Congress: No annoying airplane cell phone calls

AP ^ | 31 July 2008 | JOAN LOWY

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

WASHINGTON - Cell phone calls on airplanes in flight are not only unsafe, they're obnoxious and they should be permanently banned, according to some members of Congress.

[ApplegateRanch]

... laughing and shrieking and talking so loudly that you can't even hear people at your own table.

Amen, Cindy! It is the WAY they are talking, not to whom, nor by whaich means that matters.

Discrete cell phone speakers trump noisy table talkers in the politeness category every time.

We have a lot of musical events hereabouts, but we rarely attend any more; not because of cell phones, but because of the self centered motor-mouths.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Seems to me that there is a question we should be trying to answer if we are going to have this discussion.

That question being:

How is it that our society has so many jerks with no inkling of common courtesy so as to give legislators pause to even consider regulations such as this?

IOW, stuff like this probably wouldn’t see the light of day if so many people in our society did not believe that their “rights” excused them from extending basic common courtesy and consideration to those around them.

It’s no accident that some places of commerce have signs telling people either turn off cell phones or not use them in certain areas.

I took my wife to the ER Monday (false alarm thankfully) and while she was in her room the nurse told us that they have a problem with visitors sitting there yakking on their cell phones while the doctor goes over things with the patient. I mean standing right next to the doctor. I’m open to suggestions as to how we deal with morons like that.

[rawhide]

I agree. Except for text-messaging, I have no problem with that, unless it is a safety matter.

[ArmyTeach]

Now there's a point! RE 9-11, didn't quite a bit of information regarding the high jacking come from passengers on the plane using their cell phone to communicate with family, etc.? Be careful what you legislate - you may get it!

[Mister Da]

“You are trying to legislate courtesy, folks, and that just doesn't work,” Mica said.

Yep. The nannies are a constant source of nuisance laws.

Yes, I detest loud people in enclosed spaces. Cellphone or not. But we don't need to make rudeness illegal. That's crazy! And that is where these kinds of laws are taking us! (I guess the 3rd violation would be a felony, taking away your guns & vote).

If we have freedom of speech, then that implies we have the freedom to communicate. A phone call is conversation - it is speech. Shall we ban conversation on planes, trains, elevators, or on the sidewalk? If a one-sided phone conversation is bad, isn't a two-sided conversation twice as bad?

The phone is not the problem, the user is! People that are rightly offended by loud, vulgar, and/or inappropriate conversation need to speak up or ignore it, as has always been the custom.

[CindyDawg]

I went to a nursing capping and graduation recently. Cell phones were going off and people were laughing and talking loudly the entire time, even while our state senator was speaking.

[longun45]

What do you wanna bet it wont apply to congressmen, aides, or senators.

[Spktyr]

Depending on the senator and their longwindedness, that may not have been a bad thing...

[Ditter]

Why is a cell phone conversation any more disturbing that a boisterous conversation between 2 or more people?

[tflabo]

Let’s make a deal you Congress Critters... you give us back our own oil and we will not annoy you with silly cell phone calls on your planes. Deal?

[Spktyr]

More importantly, why is a cell phone conversation any more disturbing than A SCREAMING CHILD KICKING THE BACK OF YOUR CHAIR FOR FOUR FREAKING HOURS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT??????