Man Hits Teenager On Airplane For Using iPhone

Charlotte Web writes "A 68-year-old man was arrested in Idaho after punching a teenager who refused to switch off their iPhone on an airplane. 'The unnamed boy ignored the flight crew's request to switch off electronic devices and instead continued playing games and listening to music,' after which, the teenager says, the man went 'ballistic.' After their scuffle, the 68-year-old man now faces a six month jail term or a $1,000 fine. But the iPhone-using teenager 'did not require medical attention and did not face any police action.'"

Comments

Airplane Mode

[Anarki2004]

The article is kind of light on the details. I wonder if the phone in question was in "airplane mode" or offline or something and the old man just didn't get it.

Re:Airplane Mode

[yakatz]

It does not matter.
As any (slightly-educated) flight attendant will tell you, the reason for turning off electronic devices is to get rid of any distractions that will stop a passenger from hearing instructions given by the flight crew.
Airplane mode or not, if there was a fire on the plane and you have your ear-buds in (or worse, noise-cancelling headphones), you will likely as not be burned to a crisp, because you will not hear the instructions from the crew.

Anyway, as far as the purpose and usefulness of "Airplane Mode":
From the FAA Advisory Circular 91-21.1B (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/list/AC%252091.21-1B/$FILE/AC%252091.21-1B.pdf)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently prohibits the use of cell phones while airborne. Its primary concern is that a cell phone, used while airborne, would have a much greater transmitting range than a land mobile unit. Their use could result in unwanted interference to transmissions at other cell locations since the system uses the same frequency several times within a market or given operating area. Since a cell phone is capable of operating on various cellular frequencies, unwanted interference may also affect cellular systems in adjacent markets or operating areas.

Re:Airplane Mode

[Seumas]

If your phone or laptop posed ANY risk whatsoever, they wouldn't let you bring them on the fucking plane at all. If you can't bring four ounces of water on or a pair of nail-clippers, is there any chance that they're going to let you bring a device onboard that could cause interference with control and flight of the fucking plane and just trust the passengers on the "honor system"? Of course not.

The logic behind all of it is the same logic behind groping you at the security checkpoint and shouting at you like you're being processed through some sort of concentration camp entrance. It's all about making you obey. About adjusting your mindset. Shut up and do what you're told. Don't think about it. Just shut the fuck up and do it.

Re:Airplane Mode

[Locke2005]

My thoughts exactly. You are ALLOWED to use iPhones on the plane, as long as the transmitter is off.

Re:Airplane Mode

[RockDoctor]

if there was a fire on the plane and you have your ear-buds in (or worse, noise-cancelling headphones), you will likely as not be burned to a crisp,

Not withstanding the rightness or otherwise of this specific case, if someone is so zoned out into whatever they're listening to as to not notice that they're in a plane that's on fire, then perhaps that person is a good candidate for being deleted from the gene pool.

And for what it's worth, most of the time when I fly, the security guard who pats me down (not optional, for anyone ; body scanners haven't been introduced and are unlikely to ever be introduced) will be taking any music players, headphones, telephones or cameras and locking them in security until I return through that airport. No questions allowed ; no discussion ; they're gone. If you don't like it, you're not going to fly and you're going to get fired. Your contract of employment states that you will follow the safety rules in force or you will get the sack. The kid needs a dose of reality.

Should have done more.

[Anonymous Coward]

He should have punched the kid in the face and put his lights out. Stupid kids.

What is the rule?

[cvtan]

I have noticed that as I get older I have become more obsessed with younger people following the "rules". Not sure why this is; just an observation. If I had to follow rules whether or not they made sense, then they have to do it too! The announced rule on the flight was probably to turn off ALL electronic devices. They don't say to put your device in airplane mode or deactivate any transmissions in a certain frequency range or give exemptions to this or that device. Too complicated. Teenager was probably annoying; 68-year old was probably incensed that someone not following instructions that everyone else had to obey suffered no consequences.