Coming To A Plane Near You - A Guy Screaming Into His Cell Phone

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/business/04cell.html?ei=5090&amp;en=70ea3a44c99b2f86&amp;ex=1286078400&amp;partner=rssuserland&amp;emc=rss&amp;pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/business/04cell.html?ei=5090&amp;en=70ea3a44c99b2f86&amp;ex=1286078400&amp;partner=rssuserland&amp;emc=rss&amp;pagewanted=print</a><br /><br /><i>"Security lines, weather delays and equipment failures make flying a burden for many. For Jason Green, it is a slice of heaven - virtually the only place he is not bombarded by phone calls and e-mail. "Being on a plane has become a mini-retreat for me," said Mr. Green, 32, executive vice president of Touchstone Pictures. "Long international flights are like vacation. No phone, no e-mail and no guilt for being unreachable." But Mr. Green's no-obligation oasis may soon disappear. Federal regulators are reassessing the rules barring phones in the air even as some international airlines are gradually introducing Internet access to their planes. And two European carriers - TAP Air Portugal and BMI, a British company - said recently that they would become the first to proceed with cellphone service, in three-month trials on flights within Europe next year."</i><br /><br />I am so NOT looking forward to this. I like getting on a plane and being in my own world for a few hours. It is a chance to catch up on email, projects that always seem to take a back seat at the office, reading and even a cat nap. It infuriates me to be next to or near someone willing to pay the $5/minute rates on those "air phones" because they are generally inconsiderate of people around them, and speak as if the length of their conversation and the volume of their voice denotes their importance somehow. :evil: <br /><br />Hmmm... perhaps my next bit of <a href="http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/Personal.htm">mobile technology will be this.</a> :devilboy:

[Duncan]

I'm in two minds on this. I'm all for being able to use mobile data services on a plane. However - the first time I'm on a plane and someone sitting next to me starts a phone conversation (and particularly if it is in the standard mobile phone 'shout') - within five minutes they *will* be requiring surgery to remove said phone from one orifice or another...

[jeasher]

Welcome to a new level of air rage. This is NOT a good idea. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[Perry Reed]

I don't have strong feelings either way about using cell phones on a plane; personally I probably wouldn't do it often and would feel self conscious with others able to hear my conversation. To avoid hearing other's conversations, I'd most likely just turn up the volume on my iPod...

But, if this rule change means I can use the data access on my cell phone, that I would STRONGLY favor! And I'd sure use it a lot...

[Dyvim]

I hope the rates will be as prohibitively expensive as the current air phone rates (e.g. $5/min roaming). Then few(er) people will use it.

But I'm all for WiFi on planes (as long as it isn't used for VoIP).

[Sven Johannsen]

I hope the rates will be as prohibitively expensive as the current air phone rates (e.g. $5/min roaming). Then few(er) people will use it.

Not sure there is going to be a good way for them to charge for it at all. It's not like WiFi where you can be forced to enter credit card data before being allowed through a proxy server. Obviously it can be tied to your phone #, but if you have a no roaming, no long distance plan with your carrier, there will have to be some special provisions set up with all the carriers for the airline to bill them, and for them to "pass it on", outside your current contract I would think.

I'm assuming here the aircraft would have a mini-cell system that services the phones on board and trunks into the PSTN, not that each phone connects to a ground based tower.

[MG]

This may seem a little apples and oranges here, but they should not allow cell phone use on airplanes, as they prohibit cell phone use in theatres. The background noise (ever present) on a plane will require a raised voice conversation. It will be a distraction to all.

I think data could work (and if you are on VZW's $45 or $60 plan it should be included! bloodsuckers!) But I digress.

Mark

[beq]

Yeah IIRC the plane will have onboard mini cell "tower", then it communicates to ground via some other wireless signal or rf or something, I forget.

[thenikjones2]

I don't have strong feelings either way about using cell phones on a plane; personally I probably wouldn't do it often and would feel self conscious with others able to hear my conversation. To avoid hearing other's conversations, I'd most likely just turn up the volume on my iPod...


You'd risk damaging your hearing to drown out the rude SOB sitting next to you? You're a better man than me. I get irritated by loud callers on buses/trains but at least you can move away; you're a captive audience on an aeroplane.

[aNiMeMaN14]

Hmmm... I sorta like the sounds of this? I'm a big talk-on-the-phone junkie, so this is great news for me. However, I am NOT looking forward to people locking themselves in the bathroom just so they can take a call privately. :oops:

[shawnc]

Welcome to a new level of air rage. This is NOT a good idea. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Very well said!

[Janak Parekh]

You'd risk damaging your hearing to drown out the rude SOB sitting next to you?
As someone who sits on trains everyday, I've learned how to optimize this -- get in-ear earbuds. They block out outside noise very effectively, including both the plane hum and the voices of people next to you, without having to raise the volume significantly. I used to have noise-canceling headphones, which has a similar effect, but the in-ears are smaller, cheaper and generally have better sound.

--janak

[threedaysdwn]

Cell phones on airplanes? No. Except for emergencies, doctors, etc. Those SHOULD be allowed.


But data connections should be 100% permitted and available.

[Mitch D]

It's bad enough being caught in an elevator with some moron who doesn't have enough brains or class to get off the phone so those of us that have nothing to do with the call don't have to listen in. But being stuck on a two hour flight having no where else to be. That's just bloody crazy...

I an beginning to agree that a good cell jammer would be next purchase... I do agree with the data comments though...

[aroma]

NOOOOOO! This is NOT a good idea. Data fine. Voice calls, NO!

[Sven Johannsen]

Remember the old smoking section? Maybe we couuld have a talking on cell phones section. All those folks that indicate a desire will be seated in the last 10 rows or something.

[Jonathan1]

I'm going to be honest here. If someone is talking in a phone next to me I WILL, without any hesitation, tell them to shut the **** up.
If they don’t I will probably pull out a pocket recorder and start recording their conversation telling them I’m going to post it on a newgroup on the net or maybe www.ratemycellphoneconversation.com Lets see how they like it when EVERYONE can listen to what they want for dinner or the pros and cons of fluffy being neutered. :devilboy: :snipersmile:

[Jonathan1]

Remember the old smoking section? Maybe we couuld have a talking on cell phones section. All those folks that indicate a desire will be seated in the last 10 rows or something.

Forget the last 10 rows. How about tied to the wing of the plane?


CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!?!!?

GOOOOOOOOD!!!

[Phoenix]

I agree: Data good, phone calls BAD!

If this is what we end up having to mess with on any given flight, I most likely would purchase a cell phone jammer. An emergency phone call would be different, but other calls...

(OT - Come to think of it, a jammer would be great in a movie theatre, a bookstore, a restaurant... and I'd never turn it on and use it until I could hear someone (other than a medical professional, a parent talking to a babysitter, or someone on an emergency call) beginning to be rude).

[Cybrid]

I agree: Data good, phone calls BAD!

If this is what we end up having to mess with on any given flight, I most likely would purchase a cell phone jammer. An emergency phone call would be different, but other calls...

(OT - Come to think of it, a jammer would be great in a movie theatre, a bookstore, a restaurant... and I'd never turn it on and use it until I could hear someone (other than a medical professional, a parent talking to a babysitter, or someone on an emergency call) beginning to be rude).

Uhhh! anyone know how well those jammers are tested? Could be be in danger from other equipment being jammed from them not being adequately tested and shielded in other frequencies? After all, the CRTC and FCC aren't exactly approving these things and doing QA