I agree with you. Just when I thought plane travel couldn't get more miserable, this happens!

Here in NYC, there is a bus (The Hampton Jitney) that takes NYer's out to the Hamptons (about a 2 hour ride) and they have a strict phone policy. They allow calls to be made the first few minutes of the ride and then at the end as they are dropping passengers off so people can call those who are coming to pick them up at the bus stops. Calls are limited to under 3 minutes and cell phones must be off for the duration of the ride.

Anyone that breaks that rule gets a scolding from the driver as well as other passengers and the system works. I can only hope that the airlines adopt a similar policy.

Candice New York City, NY, USA