4 ms·

What are the consequences for simply refusing to obey a crew member's instruction to power down your Kindle? Sort of like willfully ignoring the distinction bet

by estevez 15y ago

What are the consequences for simply refusing to obey a crew member's instruction to power down your Kindle? Sort of like willfully ignoring the distinction between the first-class and economy security lines---something I wish more people would do.

tobtoh 15y ago
If you are getting ready for take-off, the plane returns to the gate and you are escorted off the flight and charged with compromising airline safety and ignoring a steward's order. This happened to a guy two rows in front of me on an American Airlines flight a couple of years ago. He twice refused to turn off his mobile phone as we were taxiing towards the runway.
- shinratdr 15y ago
  Why not just lie? You genuinely are making the attendant's job harder by telling them point blank that you refuse to comply with the order they have to give to you to take off. It's much easier for everyone if you just act like you turned it off.
  - tobtoh 15y ago
    This particular guy was in the middle of a conversation on the phone :)
munin 15y ago
I seem to recall being told by cabin crew that disobeying well-formed instructions of cabin crew was a violation of Federal law
msbarnett 15y ago
> What are the consequences for simply refusing to obey a crew member's instruction to power down your Kindle? There's two Federal laws at play: one that requires crewmembers to tell you to power off the device (FAR 121.306), and one that requires you to comply with an lawful instruction given by a crewmember (49 USC Sec. 46504) (Since getting you to turn off the device is a crewmember duty spelled out by the FAA, your refusal to comply falls under "lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties". Intimidation seems to be broadly interpreted in courts as meaning anything other than cooperation. It doesn't matter if you refuse politely). Thus the potential consequences are: you can be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. Disclaimer: IANAL

by estevez 15y ago

tobtoh 15y ago

If you are getting ready for take-off, the plane returns to the gate and you are escorted off the flight and charged with compromising airline safety and ignoring a steward's order. This happened to a guy two rows in front of me on an American Airlines flight a couple of years ago. He twice refused to turn off his mobile phone as we were taxiing towards the runway.

shinratdr 15y ago
Why not just lie? You genuinely are making the attendant's job harder by telling them point blank that you refuse to comply with the order they have to give to you to take off. It's much easier for everyone if you just act like you turned it off.
- tobtoh 15y ago
  This particular guy was in the middle of a conversation on the phone :)

munin 15y ago

I seem to recall being told by cabin crew that disobeying well-formed instructions of cabin crew was a violation of Federal law

msbarnett 15y ago

> What are the consequences for simply refusing to obey a crew member's instruction to power down your Kindle? There's two Federal laws at play: one that requires crewmembers to tell you to power off the device (FAR 121.306), and one that requires you to comply with an lawful instruction given by a crewmember (49 USC Sec. 46504) (Since getting you to turn off the device is a crewmember duty spelled out by the FAA, your refusal to comply falls under "lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties". Intimidation seems to be broadly interpreted in courts as meaning anything other than cooperation. It doesn't matter if you refuse politely). Thus the potential consequences are: you can be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. Disclaimer: IANAL