“Passengers and the flight crew all say during a Southwest flight from Las Vegas Tuesday night, Russell Miller punched a 15-year-old teenager after he refused to turn off his cell phone, an iPhone,” Michael Calcagno reports for KBOI-TV. “Police say the teen was playing games and listening to music when the flight attendants announced their final approach to land and all powered devices needed to be turned off. When the teenager didn’t respond to the intercom request, witnesses say the man got angry and then during the in-flight fight ultimately punched the teenager in the arm.”
“Lt. Kent Lipple tells KBOI-TV 2 News after the argument the pilots radioed the air traffic control tower and requested airport and local police to be ready at the gate,” Calcagno reports. “‘He punched him so hard there was a mark on the teen’s arm,’ Lipple said. ‘That gave us probable cause to believe the reports from the other passengers.'”
Calcagno reports, “Miller was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and booked into the Ada County [Idaho] jail.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Angry bird.
The kid deserved it.
probably got a ‘roid for Christmas
I don’t fly anymore so I guess I don’t understand why you have to turn off electronics.
Phone, yes.
But you can’t allow kids to play games during the most intense part of the flight?
Little punk deserved more than a punch in the arm.
The punk-ass kid deserved it. More asswhoppings all around!
@MDN
Some of your terser takes are also the better ones. Great one, this. Like.
The kid probably had the setting on airplane mode and the man didn’t know about that.
@KillBill,
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You mean steroids, right?
iPhone on airplane mode is fine. Aircrews request that devices get turned off to make sure no cell phones are broadcasting but there is no problem with an iPhone on airplane mode.
@Kelly McNeill
What part of “…all powered devices needed to be turned off.”
did you not understand?
You go Kelly. It is not the place of a 15yo to countermand or second guess the orders of the FAA and the plane’s pilot at the most critical stage of a flight involving 100s of other people’s welfare. Airplane Mode; Airplane Schmode. He’s a punk disobeying orders. He’s got the makings of a bad american. As they say, the nut doesn’t fall from the tree. Says loads about his parents, too.
“What part of “…all powered devices needed to be turned off.”
did you not understand”
Which is a stupid regulation. I never have to do that when flying abroad, only when landing in the US. It makes no sense.
Young guy entitlement issues collides with old guy anger control issues. Hilarity ensues.
Regarding the rules, it is their airplane. If they want all devices turned off, then either turn them off or get off the freaking plane.
Well done to the guy for punching him although the stewards need to be fired for not ensuring the safety of the aircraft correctly. It greatly annoys me that kids think they can just flout authority these days.
Hope that nasty old f**k gets thrown in guantanamo. Good fir the kid to stick up for himself. And as for the FAA, I wouldn’t trust them to watch a pay toilet
I never turn off my iPhone during flights! Does that really make me a bad American Doug B, you dick? I always use airplane mode however, which is more than what most cellphone users do. Airplane mode turns off all wireless communications.
This story is spreading fast in my neck of the woods and have been getting “Didja hear about…?!” Everyone’s response locally has been resoundingly cheering on the guy who punched that insubordinate twerp with some version of, “The punk had it coming!”
I agree with @Think. And there is inconsistency within the US. On one leg of a flight, on the same airline, they were brutal about enforcement. On the next leg, there was nothing even said. I had my iPad on and was reading as the final check was made. The weird thing though was when the plane decelerated on landing, the G-forces caused the position sensor to flip over the view on the screen.
OMG BFD RFLMA – A mark on his arm. Good lord that must have smarted and damaged this punk for life. We are becoming a nation of wimps. Maybe next time the kid will listen to the announcement, assuming he heard it. Otherwise the other guy should be slapped on the wrist and put in a corner.
Why, yes, J Bone. That DOES make you a bad american.
Airplane mode is not enough anymore. They want everything off and not in use at all. Could vary by airline or captain but that’s what they said on my most recent flight.
We all know too many teens don’t know how to behave in public, and many have a “don’t tell me what to do” attitude. The teen should have been detained for failure to follow flight crew instructions. Besides, in an era when some are intent in setting off explosives in their shoes or undies (and we praise passengers for stopping them), maybe his fellow passenger suspected he was up to no good.
wasn’t flying Jet Blue, otherwise, instead of a passenger going off punching him in the arm, the jerk ass teen might have had his head handed to him by the flight attendant who then, the flight attendant would have bounced off the walls of the plane, cussed out the non-fit parents, as well as, the other passengers, opened the plane door, deploy the emergency chute and slide down to freedom! Woo Hoo!!
The issue isn’t whether or not the teen had the iPhone in Airplane mode or not – the issue is during take off and landings the passengers may need to respond to flight attendants instructions. If the teen was listening to music or playing games, he *may* endanger himself or others through his inattention.
If you can’t put it down for a few minutes, you have other issues that need attention.
Funny how no airplanes have ever been brought down due to an errant cell phone or computer being left on. I travel extensively on company charter’s where cell phones, laptos, etc. are rarely ever turned off and am here today to write about it. Seems to me that at least one person fails to turn off a cell phone or computer per flight which means a plane should be falling out of the sky on a pretty routine basis given the thousands of flights each day. I have seen people talking on cell phones before during and after take without any hazard to plane or passengers. If leaving an electronic device on was so dangerous I am sure the FAA would have already banned the use entirely. Perhaps someone can tell me what all the fuss is about?
Follow the rules, you dirty punk commie bastards! Or you will deserve the punchings!!! Now get you and your ANGRY TERRORIST BIRDS off our FREEDOM PLANE before we stuff you in an overhead bin!!!
Seriously, people. Get a grip.
You really are a bunch of sheep.
i love all the people saying well done for punching a kid that doesn’t follow rules. i guess punching other people is allowed now?
I agree with Raymond In DC.
Amen, Raymond.
It’s all about safety and control of the passengers. Landing and take-off are the most dangerous and critical parts of any flight. If something goes wrong everyone needs to be aware and listen to instructions. Can’t do that if you have your ears plugged listening to Beiber!
The morons cheering the beating up of strangers for
“Not Following Rules” (Benito Mussolini would be proud)
made me aware of another moron in America.
The oxymoron of America emerging culture of
Violent Sheep
Droid does. ‘Roid rage. The old fart probably got an Android phone for Christmas & couldn’t figure out how to play games on it so got jealous someone with an iPhone was showing him how crappy his Droid was.
I don’t know how much people here fly globally, but vast majority of airlines in the developed world (and that includes America) does NOT allow ANY electronic devices to be on during take of and final approach/landing. Reasons for the wireless devices are obvious even to morons (direct interference with comm/nav equipment). When the rule was instituted (some ten years ago), the only other mobile electronic devices were laptops and portable DVD players, both of which contained CD-players, which can theoretically bleed some microwave radiation, which could theoretically interfere with GPS reception. Obviously, when the issue is safety in flying, there seems to be universally extreme caution across the world (at least across the developed world). Everyone must be buckled up for take-off and landing, everyone must submit to (what almost amounts to) cavity search before boarding, even though flying is by far safest method of transportation (significantly safer than traveling by bus or train). Yet, nobody is pressing for seat belts on buses and trains (let alone forcing people to use them).
The point is, while there may be a flight where a crew of an airline did not enforce those rules, the rules are fairly clearly defined, fairly strict and fairly universal globally. The massive amounts of money airlines end up paying out to people if something happens to someone on some flight are enough of a motivation to make rules as strict as possible, even if they end up making little sense.
I usually hate rules that make no sense or go overboard, but flying is one major exception for me. If that teen had been my son, he would have received exactly the same treatment from me, making sure he actually does what the crew tells him to do.
“We are becoming a nation of wimps.”
According to the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania, that’s “We are becoming a nation of wussies.”
Only problem is that it is the dumb ass liberal democrats, like Governor Rendell himself, that support government control of one’s life from the womb to the tomb that is the reason why Americans are fast losing their status as a “pull yourself up by your boot straps” nation to that nation of “wussies”! Hope those socialist European elitists don’t get into any more wars and expect a “Wussie” nation to bail them out for a fourth time! Not happening pu$$y Europeans… Bend over and kiss your own superior ass good-bye!
“Violent Sheep” I like that! It sounds like a 70s punk band.
If a crew, and everyone else, actually knew a device was on airplane mode, maybe that might change things. But you can’t know that for sure without checking. So, if these things really do endanger us – and I don’t know that for sure – then the other passenger could have correctly be concerned for his own safety. Sometimes kids get by with this even when a flight attendant is supposed to be checking. I assume the teen was flying without a parent? In retrospect, the passenger should have pressed the attendant call button.
Some folks just need a shot in the arm to get them to listen.
I’m with you chrissie. The sheeple are out in force on this one. Imagine people cheering on some old man punching a kid for listening to an iPod. Jealous much.
Perhaps if it was such a serious life threatening issue the attendant could gave done what they are payed to do and ask the customer to turn off his pod. Just sayn.
For the safety of the passengers and crew, powered devices are request to be turned off, not just because it may interfere with the plane-tower communications systems, but also to ensure that the everyone on board hears and safety/emergency announcements.
The latter issue would be not be fully satisfied by someone listened to music with headphones even in Airplane mode.
I’m with ChrissyOne. You people are bloodthirsty in here. No one in that situation deserves a beating. How bout we handle things like adults. If the kid isn’t following the rules, why don’t we summon the flight attendent so he or she can calmly resolve the situation?
You authoritarian freaks just love to look for any slight excuse to punch somebody.
Sorry, you just don’t go around hitting people you disagree with. And if he were my kid, I would take away his iPhone. Then, since the adult threw the first punch at a minor, I would defend my kid with extreme measures. Both legally and physically. You can hit me on the cheek. But not my kid
@ Rvanward
According to the original article, the kid didn’t just didn’t respond to the request, he REFUSED to.
My kid: I was there, I would have given him the back of my hand before the gentleman had a chance to punch his arm.
If I wasn’t, I would get all the facts straight; but probably after I gave him the back of my hand.
But then, my kid would have known better in the first place.
Brilliant as usual Chrissy…
The very people who whine incessantly about “the sheeple” are the ones whipped into mindless lynch mobs by the voices of their radio idols. Un-American? Poor parenting? Jeopardizing the group’s safety? Get a grip! Since when has it become un-American to ignore mindless rules? I’m amazed that this kid ignored ANY rule, after being searched without cause, told what to wear, video taped in the restroom, etc. at public school every day for the last 10 years. Isn’t there some country somewhere in the world that I can move to that still has some shred of personal freedom and privacy left?
To be fair, we don’t know exactly why a fight broke out between the two, do we? It sounds like the punch to the arm was a final straw for the man. Sounds like ignorance all the way around. The simplest solution would’ve been for the teen to just do what was being asked of him, rather than putting up resistance, regardless of the safety of the situation.
While I don’t condone the actions of the man I also don’t condone the attitude of “I will only obey the rules that I like or that I approve of and ignore the rest. After all I know what is best for everyone.”
The kid should be in trouble with the law too!
You can’t punch anyone anymore without being in trouble with the law. Kids are allowed to break the rules all the time with no consequences, which makes it no surprise when they grow up and end up in trouble with mommy and daddy bailing them out if they can, or making excuses for them, or taking the blame, or raising their illegitimate kids, or……….
…”Hope those socialist European elitists don’t get into any more wars and expect a “Wussie” nation to bail them out for a fourth time! “
????
Americans took two years to be bothered with entering second World War, (bombing of Pearl Harbour); and two more to actually get on the ground in Europe. By then, millions of fighters of various European countries had died fighting Germans. American contribution there was significant, but every historian agrees that the Axis powers were already losing the war by the time D-Day invasion was planned. The war would have cost many more lives and dragged on for more years without American involvement, but it would have been won, nevertheless.
The entire European continent will forever respect the ultimate sacrifice given by many American servicemen fighting far away from their home to defend someone else’s lands. It is in very poor taste to abuse that noble sacrifice as an argument in an idiotic quasi-political post.
No one was ever going to set off a bomb in their undies. That is so stupid. Its been proven that what they thought was a bomb was nothing. This whole terriost thing is so way out of line.
And his iPhone was no bomb it would have had to be scanned at security.
If he had headphones on he most likely didn’t hear. Oh my let’s punch someone in the arm over it. Gosh people get over yourselves.
I have never flown and wondered about a bomb on the plane. I believe it’s all a bunch of junk. Millions of flights every day of the week yet hmm none of blown up over a bomb or someone leaving on a cell phone or other electronics.
Only in the us do you have to follow such silly rules.
@mdmac
Hope your kid makes you pay for all the psychotherapy it sounds like he’s gonna need
The original story made it sound like he refused the old man who hit him. As would I have done as well.
Society gets what it celebrates.
So really? This guy is now the on we are holding up as an example? Attacking a CHILD?
Everyone who responded the kid had it coming has 2dozen stories about how cool they were as a teenager defying authority.
I wonder what the punishment for child-out-of-wedlock should be?
What mindless group think we have here.
That 15 yr old kid got punched by some douche bag who should have minded his own business. He’s lucky he didn’t punch my kid.
It’s ok to punch a kid now?
Only a dumb fucking retard hick would think that was ok.
I’m sorry, . . . if I see someone doing something that could even possibly endanger my life, or untold numbers of lives around me, I think it is incumbent upon me to take whatever action is appropriate. Perhaps a punch in the arm was an inappropriate action of for an adult over a minor, but I would have to consider taking the device from him during the remainder of the flight approach.
I was a part of the airline industry for three decades, and have been acquainted with most of the arguments about electronic devices on aircraft. The landing approach is the most critical part of a flight, and is where most of the catastrophic happenings occur. The industry comes down heavily on the side of safety, sometimes even when there seems to be little threat. The public should be well aware that this is a major factor that makes you several hundreds or thousands of times safer in an airplane than your own bathtub. . . . That factor could be in the millions compared to a hospital.
Punching is never the intelligent solution. If you have to resort to punching, then you have lost the intellectual argument, and you’re left with only dumb force.
But then, dumb is what a lot of people do best.
iLovemymac:
No, not only in the US. If you bothered to read comments, you’d have found out that vast majority of airlines in the developed world have exactly the same rules.
You will also have found out that the primary reason for enforcing the turning off of electronics is so that passengers can SEE and HEAR crew during the phase of the flight when (statistically) there is the greatest possibility of an incident/accident.
This rule has absolutely NOTHING to do with terrorism.
Git offen my lawn you damn punk hoodlums!
Or I’ll give you such a pinch!
Rules are rules.
The kid broke one, the guy broke one.
I’m with the guy though.
Kudos to him.
“Why, yes, J Bone. That DOES make you a bad American.”
Amen @ Doug B. – Makes you a raging moron too,
Neither the behavior of the teenager or the older man were exactly admirable nor took into account the safety of the plane. It’s not up to anyone here to determine whether this is an excessive regulation and then act on their own sense of what’s appropriate. (Strange things can happen in the cockpit that interfere with pilot’s flying even though they dont result in a plane crash.) Neither is it up to the older man to exact punishment for an infraction of these rules. He should have signaled the flight attendant and let them deal with it. I know the temptation of knee jerk righteous indignation is a powerful one with the urge to lash out irresistible, but shows a lack of maturity. Kids are a self-centered lot and can be totally clueless.
An official of the airline dealing with it would have more gravitas than a stranger pounding on you. But feel free to pound away if the guy is trying to light fire to his shoe!
The kid probably had the real nice noise cancelling earphones …I guess they worked too good for the lynch mob.
@ Rvanward
As I said, I would get all the facts straight.
I have a feeling it wasn’t much of a punch, but if my kid upped and dissed anybody that was essentially disobeying the law, he knows that you do the crime, you do the time.
As for me, I would have taken the issue outside.
According to Mythbusters, “It was found that cell phone signals, specifically those in the 800-900 MHz range, did intefere with unshielded cockpit instrumentation. Because older aircraft with unshielded wiring can be affected, and because of the possible problems that may arise by having many airborne cell phones “seeing” multiple cell phone towers, the FCC (via enforcement through the FAA) still deems it best to err on the safe side and prohibit the use of cell phones while airborne.”
Having an iPhone on airplane mode wouldn’t interfere. The kid should have turned his iPhone off out of courtesy but he did not deserve to be punched.
Instead of punching the teenager, he should have told the steward that he heard the iPhone ticking and though it might be a bomb!
The steward would be forced to respond. It is our civil responsibility now to ‘see something, say something’ – thanks Janet.
The teenager would poop himself as the airline ranger points a gun at him and removes and destroys the iPhone. Problem solved without lifting a finger!
They were both jerks.
@ HolyMackerel
Now you’re thinking like an adult.
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The kid was in his own private Idaho.
@mdmac
“as I said I would get all the facts straight”
Well, except that you didn’t. It says in the story he didn’t hear the overhead announcement and it’s implied his refusal went to the nosy old man. Rightly so.
So your kids are taught to obey strangers or get hit, As long as its “not much of a punch”?Interesting.
An inappropriate response by a big jerk to an inappropriate behavior by a little jerk. Reprimand them both and be done with it.
I think the man should have had brought the matter to the attention of the flight attendant. I also say the airlines need to let everyone know why we’re expected to turn off the equipment so no one can claim to know better. The flight crews AND passengers need to be able enforce the restrictions, just as they would if someone was trying to light their shoe.
It’s a different world out there, but it’s not as if turning the dang things off for a few minutes is a great hardship.
2 things:
Several years ago a flight departing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada en route to London, had to make an emergency landing due to a cell phone interfering with the navigation computer.
The regulation to turn off all entertainment devices during takeoff and landing is so that everyone hears inflight announcements by the flight attendants.
Which is pretty damn good rule in my books.
The man should have just asked a flight attendant to get the kids attention to shut off his phone. Or maybe he could have just touched him on the shoulder and asked say “Hey, the captain just asked for us to shut all electronics off” if the kid doesn’t listen then talk to a flight attendant…
Him going to jail is a bit insane… simply lame
If there was a remote chance that a electronic device could bring down a airliner you would have to be moronic to board said airliner. It is stickly a way to insure that the flight attendants have your attenion in case of an emergency.
I have seen calls answered and iniatiated on short final – even a Captain’s landing passed to me while he answered his phone.
I’m not making a judgement call just stating the facts. As a rule if I’m riding in the back – in all phases of flight – the music is in my ear or I’m playing Madden on my iPad.
Just a thought here. Airplane mode is so the phone does not transmit by accident or receive phone calls (which makes it transmit. )
The reason you are to power off your electronics is so you will listen to the flight attendant. In the fateful few seconds between a normal landing and a crash, the attendants do not have time to gently coach anyone to please be so nice to pay attention.
When it comes time to open the emergency door or don your O2 mask, seconds count. Seconds that playing a video game and not wanting to listen to adults can waste.
Just a thought here.
PS, cell phones can provide interfearence on plane flights. the plane does not crash cause air holds up the wings not electrons. However, navigation information or flight info can be lost or comprmised. But the big thing is paying attention to the flight crew……. even if they are a pain at times.
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en
@ Rvanward
“as I said I would get all the facts straight
Well, except that you didn’t. It says in the story he didn’t hear the overhead announcement and it’s implied his refusal went to the nosy old man. Rightly so.”
I read the story, but somehow I didn’t read where it says he didn’t hear the overhead announcement.
Perhaps you could enlighten me.
Daily, I’d like to punch people who are yapping loudly in public on their cell phones.
But I’d be crippled or dead now, because the phone user would likely hit me back.
Especially a 15 year old. They’re quick and strong.
I’ve asked cell phone users who insist on yakking away when pumping gas whether they want to blow themselves up – I just point to the signs saying no phone use while pumping gas due to explosion hazard.
Damn cell phones – people get unlimited minutes and think they have to use all of them.
The guy should have called a stewardess. Sounds like he got coal in his stocking and was looking for a fight. This didn’t interfere with the plane’s navigational system. ” AppleJack ” is incorrect. The number one factor in airplane accidents is pilot error. Tired and overworked pilots is the number one factor, coupled with inexperience.
Talk about a real digrace, the kid should have been arrested for putting all the passengers lives in danger and the man given a free flight anywhere.
I’m an old guy. You don’t just punch someone.
You don’t just take matters into your own hands.
@AppleJack, I highly doubt you would wrestle some guy in a bar down to the ground who you didn’t know and steal his keys from him, because you thought he mentioned he was going to drive home after a beer. Even having ONE beer before driving is more dangerous than playing a game on your iPhone.
Perhaps a better way.
http://jalopnik.com/5672809/how-an-ipad-got-a-guy-placed-on-the-no+fly-list
Typical old douchebag, resorts to physical violence when things don’t go his way… That old f**k should be punished to the full extent of the law
Anyone who sides with the guy in jail, is wrong. YOU’RE WRONG!
I don’t care if the boy is a smart alec, and told you to buzz off, or mind your own business, YOU DON’T HIT PASSENGERS!
Typical Americans. ‘I can do whatever I want, the rules don’t apply to me’, until an avoidable disaster happens. Then everyone runs around pointing fingers. Hilarious.
@qka
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Actually.. The sign says no cell phones but there has also been no confirmed spark from a cell phone either.
As someone else pointed out mythbusters earlier, they also attacked it. And FAILED to force a fire from a cell phone rigged to spark…
They ended up just blowing up the experiment anyway
And as for the guy hitting the kid… He’s in a LOT more trouble than that kid will ever be.
Kid is a minor, the guy is in for a long legal road in front of him. Only if it was his own kid would it not be as bad for him.
Still, IMO airplane mode… Means it can’t interfere. Kid should have turned it off to silence the crybabies though.
Everybody is wrong here.
The kid is wrong for not following directives, no matter how illogical he might think they are.
The dude is wrong for punching him; that’s not his place. If efforts fail to get the kid’s attention, turn that role over to the plane’s staff. If you feel a justifiable life-threatening situation exists, be prepared to justify the use of force in court. But try to get the attention of the staff BEFORE getting to that point.
The plane’s staff is wrong for not enforcing the rules, both during and after the flight.
Finally, the airline industry is wrong for still having this archaic rule. There is no evidence of any electronic conflict, this has been done for safety out of ignorance, not out of any evidence that there is a risk.
@predrag
The world is full of powered devices that we never turn off,
Do you turn off your wrist watch or pacemaker?
And what about the interference caused by the on-board lighting?
Never heard of iPhone’s Airplane mode, which disables all wireless communications, including wifi, bluetooth, gps, in addition to the cell phone itself.?
If a plane could even remotely be affected by a gamer on an iPhone the bloody thing shouldnt be in the air in the first place.
This is just mindless regulation by the airlines to let them show who’ s boss in the air.
To everyone saying that the phone in airplane mode put everyone on the plane at risk, sorry, but that is BS. Try to back that up with some science. You can’t.
To everyone saying that him listening to music with headphones would prevent him from hearing the flight attendants’ directions in the case of an emergency, you’re right, but how in the hell does that put anyone at risk other than himself? He’d be sitting ther listening to Linkin Park and everyone else would be sliding down the slide. Let him win the Darwin award if it comes down to it.
Anyone cosigning this idiot old man punching this kid because he is doing something he doesn’t like, please remember that when someone punches your kid in the face for crossing the street with headphones on. Do NOT call the police, the dumb brat had it coming.
If every passenger who breaks the rules is shot by the air marshals, then the rule compliance will suddenly become 100%.
On the other hand, the terrorists will have won the battle.
Maverick should not of taken law into his own hands, especially with an underage and probably undersized kid …. Court will frown on his behavior ….
Now the kid should of been taken care of by a flight attendant ….
What a mess and for no good reason ….
Did the Maverick sell Apple stock two years ago and was taking out his frustration on the poor kid!
Russell Miller had no right to assault his fellow passenger in the way he did. He should have hit the call button and reported the kid to a flight attendant. They are the authority on the plane not him. In such a confined space, plane rage is a very dangerous thing, way more than a belligerant teenager.
You guys are insane. You don’t and cannot justify punching another human being. The guy should have spoken to the stewardesses and let them take it from there if he was so concerned.
I hope you all are joking about the “he had it coming”. Would you be okay with every passerby punching you tomorrow for each thing you did against the rules that they didn’t like?
You go over the speed limit? I knife your tires. You’re endangering my safety.
You don’t put your cart all the way into the cart area at the grocery store? I scrape your car with the cart. Too bad.
You take a cell phone call while driving? I throw an anvil into the way of your car. Sorry. No, I’m not.
It’s ridiculous. You guys are seriously mentally ill.
I had no idea folks on this board were so ethically challenged.
Punching is the American way
few countries have been at war for as long as the US.
if fact the USA has been punching someone since independence.
just sayin’
@ Big Als MBP
“If every passenger who breaks the rules is shot by the air marshals, then the rule compliance will suddenly become 100%.”
If every murderer was put to death, then there would be no murder.
Huh huh… yeah, right.
Former pilot here…
People please do this:
1) Use your cell phones and other devices all you want. When instructed, put them in airplane mode and then turn them off. Wait until instructed that you can turn them back on.
2) Yes, turn them off. Really off. For iPhones, slide that red button over so it shuts down. No, really, turn them off. I routinely see only a small fraction of iPhone owners do this. Help out by pointing out to others, like my mom, who thinks it’s off enough when it’s in sleep mode.
3) Follow the same instructions upon landing.
True: no plane has ever been brought down and had an electronics devices identified as the cause.
Also true: Planes have collided in the air and on the ground due to miscommunications. Radio signals can be, at times, as difficult to decipher as your average AT&T call (scary, huh?).
As a pilot who has been in a pattern where not everyone was receiving the radio commands. I can say that it’s really not worth those few extra minutes of Lady Gaga.
The biggest reasons for turning off all electronics are:
1) Pay attention. This is a critical time of the flight. In an emergency, it’s better to not add any more distractions. It also helps people pay attention to safety instructions (even if some ignore them).
2) It’s not just electronics…you’re supposed to put away everything. They don’t want all kinds of hard flying objects in the cabin or things people would trip on or get tangled in during an emergency exit.
3) What is that? Most electronics aren’t so much of a problem…a cell phone, an iPod, a laptop… but bring aboard a high powered transceiver and there could be a problem. Every day there are new electronic devices coming out and some day one of them may cause a problem. The flight attendants can’t go around and see exactly what device that is that you have and the consequences, thus it’s easier to have one policy of nothing on during take off and landing. Great, you, Mr. I’ve Tested My Device On Numerous Flights, that’s nice, but we’d rather not be your lab, and did you test your phone with tens or more of others? Did you test it on a plane who’s RF shielding may have come undone?
Look, it’s pretty simple really to turn off your devices as instructed, just do it for no other reason than to make the jobs of flight attendants that much easier.
Tea Party types should call the kid king, what with his anti government attitude.
A bit of a story, got nothing to do with Apple but worth reading… in my view
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[But if you want the gist of it, NCIceman nailed it above and do heed macslut.]
I fly a lot both domestic and international. Only on two occasions have I ever had a problem with a fellow passenger and both times, my actions have prompted cabin-wide applause in my support.
Both situations involved parents travelling long-haul with minors suffering the “terrible-twos”.
The two year old boy seated in front of me (I like window seats) is hyper and throwing a tantrum; the parents have both check-out and are deliberately ignoring their charming little angel; and hot food has now been served to make life that much more interesting for us all.
So how to deal with the brat who is standing up and jumping in the seat in front which is causing your tray to wobble as well as that cup of hot coffee?
My approach is always to put the airline into the middle of the situation and make it take responsibility (and accountability) for the problem. After all, my contract in the form an airline ticket is with the airline and I am entitled to a safe and comfortable flight.
In this instance, I summoned an attendant and politely, but loudly (because I’m seated in the window seat and I wanted the errant parents to hear me), asked that she communicate with the “adults responsible for the minor” to settle their child down as “I don’t want this hot coffee to end up in my lap…”. And continue to say that I am asking the attendant to make this happen as “I have had no say in the selection of people it has placed around me. And that as a representative of the airline, the airline is now on notice that it is their responsibility to ensure that I, as well as my fellow passengers, have a safe and pleasant flight” and to “please make it happen.” A bit of a speech but three or four sharp sentences, delivered politely and assertively, does it.
It stops the attendant from attempting to “manage” me down (interesting how a second attendant has always appeared around now) and encourage their focus to shift on to the errant parents who are by now looking for the nearest rock to crawl under… except we’re 35,000ft in the air and lots of surrounding passengers (the silent majority that was too timid to act) have now tuned in to the matter.
What I find reassuring is that usually between three to four passengers will at this point also chime in with supporting remarks and many others will break out in spontaneous applause.
This effectively fixes it so that the attendants have no other recourse but to take a stern line with the parents (who by now are well and truly in the dog house).
In both instances, a few words from the attendants to now chastised-parents leads to amazing “distraction tactics” being deployed to settle their little charmers down. Drawing books, crayons, toys etc miraculously appear from their carry-on luggage and lockers in the galley.
Soon the brat settles down and ultimately falls asleep… And a few conciliatory drinks have been served to me and those around me…
I’m sure the man who punched the kid has now regretfully figured out that he should not have hit the kid. Rather, he should have made the airline take seriously its responsibility and obligation for the safety and welfare of ALL its passengers – including the safety and welfare of a misinformed (“I did not hear the announcement”), rude and defiant “young adult”.
In case you’re wondering, yes I am a Dad and my two boys (the thundering herd) have always been well entertained when flying…
@Zeke
“Isn’t there some country somewhere in the world that I can move to that still has some shred of personal freedom and privacy left?”
Not likely.
But if you find one, please let me know.
Rear naked choke – take that f@#$er down! Then strap him to the wing for the next flight and get the TSA to “examine” him on his return.
“The regulation to turn off all entertainment devices during takeoff and landing is so that everyone hears inflight announcements by the flight attendants.”
To me, this makes so much sense. So why can I sit there reading a book or magazine, but not play Angry Birds or read the news on my iOS device (in airplane mode, of course, to avoid any possible interference).
Same reason we now perform full-body x-rays of our pilots (who enter the plane within view of the public) but let baggage handlers access the plane with essentially no restrictions.
Mindless rules and security theatre.
No more thinking.
Many years ago, I took one of the first TRS-80 Model 100’s on a flight from New York to California. The “Trash 100” was one of the first truly portable laptops. It was ideal for newspaper folk. I liked it.
The movie on the flight was “War Games”, a lame story about a kid who got involved with a computer that damn near led to global nuclear war.
I was playing around with the light-weight, battery-operated box (way ahead of its time), writing some Basic stuff when I noticed a whole bunch of passengers standing behind me. They were looking at the movie screen/looking at me. Nervously. Perhaps a parallel with MDN’s 21st Century post.
Good times.
Saw the picture of Miller in the article. Looks like
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The Wall Street Journal’s Walter S. Mossberg
traveling under an alias. What was he doing in
Las Vegas? Does his wife know? Was he pulling
a ‘Tiger Woods’ ?
Well, if he had saved the plane from a disaster by his action people would have thought differently.
A punch if it’s an iPod; jump right to the jugular if it’s an iPad.
@Applejack, I’m sorry, the no electronics during takeoff/landing is one of the silliest rules of civil aviation.
When the old Hong Kong airport was in operation (before 1998) jumbo jets had to make a 45° right turn less than 15 seconds before touchdown. It was an awesome experience, and there were no shortage of people taking pictures or even video during the landing, and those were on camcorders with moving parts–so its electronics were far more likely to cause interference than an iPhone on Airplane mode.
A commercial prop plane flying Las Vegas – Grand Canyon also had no problems with me taking videos of the take-off or landing.
A camera, mp3 player, etc will have *no* impact on a passenger jet, most of which have LCD screens on seatbacks and are on even during takeoff/landing on every plane I’ve been on. The rule is in place only as a CYA measure
Why is this even a story? Who cares if he had his iPhone on? Who cares that he got tapped on the arm? Stupid.
@Ting
Great post!
So how many times have you been hit by lightning? I wonder how many times the wifi system hasnt deactivated below 10,000? Again I say, if consumer electronics can bring down an airliner – we have a very large problem on our hands.
Angry bird? How about snot-brat teenager?
14 CFR 91.21 — Portable electronic devices.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate, nor may any operator or pilot in command of an aircraft allow the operation of, any portable electronic device on any of the following U.S.-registered civil aircraft:
(1) Aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate; or
(2) Any other aircraft while it is operated under IFR.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to—
(1) Portable voice recorders;
(2) Hearing aids;
(3) Heart pacemakers;
(4) Electric shavers; or
(5) Any other portable electronic device that the operator of the aircraft has determined will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft on which it is to be used.
(c) In the case of an aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate, the determination required by paragraph (b)(5) of this section shall be made by that operator of the aircraft on which the particular device is to be used. In the case of other aircraft, the determination may be made by the pilot in command or other operator of the aircraft.
As long as the iPhone was in Airplane mode, then there was no reason it should be shut off. Now, if the kid was not using earphones and the music and game sounds were being broadcast to the entire cabin for the whole flight, I can see how other folks might be pissed, but resorting to violence is really a desperate act.
According to the article, the kid didn’t hear the intercom announcement. There was no mention of him ‘refusing’ a request. I don’t see any justification for punching anyone here. That’s just nuts. And it’s crazy to defend that kind of behavior.
“All powered devices turned off” is likely to ensure that if there’s an emergency, no one is so distracted that they can’t follow instructions. I’ve also been advised to stow away my crocheting, which is definitely non-powered.
It amused me to read the comment from ChrissyOne, who I’m guessing owns an iPhone, iPod or iPod (or possibly all 3), having the audacity to call anyone else a sheep.
Both the kid and the pensioner are in the wrong, lock them both up. Who knows what the kid was doing? He could have been trying to crash the plane on landing – there must be app for that…
Two wrongs does not make one right.
Coming back from Asia in December the landing announcement required that we turn off all electronic devices, including those in airplane mode. (United Airlines). I think more and more airlines make your life miserable just because they can.
May be too late to comment now. But I wanted to address those who say things must be off so people can hear instructions. I agree that should be a good reason. But the airlines themselves do not appear to care whether we hear by using grossly inadequate sound systems. Further, many flight attendants rush their talking figuring that they said it and it’s not their fault if we don’t hear it.
Get better PA systems on planes and be sure to speak clearly and well to be heard. Then, I’ll accept you’re serious about having us hear what you’re saying.