the cell/plane solution

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Dr. James J. O'Donnell" <provost () georgetown edu>
Date: June 17, 2005 8:33:52 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: the cell/plane solution



Not so long ago, when you checked in, they asked you whether you planned
to annoy other people, and if you did, they put you in the last rows of
coach with the other insensitive clods.  Easy to resurrect that  
practice.
In those days, of course, the annoyance-of-choice was smoking.  Second
best solution is for somebody to invent a phone that gives crystal clear
high fidelity transmission, but only when the speaker is whispering as
softly as possible.

But there's really nothing technological about the issue, but everything
about social norms.  The general acceptance of noise and the  
heedlessness
of many who generate lots of it (loud talking, loud music, TV's in  
waiting
areas, cell phone yellers) is a plague to many of us.  I'm at least
half-serious in comparing this to the plague that smoke was thirty years
ago:  social norms can change.  I take comfort in the number of  
people on
planes using noise reduction headsets, and am sure that more will do so
when they get cheaper and when people realize that you actually do  
arrive
at the end of a long flight more rested and less tired when you use  
them.
On the other hand, there are all those baby boomers with damaged hearing
from their years of concerts and overpowered headphones who will, as  
they
age, need to yell at each other to be heard and will have no idea what
they are doing.

Jim O'Donnell
Georgetown U.


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/