kokonutz

So I was sitting in row 7 window on a SFO-IAD 319 yesterday and the doors are closed but we are still at the gate and so I am taking my time (quietly) wrapping up a cell phone call.

Suddenly the lady in front of me in the window bulkhead seat starts frantically pressing her FA call botton over and over for like 2 minutes which catches my attention so I pause my conversation to start watching, noting on the phone that "hang on, some jack*** in front of me is punching her FA call button".

When a FA finally comes she practically screams: "Where have you been! You said all cell phones have to be off and the guy behind me is still on his phone!!!!" The FA was pretty taken aback but eventually firmly told me to turn off my cellphone. Which I started to do, but it being a blackberry took me a while. The do-gooder took note of this and pointed to me for the FA who offered to "confiscate" my device if I didnt manage to get it off right away. So I just put it away and left it on.

I thanked the lady in front of me for reminding me of the rules and told her I would try really, really hard not to kick the back of her seat for the next 5 hours. Sadly, after she asked me how old I was, I failed to not...And now my foot is sore from all that kicking.

See, this is exactly why transcon a319s suck: stuck in the back with the wackos...(I am talking about me here, natch!)

BTW, despite the blackberry being on the entire flight, we managed to make it all the way without frying the aircraft equipment

noah

Classic.

"Hey buddy -- you better put that computer phone away right now or I'm going to call the stewardess. I don't want the plane to crash."

My seatmate, to me, after I took out my blackberry in-flight (with wireless off).

ljwobker

Two thoughts:

1) You should have been off the phone before the doors closed. While we all agree that the rules SUCK and are RETARDED, they are the rules. If we (meaning the pseudo-airline-literate) ignore the rules and chat when we shouldn't, that just gives more motivation for the unwashed masses to ignore them also, and board before us even though they're in seat sixty-eight Q.

2) This woman is an idiot, and like the rest of the idiots on our beloved UA flights, must be ignored and shot Evil Dirty Withering Looks Of Shameful Beating the entire flight.

2a) much good Karma to you for kicking the dumb .....'s seat the whole way.

ButIsItArt

This lady's behavior conveys the true meaning of status dilution...

qasr

UAL_Rulez

What a nutter.

PremEx

This week I had a United FA tell me to turn off my laptop before the door was even shut. "Sir, you'll have to shut down your laptop now." I pointed out that the door was still open and she said, "You'll have to shut it down now and store it in the overhead." I said, "But I'm storing it underneath the seat in front of me. That's okay right?" She shot back, "You can't store it in the seatback!" Ugh. I shot back, "I'm NOT storing it in the seatback, I'm storing it down there [pointing] in my laptop bag underneath the seat." She gave me a dirty look and walked away. Guy across the aisle said, "Christ...what's her problem?" I just shrugged my shoulders and continued on with work on the laptop for another 10 minutes or so, until the doors were finally shut and then I powered it down.

Obviously this FA does not have enough legitimate tasks to perform and should have been given several more assignments to occupy her time.

qasr

Pre-departure drinks would be my suggestion

FightingIlliniUAL

Or a good punch in the back of the head

FightingIlliniUAL

I like Toby Ziegler's line in the very first West Wing episode after being scolded by a FA for making a cell phone call inflight,

"We're flying in a Lockheed Eagle Series L-1011. Came off the line twenty months ago. Carries a Sim-5 transponder tracking system, and you're telling me I can still flummox this thing with something I bought at Radio Shack?" ^

redbeard911

Incredible.

Obviously a middle child.

kokonutz

Oh yeah, so later, as the FA was doing drinks and selling snack boxes she leaned over to the do-gooder lady in 6F and as she handed her a mini-bottle of wine said rather loudly: "Thank you for being a tattle-tale."

I couldnt really tell if she was being droll or serious, but it made me and the guy sitting next to me laugh which earned us a nasty stare from the do-gooder.

shortcut3d

Rules are set to be followed. I hope the FAA does not lift the band on cell phone use because it would be pure chaos in the cabin.

This passenger highlights the need for everyone one to be able to hear and watch the safety announcement. Clearly, she was not confortable with flying.

IMHO, I think experience travellers should have everything neatly stowed away ASAP. This sets a good example for new or less frequent travellers. When FF push the envelop on keeping electronics out, the family with 2 DVD players and 3 iPods will too. The faster we all get seated the faster you can legally use your approved portable electronic devices. Plus, we should be the least pain in the side of the FAs. Let the FAs worry about the nervous person or difficult family.

UAL_Rulez

The penalty for being a tattle-tale is you have to drink a bottle of that godawful screw top wine.

ExecDecisions

As a United Sates Air Marshall I have seen worse and arrested people for less.

Censorship in any form is oppressive


So with that said I still think kicking the backs of seats is childish.