I think it's related to the fact that the customer service staff onboard airlines (the attendants) see themselves as safety enforcers rather than anything else.

I think it's related to the fact that the customer service staff onboard airlines (the attendants) see themselves as safety enforcers rather than anything else. And that is part of a culture of "security theatre" - doing things purely to make people think they are safe rather than improve actual safety. Like the show of turning off electronic devices and reprimanding passengers for being slow. Peggy Noonan has written some good pieces of this, most recently: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704407804575425983109795768.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870440780457542...