So I was watching the news the other day, just haven’t had a chance to blog about it since then, that Congress is considering H. R. 3676 which (whose?) purpose is and I quote:
“To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for a child safe viewing area within which covered air carriers shall not display violent in-flight programming. … This Act may be cited as the ‘Family Friendly Flights Act of 2007′.”
Basically what this act is aimed to do is create areas of the plane that will not be able to see the in-flight entertainment system or limit the rating of the in-flight movie being shown. Basically it is a safe viewing area. Here is the definition according to the proposed bill:
“CHILD SAFE VIEWING AREA.—The term ‘child safe viewing area’ means an area on an aircraft operated by a covered air carrier in which there are no publicly viewable entertainment screens displaying violent in-flight programming located within 10 rows of seating of such area.”
This whole thing just seems to be folly to try and legislate in a seating plan. It is going to be a pain. So does this mean that there will now be three or four areas in a plane. For example I fly quite a bit on United and there are typically three areas on domestic flights, First Class, Economy Plus, and Economy. So that now there would be a fourth area that would be a no movie zone. Well what happens if there are no kids on the plane? Does that area still not get a movie?
So I can just picture the seating process for a plane. It used to be people would ask for aisle seat, now it is going to be an aisle seat with entertainment. Kind of reminds me of back when smoking was allowed in airplanes, what would happen when one got seated in a smoking section?
I have lots of pet peeves and inconveniences when I fly, but I don’t expect the airlines or the Congress to do anything about them. Here are just a few:
- People who lean across me when I have the window seat to look out the window
My solution, I just close the window - People who want to make small talk when I want to sleep
I put in my earphones - People who do not tell their kids to use their inside voices
I put in my earphones. I wonder if I can get Congress to enact legislation for a no kid zone - People who sing along with their listening material
I put in my earphones, or use my noise canceling headphones if I have them with me - I typically can’t see the movie well and there are so many people walking up and down the aisle I can’t watch it
I bring a book, a laptop, magazine, or other form of entertainment
So since my Congressional Representative is one of the sponsors of the bill, he even appeared on MSNBC to discuss it. I figure I have to write a letter to him and tell him to stop worrying about this issue and get to other more important ones.