[PKop]

And I'd really like to travel without the annoyance of hearing other passengers loudly talking on the phone next to me. An airline that enforced a no phone call policy would be more desirable to me, all things being equal. Perhaps some will allow it and some won't, and we all can have choices. Also, jet engine being loud not the same as distinctly loud talking. More like a uniform white noise that does not prevent sleeping.

Ultimately I think it just comes down to consideration for others and not being irritating during a long uncomfortable plane ride. I would presume most people would prefer to not listen to others talking and prefer silence. Therefore I think it's just inconsiderate to carry on a loud conversation within a plane where people are forced to have to put up with it and can't avoid the irritation.

[manicbovine]

Yeah, you're right about the choices. (However, I suspect that Delta's position is bad business in the long run.)

This just seems like such a dated and irrelevant stand for Delta to take. Cellphones are here to stay. We live in crowded spaces and it's time for everyone to simply get used to the sound of other humans.

I have no idea why everyone places value on public silence. Is this a holdover cultural strain from the 19th century? Silence is so cheap and so easy to obtain. (And who wants to be the one to make rules which essentially say "shhhh!")

[PKop]

Everybody has their preferences I guess, but I couldn't disagree with you more. I think because cellphones are ubiquitous and used everywhere and always, silence and being able to not have to hear other humans talking on them for a couple hours is a small consolation.

Traveling is uncomfortable. Avoiding one aspect of that discomfort by allowing for some peace and quiet is a minor short term inconvenience for the few people that feel the need to talk on the phone around complete strangers. How about texting.. wouldn't that suffice? Then it would seem both parties could be happy... the callers could get their message across and those that prefer silence wouldn't have to hear it.

[manicbovine]

To tell you the truth, my preference is strongly against cell phones. I don't even have a voice plan.

The thing is that I simply respect other adults enough to let them decide whether it's ok to make a phone call. We're all adults, we all know that loud phone calls are disturbing, and we all might one day have a great reason to make a loud phone call. Sure, there are some rude people, but why let them spoil adulthood for the rest of us?

To put it another way, large institutions should not concern themselves with matters of human etiquette. Rules intended to preserve good manners are almost always more harmful than good. Mundane human relations should be as informal as possible - any time constant formalization of our interactions is an impediment to progress.