mre5765

Why do airlines insist on having row 13 in their cabins? Why do they feel the need to prove that is it safe (to themselves? to the pax?) by deliberately selecting an unlucky number for a row? On the basis that it doesn't affect flight safety, what do they possibly have to gain from this? It's the attitude I don't get - I understand the superstition involved to an extremely detailed level.

Aus_Mal

How does superstition have anything to do with radio signals?

harper99

Defiance

I refuse to submit to ridiculous policies anymore than I have to. Anyway as has been mentioned all it does really is run my battery down faster so why does it bother you?

mre5765

Superstition says both the number 13 and cell phones left on in flight can crash planes.

Aus_Mal

There are scientific links between cell phones and electronic interference. There is no scientific proof that 13 is unlucky.

I'm not aware of any accident or investigation reports that show that having a row 13 is unlucky. I have however seen investigation reports that show inconsistencies when phones have been left on.

catocony

The real "reason" for the no-cell phone policies for flights is that, back in the 90s, with the old analog and later TDMA systems, if you were flying at altitude and at speed, you were right on the edge of cells and on top of that, bouncing very quickly from cell to cell. It caused degradation on cell networks. Thus was born the complete BS that cell phone signals can affect plane comm systems. Look at it this way, comm systems work fine on the ground when people on board are using cells, They work fine when flying over land where the air is practically alive with signals from all the cells of all of the networks. It's sort of like TSA - kabuki theater used to disguise the real "reason" for a policy that, if known, would cause even the most docile sheeple to question it.

Modern GSM and CDMA systems aren't really affected, but they won't scrap the policy because it would make them look stupid. Plus, they really don't want people using cells on planes, which I agree with from a courtesy standpoint. And further, they'll probably want to charge people soon for the "luxury" of using their cell phones while at altitude.

I'm wondering that, when internet access becomes widespread available, how they'll handle VOIP usage by passengers.

mre5765

Where are the links that show cell phones crash planes?

Aus_Mal

I didn't say that. What I said was "There are scientific links between cell phones and electronic interference."

It is much easier to certify particular devices used onboard (eg radio systems), than it is to certify every mobile phone made in the world - and that's before the dog chews on the case or the child manages to dip half the phone in the bath.

AngryMiller

They might disable ports commonly used for VOIP if it turns out to be a problem. That sometimes gets done for some internet services.

MatthewLAX

The only reason I turn off the transmit mode of mobile phone in-flight is so that the battery is not drained by the phone searching for a signal.

I'd hate to see the cell phone bill, if I was talking to a colleague in Europe and was accidentally connected for over two hours!

LoganTSO

Heart attack #1 over... because it will never happen. Cell phones have been around nearly 30 years now and hasn't brought down a plane nor has it given anyone a cauliflower ear brain tumor that along with this legend is always brought up. Why do cell phones have this aura of mystery about them still...

Now onto heart attack #2... that 02:25 cell phone bill.
I'd be alot more concerned about that.
At least... that's just me.

RadioGirl

When I was a kid, people were scared of cancer from televisions (or something. Mom just said "don't sit so close." ). When I was a teenager, people were scared of cancer from microwave ovens. People will be scared of cancer from cell phones until the next major radio-based widget arrives.

Electromagnetic energy is the closest thing the modern world has to magic; people love the gadgets but figure there must be a bad side to it somewhere.

MWRFlyer

That is very true. When I accidentally left my phone on during a transcon, it went into analog mode while searching for a signal and drained the battery.

mre5765

Where are these links to science between cell phones in a passenger cabin interfering with the electronics necessary to prevent a plane from crashing?

Did you know that nearly 100% of all planes that have crashed in history had a row 13, but planes were crashing before there were cell phones?

BTW, did you know that airlines give every pax the ability to completely saturate the plane with electro-magnetic radiation, that every FA can easily detect it, and the airlines do absolutely nothing about it?

BubbaLoop

I a m probably going to get slammed for this comment, but...

I donīt believe that using cell phone on planes will make them fall from the sky, but I dread the day in which they are allowed. Can you imagine sitting next to an unknown person for hours and having to listen to their incessant and usually completely stupid chatter without being able to walk away?