The Dangers of Modern Technology

I think it's safe to say that most every traveller who travels by air is aware that cell phones are not allowed for use while flying in the air. According to most FAA regulations, there are concerns about the sudden influx of signals coming in and affecting the communications systems within a plane if everyone has their cell phones on so the phones are supposed to be switched off. Most cell phones I have seen do have an 'airplane mode' which allows them to remain on and function in every other way other than making and receiving calls which makes them safe. Or so it would seem. More on that in a minute.

I'm sure people are also aware now about the iPhone and how it combines the features of an iPod Video with a blackberry and phone all in one. What Apple wants you to know is that rather than carrying several objects for the different purposes, you can carry this one item and have everything you will need in an electronics sense. Sounds reasonable right? I mean rather than carrying tons of stuff you can carry one item, no larger than a regular blackberry and have music, movies and connectivity to the world at large. And being a phone it naturally has an 'airplane mode' too. In this mode it apparently locks out all cell phone, bluetooth and wi-fi connections. Only problem is because it looks like a phone, apparently airlines are prone to believe that you are secretly using a phone in an effort to cause mischief in mid-flight. At least that's what the crew on board a recent ATA flight to Hawaii assumed.

A flyer on a trip to Hawaii, well aware of the flight rules regarding phones, switched his phone to 'airplane mode' thus disabling the 'evil' functions of the phone in flight and leaving it as nothing more than a video and music player. Issue over and done with right? Wrong. Seems the flight crew on this particular flight came by the passenger on several occasions and reminded him that cell phones were not allowed for use during flight. The passenger explained that the phone functionality had been disabled but the crew was insistant. Despite offering to show them and prove to them that the phone was off, the crew continued to demand that the phone be switched off as it was a violation of FAA rules. As the passenger looked around the cabin at the other passengers, the majority of whom had their ears stuffed with headphones from their personal players, he asked to know what specific rule forbade him from listening to an MP3 player.

Therein lies the rub. While, the passenger was right regarding the right to use an iPod, there is still no clear regulation regarding the iPhone. The passenger wanted to know what rule he was violating and the crew told him that he had to follow the rules because they were the authority in the air. Coming to a standstill in terms of negotiating a peaceable solution, the crew radioed ahead for the police and the passenger was nearly arrested for breaking FAA regulations. When the police reviewed all stories regarding the incident, they did inform the passenger that he was correct that he should have been allowed to use his phone in flight but that he should have also complied with the request of the flight crew. Of course the captain and first officer remained locked in the cockpit but still, the flight crew were only acting in the interest of safety.

Part of the problem with any new technology is that there are often safety features put in place to promote the safety and well being of users such as 'airplane modes' however, not all of this functionality is quickly passed on to industries such as the airline industry. For example, about seventeen years ago I was on my way to Frankfurt when a stewardess came by to inform me that I was not permitted to use my CD player while in flight. I wasn't quite sure what the problem was at the time as it was simply a regular old CD player with absolutely no external transmission capability whatsoever. I explained that it was a CD player but she still insisted that I not be allowed to use it. I didn't make a big thing of it then but I checked with my next flight crew on the next leg of my trip and was cleared to use it. For a few hours at least I was inconvenienced but I didn't make a big thing of it.

The passenger aboard the ATA flight was right that he wasn't breaking any rules but in the current environment, I'm sure the crews on board flights are always a bit wary of people challenging their authority whether it is warranted or not. It's not necessarily true that they have a large ego and are looking to take advantage of their position but for every person making a stink about using an iPhone in the air, they have dozens of other passengers complaining about everything from the pillows not being soft to the types of clothes people wear to the lack of services. In this case I think both the flight crew and the passenger were at fault. The crew didn't need to inform the police and the passenger didn't need to be so insistant. A bit of inconvenience is better than getting arrested on a foolish charge any day.