Ring Ring, Why Don't You Give Me A Call

Airlines have admitted that mobile phones do not have any affect on aeroplane navigation equipment or any other equipment for that matter. Virgin has already stated that mobile phones will soon be allowed to be used on international flights. Not surprising considering the parent company also operates a mobile phone network.

I am pleased that science has won out and that this propaganda has finally been corrected. I am disappointed that I will now have to listen to people conducting inane conversations at annoyingly loud volumes.

We all now have to look forward to endless hours of people yelling at unseen friends that “No I can’t hear you. I am on the plane. What? What? No, I am on the plane, we just took off. What? I can’t hear you. I am n the plane. What? It keeps dropping out? What? I am n the plane?”

Then there are the ring tones!

On the upside in-flight sales of alcohol will increase dramatically as fellow passengers attempt to drink themselves into a stupor to survive the cacophony of digital noise.

In Europe the trains have mobile free carriages. Is anyone that important that they cannot be contacted for a few hours. If there is something that critical happening in your life that you are expecting to have to make numerous life or death decisions then perhaps now is not the best time to be travelling.

I wonder if phones on planes will be like smoking. Originally smoking was allowed everywhere on board. Then there was the segregation of smoking and non-smoking. Over time it was understood that even if sitting in a different section of the plane that the comfort and enjoyment of some passengers was disrupted by the smoking activities of others. Now smoking is banned.

No phones.

Go ahead use your phones.

Actually the phones are annoying (more accurately the people who use the phones are annoying) so stop using your phones.

Now all I need is someone to explain why I have to leave the little blind on my window open for take off and landing. Even if the cockpit did have a rear vision mirror I do not think the pilot will be able to see much of value from my seat at 32F. Someone once told me that the blinds are left open so that if the plane crashes it is so rescuers can see into the plane and safely determine the number of casualties and deaths.

So the air crew are actually performing some aviation-type of last rite. Now that we can leave our phones on perhaps we can just register our numbers on boarding and rescuers can just call us and see who answers.

This can also double as a triage process prioritising their medical requirements. Anyone with “Crazy Frog” ring tone goes to the bottom of the list.