What is SO important ?
 

That peoplecompletely ignore the "mobile phones must now be switched off" and "A reminder that mobile phones must not be used until we reach our parking stand" announcements ?

Ok, I admit to being tired having just endure Air Chance's flights from Santo Domingo - Paris - Amsterdam but why must people use their phones / blackberrys etc during the banned phases of the flight. On approach to Paris, the lady next to me as soon as the seatbelt sign went ON switched on her iPhone and downloaded all of her SMS messages and emails while we were on long finals. The steward completly ignired it until I gave him a stare when he asked her to switch it back off. She pretended to, and put it in her bag, but as soon as his back was turned, out it came again. Grrrrr! Rules are rules for all.

On the Paris Amsterdam flight the taxi and take of run were accompanied by Blackberry email notifications from all around the business cabin. The guy over the aisle from me even had his on at touchdown, and made two or three calls while we were taxying in.

Until the airlines get tough on this, my blood will continue to boil, prosecute a few for "disobeying a lawful request from a crew member" or some such law, and make examples of them, big fines, banned from that airline etc.

Rant mode off. Unless there is one on my next flight to Humberside in an hour !

All the more reason to delay posting a message until you are refreshed - and perhaps a little less truculent in your mood!

Nevertheless, I agree one hundred per cent with the content of your rant.

Unfortunatly, I'm always grumpy these days. My boss see's travel as a bit of a bonus. Yeah, right.

Drives me crazy, as do those who cannot obey the seatbelt signs. Many people just do not respect the environment they are in or the crew that work there. I've seen people standing up trying to get luggage out of the overhead lockers while we're still doing about 60kts on the runway. My airline is very good at ordering people, if necessary, to follow the crew's lawful instructions. After that, anything they do is at their own risk. The aircraft has very powerful brakes, so you really should keep your belt on!

There are some things other PAX do that REALLY annoy me.

1. Ignore the safety briefing. Doesn't matter how many times you have heard it (and most have never LISTENED), it needs to be ingrained. Plus, it's only polite.

2. Ignore the seatbelt sign. Occasionally, I can understand that after take off and waiting for it go off, a toilet visit may be really necessary, but ignoring it completely is possibly slightly more prevalent on US domestic flights. It annoys me because such idiots are a danger to me if they go flying about the cabin as a result of turbulence.

3. Using mobile 'phones, blackberries etc. There's something to be said for fitting aircraft with mobile 'phone jammers. They wouldn't need a lot of power...

4. Not keeping the seat belt fastened when seated. If you hit sudden turbulence, unsecured pax flying round the cabin are a danger to others. Anyone not believing in CAT or sudden drops in altitude needs to look at the blood over the inside of the Qantas one that made an emergency landing in NW Oz the otehr year after hitting turbulence.


OK, I'm a miserable grumpy old fart!

The answer to your question may well be found in the sticky at the top of this forum - ad nauseum. :)

Hell is other people :mad::ugh::{

The simple truth is that being cooped up with several hundred people in an aluminium tube will open up the possibility of annoyance from others, I've always had the mind-set that when in a shared space to be as amenable as possible to the people around me and (hopefully) they of mine. Do i get a lollipop ? I observe the safety precautions to the best of my ability and wouldn't dream of turning on my phone before getting off the flight. Even if the multi-million deal needs my immediate attention, it can wait a few minutes, nothing i could do will change anything between seat and baggage claim. I'd say that the main reason the 'can't waits' can't wait is psychological and they fear being out of the loop. Who would want to be living inside someone like that ? :}

Nowadays when I get on a 'plane I try to get myself sat by a window. As soon as I get on I try to shut my eyes, lean against the side of the 'plane and at least act asleep. Certainly I try to ignore the other passengers because for sure many will be doing things that contradict the requests made by cabin crew, show no respect for fellow passengers or will do something that just gets on my goat (one thing that does my head in is people talking loudly on their handphones well after the request has gone out to switch the damn things off).
Apparently empathy and respect for others are not fashionable nor applicable anymore.

I like being out of contact for a few hours and an extra minute or two at the end of a flight without mobile communication is to me a glorious bonus that should be advertised as a plus point of air travel.

'I'm really very sorry I could not respond to your tedious, self-important and inane message of little urgency or importance earlier but I was unfortunately stuck on an aeroplane...'

Well nothing is SO important that you can't be able to follow a few simple rules?

I wonder if certain PAX (the vast minority in my experience) display this kind of arrogance (if it's not just ignorance) to assert some kind of self important 'badge of authority'?

It's indeed annoying, but since I know what people are like, I expect it and stop it short of making my 'blood boil'.

Doesn't make it right, but perhaps gives me an easier trip?

"I wonder if certain PAX (the vast minority in my experience) display this kind of arrogance (if it's not just ignorance) to assert some kind of self important 'badge of authority'"

I think it is neither arrogance, ignorance or "badge of authority". I view these people as rats on a treadmill, who are in fear of their jobs. I, as my own boss, turn on my phone when I want to.

It is soooo nice not to have to answer to anyone.

I too agree with comments about people just feeling they have to be in touch ALL THE TIME - do they get lonley, can they not be out of touch for what in the scheme of things is a very short time.

As for the Crackberry the first time I came across one was in the Maldieves in 2003, as it skimmed across the water where I had just started snorkling - I thought it was a fancy calculator as it sank passed me !. Turned out to belong to some Master Of The Universe who had taken it on honeymoon, who,s then new wife decided after numerouse calls to test it,s water proofing - it failed, as I would put money on their marriage doing.

For those who insist on walking about with the seat belt sign illuminated.

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...PH%2003-11.pdf

I was suprised when we arrived on BE in DUS last week, even though we had to wait a couple of minutes for the engines to shut off, nobody got up! Everybody respected the fasten seatbelt sign, something I did not witness in the States a couple of months ago!

Its got nothing to do with any problems with the GPS or anything else. Its the same reason that the IFE is turned off whilst on the ground, so that people can hear instructions from the crew.

I agree with the comments about people being lonely without the reassurance of speaking to someone or just hearing something in their ears. No one in Singapore for instance seems comfortable on any public transport unless they have something in their ears, or they are jabbering on the phone, or stroking their bl**dy iPhone. No one is happy just to sit with their own thoughts - maybe they don't have any?

When flying, I turn the phone and BB off when I leave the lounge, and don't switch them back on until I am off the plane and ready to deal with whatever's there. I am bombarded with calls and questions all day so the period of peace on the plane is really, really pleasant. I know I am quite important, and I don't feel the need to show other people how important I am.

So what did they do before mobile phones....fondle themselves?

At risk of repeating myself, as this topic has already been done to death on this thread, anybody who uses unauthorised electronic devices in flight is probably breaking the law and could potentially be charged with an offense. Furthermore, failure obey the instructions of the crew is also illegal.

For those of you who read this and decide to continue to flout the regulations, I'd guess that the judge wouldn't accept the excuse that "someone on an internet blog said that interference isn't actually an issue." As this Flightglobal Article shows, electromagnetic interference is an ongoing issue. Note how in this case, Wi-Fi (and possibly cellular) signals adversely affect one particular version of Display Units from a major manufacturer, (display units are the screens which display instrumentation, engine, navigation, and other data on modern aircraft to the pilots).

The rules are in place for the protection and safety of the aircraft and all of its occupants. Whilst you (SLF) may find it an inconvenience to turn off your devices at the specified times, trust that a lot of work does go in to allow you maximum freedom to use your devices. Unfortunately no-one can currently ensure that certain devices will not have effects at times that adversely affect the safety of the aircraft. In the aviation industry, safety is always paramount, end of story.

NZScion,

As a professional radio engineer for the last 47 years, it still amazes me that people can make displays and so on that are NOT immune to unwanted radio signals! Radio as in comms, nav etc is another matter. I rarely turn my mobile 'phone on anyway, and NEVER on an aircraft.

Interestingly, though, things like pacemakers, hearing aids, and other medical devices are increasingly having radio transceivers in them. Very low power, though - at the most, a few milliwatts, and in many cases, less than a microwatt.

""I think it is neither arrogance, ignorance or "badge of authority". I view these people as rats on a treadmill, who are in fear of their jobs. I, as my own boss, turn on my phone when I want to.

It is soooo nice not to have to answer to anyone.""

It's also sooo nice not to be sat next to an 'own businessman' that thinks his business overrides the considerations of anybody else, let alone any 'silly' rules that might be imposed upon him.

Sorry if I used the word 'arrogance' in my OP

:)

Do you think that maybe, deep down, we know that the phone probably isn't going to cause us all to crash and burn but what really irritates us all is that whilst we are all "good little passengers" and do what we are told, the "loud-mouthed git" across the aisle is getting away with it....