As if the sound of mobile phones in cinemas and theatres is not bad enough, a recent flight I was on from San Francisco to Hong Kong was delayed at the end of the runway for over half an hour while the pilots tried to explain to a woman seated in business class that using her mobile phone during the flight could interfere with the aircraft's electronic systems. The woman was overheard to say that she always kept her phone switched on throughout a flight in case she should receive an important call and that it was perfectly safe as not a single plane she had been on had crashed before. One would have thought that this 'expert', who claimed to be someone important in risk management at an SAR bank would know better. One only hopes that next time this person thinks twice before putting the lives of other passengers at risk. MILES WONG Mid-Levels
