The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: xfreeper on November 22, 2013, 02:53:48 pm
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Loud cellphone talkers next bane of air travelers?
NEW YORK (AP) - Airline passengers have already been stripped of their legroom, hot meals and personal space. Now, they might also lose their silence.
The Federal Communications Commission is considering lifting its longtime prohibition on making cellphone calls on airplanes, saying it is time "to review our outdated and restrictive rules."
But for many passengers, that would mean the elimination of one of the last sanctuaries from our hyper-connected world. Everybody wants the ability to stay connected while traveling, but nobody wants to be trapped next to some guy yapping away during the entire trip from New York to Las Vegas.
"The only way I'd be in favor of this is if the FCC mandated that all those who want to use their cellphones must sit next to families with screaming children," said frequent flier Joe Winogradoff.
Amtrak and many local commuter railways have created quiet cars for those who don't want to be trapped next to a loud talker. It's not hard to envision airlines offering "quiet rows," although there will probably be an extra fee to sit there. Hopefully, they'll be more effective than the old smoking and non-smoking sections.
One flight attendant union has already come out against any change, saying that a plane full of chattering passengers could lead to arguments and undermine safety.
More at LINK http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20131122&id=17136029
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I really hope this never happens