Not long ago, I found myself in an impromptu conversation with a commercial air pilot. Though I have always followed the “no electronic devices” rule, I have long been skeptical of the truth behind it. Skeptical, that is, until this pilot explained that at times, in heavy traffic areas, the use of electronic devices can interfere with communications with the tower. As one who feels strongly about not interfering with such communications, I now move more eagerly to turn off my phone immediately when the flight attendant requests it.
So when I found myself on a return flight from New York’s La Guardia airport recently, when the flight attendant politely requested that all passengers turn off electronic devices, I hit the power button on my Blackberry and holstered it for the flight. The passenger sitting beside me did not. He was playing some kind of game on a rather antiquated cell phone, one that was unlikely to have a “plane safe” mode. Even if it did have such a mode, our flight attendant reminded us that an electronic device is anything with an on/off switch. The guy still didn’t respond.
As we pulled away from the gate and started taxiing, I was getting increasingly annoyed. “Who does this guy think he is? Why is he not shutting off his phone? This is La Guardia!” I wondered how many planes were on the ground and in the surrounding air space at that moment, all trying to communicate with the tower.
Eventually the guy shut his phone (without powering it down) and dozed off, and I got some work done. As we started our descent, he was awakened by the flight attendant asking us all to once again power off our electronic devices. Instead of doing this, Mr. Oblivion flipped his phone back open to resume his game. I felt the motor and jolt of the plane’s wheels locking in place. I’m thinking in my head, “If we crash, I’m blaming this guy.” Finally I can’t stand it anymore. I have to say something, for the sake of my children and all that is right and good and responsible. I mentally choose my words and focus on having a not-annoyed, just-friendly-informed-passenger tone. Just as I open my mouth to speak… I feel my hip vibrate.
It would appear that I did not let my Blackberry fully shut down before I holstered it, so the power never shut off. It had remained on the entire flight. And not only did I now know it, but Mr. Oblivion knew it, too… and there we sat, both of us oblivious in our own way… and me, exceedingly humbled and grateful that I had holstered my comment more effectively than I had holstered my phone.
Clifford A. Bailey
speaker and CEO