The 'Friendly Skies' to Remain Silent at Last
Monday, August 4, 2014 at 10:21AM 
Snakes on an airplane? There is a passenger class of Reptilians called the 'Boring Constrictors' that board every flight daily around the world. These reptiles slither into their seats with cell phones coiled up tightly in their laps on the ready to pick up the instant it rings for any boring conversation that constricts the privacy space of others-- thankfully they are currently restricted in flight.
Have you ever overheard any cell phone 'private conversations' conducted while in an elevator, restaurant, hallway, waiting room, check-out line or theatre? Some times you can get away or not from the rude, loud talk due to location. Why should anyone suffer on a plane, especially up at 35,000 feet while hurtling through the air at an average speed of 600 miles per hour in a pressurized metal tube with wings within a mere 15 inches away from the passenger seated next to you boisterously blathering away on a cell phone?
Airlines are asking for DOT permission for the final decision to monitor cell phone usage to be left to the individual carriers. Some carriers are even suggesting 'in-flight phone booths' or 'quiet zones'. I remember over forty years ago when I smoked anywhere on board the aircraft. Later as smoking dangers became known, I was relegated to the 'smoking section' at the back of the aircraft and then it was totally banned. By then, I had quit smoking anyway. However, looking back, the 'smoking section' was only a seat back behind the 'non-smoking' and
smoke wafted forward as well as back, just like sound waves washing all over the 'quiet zones' too.
With quantifiable voice decibel data and anecdotal findings, the Department of Transportation appears to have finally got one thing 100% right. They will continue to ban 'In-Flight' cell phone voice calls on all airlines. After all, emails, text messages and social media sites are all still 'quietly' available after lift-off during flight. Meanwhile, each traveler can enjoy 'quiet time' squeezed into their own miserably small space buckled into a cramped passenger seat with no leg room to spare like in a tin of packed sardines.
