Mobile use on airplanes grounded by scaremongering
By Luke McKinney
Communications company ON Air has developed a system that will allow mobile phones to be used safely in flight, reports the Telegraph. Unfortunately a Luddite revolution has raised such an outcry that the U.S. at least has forbidden attempts to implement it.
The fact that the European Aviation Safety Agency, Federal Aviation Authority and the safety engineers of a host of airlines from Ireland to India has declared these systems safe doesn’t seem to matter. Nope, thousands of customers have campaigned to oppose the technology on the grounds that "mobile phone make plane BOOM! BOOM bad!"
None of these fuming fliers seem to recall it was the airlines that told them that, and that airline staff are in general not suicidal cowboys just itching for a chance to shower aluminum over airports worldwide. If the airline is prepared to use the system, they’ve probably tested it.
Not that safety is the only concern. Some complain about the risks of "air rage" (translation: idiots who can’t keep their temper but want an excuse). Others grumble about irritation at other people using mobile phones, most say they would boycott any airline with the technology. Which makes that a self-solving problem, if you think about it.
Those of you who have "terrorism" on your "stupid reasons to fear technology" bingo cards should cross that off now too. Mr Scott, a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP) voiced safety concerns, mentioning that the 2004 Madrid train bombers used mobile phones. Unless these were considerably larger and more explosive phones than something with an apple battery, I think we’re safe.
He claims that phones will make things harder for airline security guards, thereby playing every card in the "OMG air safety" cliche. As long as they keep to the "nobody brings explosives onboard" rule we should be safe. And as long as he doesn’t realize the Madrid bombers wore clothes as well, or we could all end up flying naked.
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October 8th, 2007
I’m from NYC, root of the scaremongering tsunami in the US, so I get that part. However, flying is bad enough. Adding inevitably rude cell phone use must be stopped at all costs, rationality be damned.