Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

FAA Nixes Mobile Phone Usage For Planes in US Air SpaceRecently the FAA has announced that they will not allow mobile phone calls on flights (read here). There are some sensible people out there after all. Only problem, FAA governs US air space only...

This is one thing I really hope can be avoided.
For a while I knew that there was nothing really stopping cell phone usage from a safety perspective, but the prospect of people making calls in a very intimate space on a red eye into another hectic day was just one step too far for me. It's exactly that kind of technologically-doable service that is a terrible idea.

Also, this is a good time to add, the argument that arises in many situations: "people can make calls on their WiFi enabled PC while on board, so what's the difference?" is a non-argument. This is an annoyance to everyone around you, so there's no point in encouraging it.

Thank you FAA, for demonstrating leadership and sensible thinking: Will airlines outside the US adopt this? PLEASE?

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