<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SeAAttle:
Without the rule, how many cell phones would be in use during the last half hour of any given flight? People calling to say they are on time, 10 min late, 10 min early, meet you at baggage claim, see you outside baggage claim, etc, etc. Would this have any adverse effect on the communication between the airport and the pilot? Even if it does not, I can only imagine how annoying it would be. </font>
If the crowd in first class on the Eurstar and Thalys (Paris-Brussels) trains are any indication, 90% of passengers would be on the phone, imparting such vital information as "we're just pulling into the station now; can you see the train yet?" Aargh.
Sometimes it can be amusing, though. I one heard a 50-ish guy first call his wife to say the train was running late (it wasn't) and then call his mistress to arrange a meeting place, telling her that he wouldn't have a lot of time.