Sanity At 30,000 Feet

4/4/07 – We always cover the big, headline stories on Fox Across America. It’s the little stories that sometimes get buried in the course of reality.

Amid all the talk and reporting of the Iranian plan to release 15 British sailors and marines, you may have missed this wonderful bit of positive news. Although certainly not as important in the whole scheme of things, it IS news that will affect most of us on a more personal and daily level.

The Federal Communications Commission has said NO to cell phone use on airplanes. YES! YIPPIE!! It’s Christmas early!! What joy!! Ok, you can see how much this excites me.

It really does, too. Aren’t YOU happy? It’s bad enough that people exhibit deplorable cell phone etiquette just about everywhere you turn, from the super market to the funeral. But when I heard that the FCC was even considering the issue, it conjured images of horror movies.

You thought Snakes on a Plane was scary! How about Bert the Businessman yakking away about his plans for the week? Or Susie the Stockbroker screeching her enthusiasm to a client? Or the grandpa that HAS to talk to all 9 of his grandkids while you’re trapped in the window seat? At least in other situations, as annoying as they might be, you have the power to get up and walk away.

But on a plane? No, thanks. I don’t feel like finding solace in the lavatory. And the aisles are way too narrow to pace on, not to mention such pacing will make passengers nervous. So what do you do? Crank your iPod and kill the pain? You won’t always have it handy and that battery will die eventually.

Thankfully, we won’t have to deal with mile high chatterbugs. The FCC may have based their decision on safety and the integrity of onboard navigation systems, but the end result is the same. You will be allowed to fly the phone free skies. Too bad 30,000 feet may be one of the only places safe from all the cellular chaos.