Yea, I don't quite understand the mindset of the person who is sitting in the back and feels they have the wherewithal to decide what is right and wrong as heard on ch9. UA should just crumple such complaints and toss them into the loony bin. The switch for Ch9 should be soldered into the on position.

Are other airlines less safe because they don't have passengers policing their pilots ATC comm? No

One of my most memorable ch9 experiences was a PS flight exSFO and right as we were down to about 12,000 ft into JFK on a rainy wild night, the pilot comes on to tell everyone that JFK had been shut down and that we would be landing at EWR. At that point I turned on ch9 and listened for the next 15 or so minutes as we change course for EWR. Needless to say the diverted landing was making lots of unhappy fliers. About five minute before we were suppose to land at EWR on ch9 our flight gets cleared "direct JFK." I lean across the aisle to tell the people I am traveling with and a few others in earshot that we are going to land at JFK again. They don't believe me as the captain hasn't yet made an announcement, my guess was he was just too busy. Finally about five minutes later the captain comes on to say we got rerouted at the last minute and will be a JFK momentarily as originally planned.