Have you, like I have, wondered why airlines make passengers turn their mobile phones off in the plane? Do you too, like I do, mutter to yourself "If all it takes is for my mobile phone to be switched on to potentially bring this plane down, then no-one should be flying in this potentially lethal crate!". And, do you think to yourself, as I do, "Why bother with security screening and taking away my weapons of mass destruction (nail file and deodorant) if all it takes to disrupt the plane is for people to switch their phones on?".
The rules about mobile phones and air travel were brought in decades ago (much like mobile phone use in hospitals). Actually, there is little evidence in research to suggest that mobile phones disrupt the technology on the plane. BUT, (and here's my subjective opinion creeping in) ... the rules are in place, etched firmly in the policies and protocols of airline companies. And to change protocols and policies takes a huge amount of bureacracy, paperwork, and time. Time is money. Ergo, it's cheaper to ask everyone to switch their phones off than to change the rules.
Sigh... I suppose, though, to be fair, it is more considerate for fellow travellers if phone use is kept to a minimum.
Read more on this interesting topic at this media article.
What are your own thoughts on this?
