STACEY BROOKS

Can you hear me now?!

Nov 22, 2013, 9:30 PM

Making a call on your cell phone while flying above 10,000 feet could soon become a reality under new proposal by the Federal Communications Commission.

Tom Wheeler, the FCC’s new chairman, says the rules against cell phones are “outdated and restrictive” and should be reviewed.

Really?

While I like the idea of now being able to use electronic devices while flying, I can’t imagine people being allowed to talk on their cell phones during an ENTIRE flight.

As inconsiderate as people are with their cell phone use in restaurants and other public places, it would be a nightmare in the confines of an airplane. Let’s be honest: It’s bad enough to be forced to listen to other people’s conversations on a plane before takeoff and after landing.

The commission says this proposal aims to give airline passengers the same communication access in the air that they have on trains and buses or in coffee shops.

But it’s just not the same. In those places, I can change where I sit or leave altogether. That’s obviously not the case on an airplane. There’s nowhere to go!

I’ll now be forced to listen to business travelers closing deals, leisure travelers blabbing about travel plans and silly conversations about what people had for dinner last night.

As you might imagine, the Association of Flight Attendants is against the proposal, arguing that letting passengers talk away on their phones in-flight could undermine safety. The problem is most experts disagree and say it’s safe.

It’s not a technology issue, it’s a social issue.

For the sake of my sanity and others like me, let’s hope this 22-year ban on in-flight cell phone use continues.

Stacey Brooks

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Can you hear me now?!