I awoke this morning, walked out of the bedroom and heard the chatter from the TV and what I heard was the most horrifying bit of travel news I’ve heard in years — and it had nothing to do with crappy weather.
What I heard was that airline companies might be considering lifting the ban on in-flight cell phone use by passengers.
That is the worst news I’ve ever heard as it relates to any form of travel.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently lifted the ban on in-flight use of other electronic devices: I-Pads, laptops, those sorts of gadgets.
But cell phones? Oh, my goodness.
The “Good Morning America” talking heads said this morning that it will take “up to a year” to decide whether to allow this idiocy on board jetliners.
The initial reaction from flight attendants is encouraging: They hate it … with a passion.
Passengers aren’t happy about it, either. One guy compared the annoyance of sitting next to someone blabbing on a cell phone to “sitting next to a crying baby.” I disagree. The cell phone user is much worse. The crying baby doesn’t know any better. The moron flapping his/her gums on a cell phone on a crowded airplane certainly does know better.
The FAA will have to consider this one very carefully if it’s halfway serious about lifting the ban. Any decision to allow this kind of activity aboard a jetliner is going to guarantee that I never — not ever — will fly commercially again.
I hope I’m not alone. Indeed, I suspect the threat of losing millions of other passengers just might be enough to persuade airline companies and federal regulators to scrap this idiotic idea.