House Committee decides to HANG UP on in-flight cell calls
By David Chartier | Published: August 01, 2008 - 01:30PM CT
It's the classic battle fought against a modern backdrop: just as technology is finally saying that we could have wireless communication on airplanes, humanity is questioning whether we should have it; or at least certain kinds of it. The hemorrhaging airline industry is eager to allow (and charge for) passengers to use mobile phones on planes, but a bill that would ban such use is making progress through the US House.
Dubbed the "Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace" (HANGUP... get it?) Act of 2008, the bill was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a voice vote yesterday. The bill's next stop is likely to be the House floor.
In a nutshell, the bill states that "An individual may not engage in voice communications using a mobile communications device in an aircraft during a flight in scheduled passenger interstate air transportation or scheduled passenger intrastate air transportation." Exempt from this rule are flight crew, flight attendants, and federal law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity. Note that the bill's language doesn't touch other mobile-phone-based communication like text messaging, e-mail, and Internet access, and it also excludes voice communicating using a phone installed on an aircraft.
I do not particularly want to have to listen to other people yak on the phone while stuck on a long flight. That being said, who the heck decided that there should be a LAW about this? Will they next make it a law that everyone boarding a plane must first use mouthwash to prevent offending others with one's halitosis? I am heartily sick of these stupid know nothing politicians getting involved with day to day life. The people in Washington have a clear undeniable mandate that is laid out for them in the Constitution of the United States. No where does the Constitution make these bozo's our parents, or our nannies and nowhere does it indicate that they should be telling us how to live for "our own good".
I seriously think we could solve most of our internal issues if we just got back to being a fully armed Open and Concealed carry society, manners and good conduct would just naturally follow without the need for idiot politicians trying to act as our babysitters.
Yes if we were all armed the big gun wussies of the nation would live in fear that we would devolve into the "Wild West". The inaccurate Hollywood portrayal of the "Wild West" aside these people would do well to actually acquaint themselves with the real world figures on violent crime in regions that promote Open and Concealed carry of weapons.
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4 comments:
As a pilot who has flown transports for Uncle Sam, I can tell you, cell phones DO instigate weird things happening to the nav systems - not often, but sometimes. Not often, but to the point I wouldn't allow them when doing an approach on instruments.
No problem there, but I still think this is a case where we have Uncle Sam butting his nose into things he is best left out of. If the FAA disallows it, that is fine but When the FAA and the carriers say it is not a problem, then why does a know little politician get involved where he clearly has no interest except in trying to legislate good manners?
Neither the FAA or the FCC support the use of cell phones, despite some media reports.
Oh that is news I had not heard.
Then I guess it is an obvious bid by the Carriers to find new ways to generate revenue from passengers. One would think that they would just decide to...you know...use good sound business practices. Still there has got to be a better way than having Congress make laws about every little action a person might take.
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