OK, gracious Pilots, please shed some light on the no-electronics during taxi, take-off, and landing rule for passengers. I can understand the remote possibility of a gadget transmitting data messing with flight instruments, but c'mon, will the guy with the Ipod in 15E really be a threat??

Is this just more of a security and personal safety issue than anything (ie making sure people are attentive and capable of responding to FA instructions)?

And even funnier to me is that mobile phones--only mobile phones-- are allowed on the landing taxi in the US, but god forbid an Ipod is turned on at this time!