Actually, Curt, I've only used my cell phone on an airplane once - last month in Boston when I was sitting on the runway for 2 hours in a snowstorm and needed to call my son to tell him I'd be late arriving home. There were plenty of other people doing exactly the same thing and very little just " yakking" going on. In flight, my phone is always turned off or, if it's during a period when it's allowed, on vibrate. And if I get a voicemail I use my pocket PC to answer by email.

That said, I don't see any difference between people using cell phones on airplanes and people using cell phones on trains or buses, which is endemic all over Europe and has been for years.

I guess I just don't get very worked up about stuff like that. A cell phone going off during a concert or in a movie theater or such drives me nuts, though.

st cirq,

I'm pretty much of the same opinion as you... I don't get worked up with people using the cell phones around me...that's just the way life is and we've got to move on...however, if a cell phone goes off during a movie...I have been known to yell out "turn the thing off!!" A couple of times I got a few Amen and applause in response... just like I make sure my phone is on silence at a dr's office, or if I go get a massage, or god forbid (no pun intended) in church!

I've posted this before, but any excuse to repeat it.....

Was on Eurostar a couple of years back when a guy in our carriage started a phone call just seconds after we'd left Gare de Nord. He wasn't sitting in our block of seats, but was so loud that we (and probably the rest of the carriage) could hear every word really clearly.

His conversation continued all the way to the tunnel, and started again immediately afterwards, continuing right into London. Just minutes from Waterloo he finally announced to the person at the other end 'I'm going to have to go in a sec, my battery's nearly flat'. There was a deafening cheer from practically the entire car - at which point Mr Oblivious turned bright red and literally sprinted into the bar car.

I hate mobiles on public transport. Practically every conversation is pointless and too loud. PS I do like people and chit-chat in general, but I don't agree with forcing people right next to me to listen to a two hour full volume diatribe. 8-)

Yes, my husband has had to put up with a lot of those loud self-important yakkers on his weekly Eurostar trips. One of the reasons he's been flying between Brussels and London the past few trips.

Imagine all of the business travelers who would be talking business the whole flight. Who wants to listen to that. What about folks watching the movies? Should they be subjected to these non-stop talkers?

If they want to allow constant communication from 37,000 feet it should be text messaging only.

I'm sure you are all well-intentioned when you say a person on a cell phone wouldn't bother you while on a plane.

However, I'll bet that if you were trying to get some sleep on a long flight, and that lady next to you was blathering on for an hour in an overly loud manner about how proud she was of her darling little boy who just made honor student at Jonathan Livingston Seagull Middle School, you'd be a little less tolerant.

My guess is that if and (sadly) when airlines allow people to use cell phones on planes, the number of violent mid-air incidents on airplanes will increase dramatically.

As for me, I'll buy stock in companies who make noise-reduction headphones and drink more wine.

((H))

I don't know what it's like in the States but there have already been several incidents with people on trains in the UK having their phones wrestled away from them and thrown out of windows when some irate passanger couldn't take any more.

Not that you could open a window on a plane...... 8-)

'passenger' - oh, for an edit button!

What a relief! I ride the train almost daily. I am appalled by the lack of discretion and common decency on cell phone conversations. I have heard conversations that are disgusting. I rarely hear person to person conversations that are the equivilent. In addition, business yakkers are loud, obnoxious and frequently tend to exaggerate their importance. I can hear them over my iPod earphones. I think it is rude to have loud, conversations on public transportation. Many people like me choose to ride the train because we can read, listen to music, do puzzles whatever instead of stressing over traffic. On a plane you have no choice. I don't believe for a minute that people would limit their conversations. I think it would result in more instances of "air rage." Thank goodness for common sense decisions.