what would you do?

[katarina]

Flying home from abroad recently I noticed the woman accross the aisle from me using her mobile phone. After a while I tapped her on the arm and sais, 'excuse me, but you're suppose to have that turned off.' She replied, 'not neccessarily.' and carried on using it. Whenever the hostess came by she hid it under her handbag. then she brought out a second one and started using that too. All the time we were landing she continued to text. I've been kicking myself ever since for not alerting the crew to her actions. Won't be such a wimp in future that's for sure!

[starry]

I think on some flights you are allowed to use your mobile now.

[bekisman]

Not sure about which airlines allow it but Ryanair (below) is going to.. If mobiles were not allowed I'd grab an attendant and point this person out.
'Ryanair will rollout the technology enabling the use of Blackberry’s and mobile phones for text and voice usage on its aircraft during summer 2008. Unless specifically authorized by cabin crew through the use of passenger announcements and the specific lighted signs in the cabin, mobile phones may not be used on the aircraft.' (Ryanain.com site)

[katarina]

On this one we were specifically asked to make sure all mobiles and electrical equipement were switched off. She used it constantly after everyone including the attendants were tied in for landing.

[rfr10]

On this one we were specifically asked to make sure all mobiles and electrical equipement were switched off. She used it constantly after everyone including the attendants were tied in for landing.

Next time, speak out very loud and say "I don't think you're allowed to use mobile phones on this plane" Make sure everyone can hear you so that she'll feel embarassed and stop using it. (only if you're confident though )

[percy toboggan]

Some mobiles are safe for use aboard aircraft.
It's said by some that interference with avionics by mobile phones is a myth.
Much like in hospitals and on garage forecourts.

Even so, those who cannot turn them off and survuve for a for a few hours without 'em are pathetic.

[jimbews]

Some mobiles are safe for use aboard aircraft.
It's said by some that interference with avionics by mobile phones is a myth.
Much like in hospitals and on garage forecourts.

Well if phones can interfere with the audio of a computer then I wouldn't trust it in an aircraft. You regularly hear a series of beeps as the phone communicates with the masts.

There are moves afoot to place systems inside aircraft, but in that case the RF generated by the phones will be very low (because the "mast" will be very close) - unlike the situation where they are running at full power to communicate through the RF screening of the metal aircraft body.

I know that when we went on holiday this summer the stewardess turned white and jumped out of her seat to check a passenger who was starting to use his phone as we were coming in to land.

Maybe some think it safe in hospitals, but if you were on a life support machine would you want someone with a mobile phone next to you?

JimBews

[Lord Flasheart]

I reckon all phones etc should be switched off on every flight froom doors closed until they open again. I do know of an incident at Aberdeen where a MK2 puma with the fancy LCD dispays in the cockpit was returning from Offshore and encountered interference from a lad down the back who had decided to switch on his phone and start texting a few minutes before landing. That kind of situation would be why the rule exsists I reckon. Not too sure how it affects commercial airliners though.

Plus you are flying in a pressurised tube of thin metal that is full of fuel and powered by two giant haidryers consisting of thousands of bits of metal all rotating at a breakneck speed.

And it was built by the lowest bidder .. .. Why take more risks than you have to ??

[katarina]

what i'm thinking is if she was doing it, how many more musy be breaking the rule also? therefore if there is a risk with one - multiply that with however....
I'm still kicking myself for not speaking out.

[3of8]

what i'm thinking is if she was doing it, how many more musy be breaking the rule also? therefore if there is a risk with one - multiply that with however....
I'm still kicking myself for not speaking out.

Nah....

You're home safe. The time to be kicking yourself is when the plane is spiralling uselessly out of control towards the ground because a cellphone has tripped the fuses of all the onboard computers........

[Venture]

Thanks for that 3of8 Im looking forward to my holiday flight even more now.

[Sapphire2803]

CONTRARY to popular belief, mobile phones do not pose a safety threat to airliners. On an average transatlantic flight, several phones are usually left switched on by accident, and the avionics systems on modern aircraft are hardened against radio interference. No, the use of phones on planes is banned because they disrupt mobile networks on the ground. An airliner with 500 phones on board, whizzing across a city, can befuddle a mobile network as the phones busily hop from one base-station to the next.
This obstacle is on the point of being overcome: the technology is being developed to allow passengers to use their existing handsets in flight, without interfering with ground-based networks. …

[Metalattakk]

Thanks for that 3of8 Im looking forward to my holiday flight even more now.

Hope you've got seats at the back of the plane. After all, whoever heard of a plane reversing into a mountain?

[Fran]

I would have been very frightened if that had been me. They always ask you to keep mobile phones switched off in a plane as it can cause confusion with the planes computer. For the woman to be on her m obile phone when the plane was landing/taking off was sheer madness.
In hospitals phones are not allowed near high dependency units for the same reason, but are ok elsewhere, but not allowed. Apart from that, you never know who has a moibile phone and is taking pictures of you in a hospital bed.

[scrumpysteve]

CONTRARY to popular belief, mobile phones do not pose a safety threat to airliners. On an average transatlantic flight, several phones are usually left switched on by accident, and the avionics systems on modern aircraft are hardened against radio interference. No, the use of phones on planes is banned because they disrupt mobile networks on the ground. An airliner with 500 phones on board, whizzing across a city, can befuddle a mobile network as the phones busily hop from one base-station to the next.
This obstacle is on the point of being overcome: the technology is being developed to allow passengers to use their existing handsets in flight, without interfering with ground-based networks. …

How long now before we hear the usual loud mouths with, "I'm on the plane....!"