The FAA made a lot of fliers happier last year when it relaxed its ban on using electronic devices during take-off and landing. The ban on in-flight calls was still in effect though, but it looked like the FCC was going to strike that one down too. Well, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee doesn’t really like that idea.

The Hill reports that the Committee, headed up by Chairman Bill Shuster, has just passed a bill that would ban in-flight cell phone calls. It’s not that Shuster thinks a cell phone call will suddenly tear a plane from the sky though. He just doesn’t want to hear you talking to your boyfriend at 30,000 feet.

“In our day-to-day lives, when we find someone’s cell phone call to be too loud, too close, or too personal, we can just walk away,” Shuster said. “But at 30,000 feet, there’s nowhere else for an airline passenger to go. Under this bill, passengers will be able to use their mobile devices to stay connected, through getting online, emailing, texting, and more. During flights, it is common sense and common courtesy to continue keeping cell phone calls on the ground.”

It would appear that the House Committee is not alone on this matter. A companion bill has already been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lamar Alexander. The aviation and travel industries also backed the legislation. The U.S. Travel Association notes that polls have found that frequent fliers would prefer that in-flight calls remain banned because nobody wants to hear you blabber on like an idiot on an already stressful flight.

It’s nothing personal, mind you. We’re all obnoxious when talking on a cell phone. Just stick to texting and we’ll all be happy. Well, as happy as 100 humans cramped in a flying tin can can be.

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