Why do flight attendants call electronics “portable electronic devices?” Is it to make themselves sound smart or authoritative? When they say “portable electronic devices,” does that mean that if I managed to drag my 30-pound console stereo onboard then I can keep using it being that it isn’t portable? Can I crank up a tube amplifier?
And isn’t “electronic” and “device” redundant? I mean, you’ve never heard of an electronic rock or an electronic sheet of paper. Its pretty much a given that anything electronic is going to be a device. Why not just call them simply “devices” or “electronics?” Doesn’t that get the point across?
Why isn’t a digital watch considered a “portable electronic device?” Electronic devices don’t get much more portable than a digital watch, you know. At least you wouldn’t know how late your flight is.
Hearing aids are even more portable. Perhaps flight attendants are courteously reminding the hard of hearing just how noisy jet engines can be when heard through a hearing aid.
Or maybe they’re suggesting we all tune out the important-sounding but supurfluous words populating the bizarre and annoying world of commercial aviation.
I see you’re channeling George Carlin. He did a wonderful routine about airline announcements.
Yeah, I found a Flash clip of the routine. Carlin is great!
They actually say “Potable Electronic Devices”, which means that if you can drink your iPod, you can use it.