Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: FCC Proves Government Has Been Lying

BOSTON (CBS) – I would love to be able look at my phone on a plane without feeling like a criminal.

And I'm also like most of you in that I don't want to be forced to listen to people yakking on the phone while we're all trapped together.

After all there's no Quiet Car up there.

But seriously, now that the FCC has voted to consider the use of cell phones and other devices in the sky, it reveals what we all thought all along.

They've been lying to us.

You've heard the warnings for years. That your device can interfere with instruments in the cockpit, suggesting you might take the plane down with something called electromagnetic interference. Sounds important.

And scary.

Except it apparently wasn't true.

To be clear, I am not an engineer. Or a pilot. And I've heard the wrap on old TDMA phones. But look at other countries.

Gizmodo.com reports 139 nations currently approve in-flight call service, according to a group called the Inflight Passenger Communications Coalition. It's logged more than 7 million successful calls at altitude and none of them were blamed for an accident.

So here's to the FCC.

Not only for considering our freedoms. But for treating us like adults.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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