The REAL Reason Cell Phones Are Not Allowed on Airliners

[Brett327]

I think the most amusing development in our dependance on cell phones are the new Blue Tooth head pieces that people wear 24/7. Not only is it creepy that a bunch of people are walking around appearing to be talking to themselves, but these people feel it is so important to have this thing in their ear at all times. Ill admit, I own one. It sits in my truck (still on its first charge of about 3 months ago...) and I use it for hands free talking while driving (so I have my hand free to drink coffee). Along with their increased use Ive seen people who care less and less about having privacy on the phone ... it seems people almost want everyone else to hear that they are yappin on the phone. Anyway, done with my sidebar.

Agreed. I laugh at all these people walking around like they're LT Uhura, or something. I wanna go up to them and ask them to open a channel on hailing frequencies. I probably use my cell phone 2-3 times per week and don't understand the apparent need of some people to be talking to someone 24/7. I even encounter these people on hiking trails here in SOCAL.

Brett

 

[snizo]

The airlines fear "crowd control" problems if cell phones are allowed in flights. They believe cell phone calls might promote rude behavior and conflict between passengers, which flight attendants would have to deal with.

Yikes - rude behavior? We wouldn't want that to happen! Could you imagine being on a plane surrounded by loud and obnoxious people? I would refuse to fly!

 

[Zilch]

...I even encounter these people on hiking trails here in SOCAL.

Brett

Isn't the point of going out hiking or camping to get away from that kind of thing? Keeping it with youm, tuned off, in case you break a leg or something would seem reasonable, but damn.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I probably use my cell phone 2-3 times per week and don't understand the apparent need of some people to be talking to someone 24/7. I even encounter these people on hiking trails here in SOCAL.

I blow through my minutes, and am on my cell phone probably 3-4 hours per day. Why? Because my wife and I are not colocated. Although I would argue that we are the exception to the rule, and everyone else is just a bunch of idjits...

 

[PropStop]

Isn't the point of going out hiking or camping to get away from that kind of thing? Keeping it with youm, tuned off, in case you break a leg or something would seem reasonable, but damn.

What, you don't like sharing your outdoors experience with everybody on your calling list - AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!!!

I wouldn't give a rat's ass if someone talked on their cell phone on a hiking trail, so long as they did it it a quiet way. For some reason people feel the need to yell at the top of their lungs when they're on a cell phone. Doesn't matter where they are, if people were like the Japanese about cell phones, it'd be a better world.

whoa, gotta stop my rant before i bust a vein.

 

[Herc_Dude]

What, you don't like sharing your outdoors experience with everybody on your calling list - AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!!!

I wouldn't give a rat's ass if someone talked on their cell phone on a hiking trail, so long as they did it it a quiet way. For some reason people feel the need to yell at the top of their lungs when they're on a cell phone. Doesn't matter where they are, if people were like the Japanese about cell phones, it'd be a better world.

whoa, gotta stop my rant before i bust a vein.

They might as well be yelling "LOOK, IM IMPORTANT, I HAVE TO TALK ON THE PHONE BECAUSE IM IMPORTANT, DADDY DIDNT HUG ME ENOUGH BUT ITS OK BECAUSE I AM IMPORTANT NOW, LOOK, IM NEEDED!!!!!" :banghead_

Don't worry PropStop, Ill continue the rant. You just take care of that vein

 

[raptor10]

They might as well be yelling "LOOK, IM IMPORTANT, I HAVE TO TALK ON THE PHONE BECAUSE IM IMPORTANT, DADDY DIDNT HUG ME ENOUGH BUT ITS OK BECAUSE I AM IMPORTANT NOW, LOOK, IM NEEDED!!!!!" :banghead_

Don't worry PropStop, Ill continue the rant. You just take care of that vein

 

[Herc_Dude]

Exactly

 

[insanebikerboy]

I even encounter these people on hiking trails here in SOCAL.

Brett

The best is when I was hiking in Big Sur and someone actually had a laptop with them, trying to get their gps to sync with it, and cussing the whole time because it wouldn't.

Amazing.

 

[Godspeed]

Mythbusters (one of my favorite shows of all time) busted this myth. They brought with them an array of cell phones (from old to new) that operated on different bands (GSM, Analog, TDSM, etc) and tested their effects on avionics (even while amplified) with absolutely no results. Sounds to me that your personal experiences show that cell phones can in fact interfere somehow. Weird.

I've had several different cell phones over the past 5-6 years (Nextel, Verizon, Sprint, Cingular), and none of them would work up at 35k feet in a large aircraft. I'm using Verizon now though, and don't have problems when I go cruising in the heavens (5k feet) in the beastly 172 Skyhawk.

 

[Brett327]

Mythbusters (one of my favorite shows of all time) busted this myth. They brought with them an array of cell phones (from old to new) that operated on different bands (GSM, Analog, TDSM, etc) and tested their effects on avionics (even while amplified) with absolutely no results. Sounds to me that your personal experiences show that cell phones can in fact interfere somehow. Weird.

I've had several different cell phones over the past 5-6 years (Nextel, Verizon, Sprint, Cingular), and none of them would work up at 35k feet in a large aircraft. I'm using Verizon now though, and don't have problems when I go cruising in the heavens (5k feet) in the beastly 172 Skyhawk.

Mythbusters is hardly the definitive source on this issue though. Their overriding concern is to produce an entertaining program, not scientific accuracy or an exhaustive testing regimen.

Brett

 

[Kickflip89]

Mythbusters (one of my favorite shows of all time) busted this myth. They brought with them an array of cell phones (from old to new) that operated on different bands (GSM, Analog, TDSM, etc) and tested their effects on avionics (even while amplified) with absolutely no results. Sounds to me that your personal experiences show that cell phones can in fact interfere somehow. Weird.

I've had several different cell phones over the past 5-6 years (Nextel, Verizon, Sprint, Cingular), and none of them would work up at 35k feet in a large aircraft. I'm using Verizon now though, and don't have problems when I go cruising in the heavens (5k feet) in the beastly 172 Skyhawk.

I kind of remember that episode. I think what ended up happening was they showed it was plausible for the cell phone to interfere with, say, the VOR needle, but that was when the cable wasn't shielded. When they went to a private jet, where the avionics cabling had been properly shielded / grounded, there weren't any noise issues that they could see.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Mythbusters is hardly the definitive source on this issue though. Their overriding concern is to produce an entertaining program, not scientific accuracy or an exhaustive testing regimen.

Spoken like an ECMO

 

[Brett327]

Spoken like an ECMO

I'll take that as the compliment which I know it was intended as.

Brett

 

[Flash]

I kind of remember that episode. I think what ended up happening was they showed it was plausible for the cell phone to interfere with, say, the VOR needle, but that was when the cable wasn't shielded. When they went to a private jet, where the avionics cabling had been properly shielded / grounded, there weren't any noise issues that they could see.

Seriously, I think Brett hit the nail on the head by pointing out that Mythbusters is an entertainment show......and that is it. If you are basing your opinion on that show then you are grossly misinformed.

Like I said before, it would take an enormous amount of time, resources and money to test every airliner, with every brand of avionics in the industry today. Who would pony up the money? I wonder if that very important guy who was talking about his big deal in the waiting area would be willing to put up the millions.................Better safe than sorry..........