One of my biggest pet peeves is the jokers on the airplane who talk non stop on their phones before departure and practically need to have them wrestled away when the cabin door closes. In addition to the potentially dangerous effect of mobile phone signals on aircraft navigation, its rude to be jabbering away with a ton of cramped unhappy people all around you.
The problem is particularly egregious in business class, where I frequently see passengers hiding their Blackberries when the flight attendant passes by, only to pull them back out and start sending emails right after.
Well apparently the industry is starting to take things more seriously. This past week, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that three Italians departing out of Milan were kicked off an airplane and arrested for refusing to get off their phones prior to departure. Even last week on my girlfriend’s flight between New York and Detroit a guy was booted for talking after the door was closed (as if LGA didn’t have enough delays).
So try to give the crew and your fellow passengers a break if you have to use your cell before departure. Be courteous, keep your voice down and when they close the cabin door, for the love of all that is holy, please turn off your phone.
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