good example recently was me asking a pax to take off his headphones for landing. Particularly as he was sat at the exit it was imperative that he could hear any emergency commands. Instead he rolled his eyes. I don't for one minute expect him to know that but I don't mind being asked and most crew will be honest with their answers.
As I mentioned, I powered down my iPad when instructed to. Did I need to? I don't think so, but I did.
1) You did need to because it is regulation.
2) You could well be correct that the ipad causes no issues but you aren't qualified to make a cast iron assertion to that effect.
As i mentioned before...alot of it is to make the rule simple. All electronic devices.......it is crystal clear. No ambiguity. I'm pretty confident that many devices don't cause interference but I know that some can...even if only in theory. Now think about all the new gadgets and devices that come on the market. Do we really want debates and arguments during cabin secure as to whether the device is safe or not for use?
It's a simple rule that doesn't hurt anyone.