aBroadAbroad

I would love to see phone booths brought back specifically for cell users. The old fashioned kind with a seat, sound insulation and a door. They should be strategically located in public spaces everywhere, especially in airport lounges, restaurants, trains, etc.

A soundproof phone booth is pretty much the only way I can think of to make cell usage on airplanes even remotely acceptable. They could be made small and intentionally uncomfortable -- maybe half the size of a lav in economy.

That, and the invention of a technology to automatically silence ringers and sound effects on all devices within proximity. These would be fantastic in theaters, restaurants, libraries... oh, just so MANY places.

Santander

21-35 and firmly against. I don't sit in the quiet car of trains and I'm happy to talk on my phone anywhere it's allowed on the ground, but airliner cabins are too cramped and crowded for in-flight calling to be a good thing. As for texting... people already do it with Wi-Fi calling anyway, so who cares.

LabCat

39, and am adamantly against voice calls in the air. I see no problem with texting - it's not going to bother the surrounding pax any more than a laptop or tablet.

stimpy

I'm over 40 and think this is a case of mass psychosis. People become irrational with everything to do with public air travel. It's probably the most craziest industry there is. Lighten up everyone! Hah, like that's going to do any good.

goalie

55 and dead set against hearing anything resembling some numbnutz continuously shouting

"Hey guess where I am?"
"No, I said guess where I am?"
"I'm on the plane"
"No, I said I'm on the plane"
etc, etc, etc

sdsearch

This is a silly poll, just like so many others about this in the media.

it doesn't differeniate between live phone calls, chekcing voicemail, or texting!

Is everyone against texting on planes?????????????? (But texting is in-flight phone access.)

In fact, playing games in airplane mode (already allowed!) is also in-flight phone access! Is everyone against that? I see tons of people doing it already on planes, I can't believe that everyone is against this type of in-flight phone access.

Please rephrase the poll to be either only about live voice calls, or ask about each type of cell phone usage separately/

beckoa

I'd say although its not outlined in the FT poll, this is for voice calls. We already have data use in the air (via gogo & other providers) that allow email and such. The primary disruption everyone is concerned about is the YELLING of others in the phone & other vocalizations.

Now as for the media...

medichill

Even the "yelling" in your post is bothering me.

So I think you all know where I stand.

themapelligroup

I'm 19 and totally opposed to it.

sdsearch

And the public who doesn't understand what the FCCs job is. Apparently people are complaining that the FCC is considering allowing cell phone use on planes, without understanding that (a) FCC is only concerned about the communication signal, not whether it's used for voice or text/data, and (b) not understanding that if the FCC is the one who doesn't allow it then it won't allow texting/data either (because it's only on the communication signal level that there's no significant difference between texting/data and live voice calls, but if the FCC allows it and then the airlines spell out the rules then texting/data is likely to be allowed but live voice calls are not likely to be allowed.

Oh, and btw, the FCC has zero jurisdiction over ring tones, but I can see the airlines dictating that if you take your phone out of airplane mode you have to put it on silent/vibrate.

Hmm, that brings up a point: Will future cell phones have add two flavors of airplane mode -- airplane mode no communication vs airplane mode no voice calls? (That would be so it would never "ring" while in the air.)

stimpy

Yeah, but trying to tell crazy people that they are wrong is a waste of time as well.

bgilly

Strongly against voice calls in-flight. There is very little common courtesy when it comes to phone etiquette outside of environments where I'm trapped with other passengers for hours on end, let alone in an airplane. I surely don't want calls to invade the cabin of an aircraft as well.

An Thrope

I'm fine with people talking on their cell phones in-flight as long as they go outside to do it.

acunningham

37, and think that the least bad solution is to divide aircraft into noisy cabins (allowing calls, babies and small children, etc) and quiet cabins. Not a great solution, but better than anything else I can think of. Would be willing to pay 10% extra for the quiet cabin, maybe even 20%.

Xyzzy

That was tried with smoking way back when. It didn't work. The smoke went everywhere.