It seems that every time I travel by air (and it’s about twice a month these days), there is yet another new rule one has to obey in order to avoid confrontation and possible arrest (zero tolerance for any display of frustration or disagreement).
Here’s a new one. Pay attention next time the announcer comes on to advise the various cautions regarding the use of electronics on board. It now appears that only ear-bud type earphones are allowed. If your earphones have a metal band over the top…you’re out of luck! I asked the flight attendant about this (she appeared to momentarily be in a good mood, so I thought I’d chance getting tasered and asked). Apparently the powers that be have determined that traditional type earphones are a grave danger in an evacuation since they have a longer cord than ear-buds and that plus the metal band could trip people up in an emergency exit.
Here’s another one. I was sitting in the emergency exit row. The flight attendant came over to give us our “special” instructions. My earphones were off my head. She insisted however, that I must unplug them from my iPhone before she could proceed with her instructions. Kooky, huh? No explanation, and since she didn’t appear in a good mood, I didn’t dare ask her the raison-d’etre for this requirement. I can only assume it’s because I might not be able to pay full attention to these critical instructions if I were surreptitiously trying to hear the music from the earphones in my lap!
I’m looking forward to my next flight. there will probably be a new requirement that all men wear briefs instead of boxer shorts since the latter might get bunched up in the crack of one’s ass and make it more difficult to exit the plane in an emergency.
I think the nanny-state gets its greatest expression in the skies.
