Texting While Driving: Bad, Texting While Flying: OK?

All over the country, there are initiatives in place that aim to reduce the amount of people who text while driving. Like it or loathe it, this has become a serious problem, resulting in numerous (and sometimes deadly) traffic accidents. While the same cannot be said for flying – perhaps in part because the Jetsons TV series, which featured amazing airborne cars, has yet to come true – the Federal Aviation Administration still prefers that we don't use our phones on a moving plane. The reason has nothing to do with the pilot (who we can only hope is not talking or texting). Instead, this rule was put into place to curb the risk of frequency interference. Still, there are times when a chatty Kathy or gabby Gary can't resist the urge to keep talking. And when that person is as famous as, say, Arianna Huffington, the story manages to make headline news. This weekend, the Huffington Post-founder found herself in a

when she refused to stop using her BlackBerry

on a United Airlines commercial jet. According to the New York Post, Huffington ignored the captain's request that passengers turn off their electronics – phones included – before the plane takes flight. After eyeing Huffington's actions, which included an additional round of chatting and texting, a fellow passenger, Ellis Belodoff, stood up and began to protest her continued use of the phone. Belodoff reportedly told Huffington to turn off her BlackBerry, but she was not quick to comply. At the same time, Belodoff did not comply when he was told to stay in his seat. Consequently, once the plane landed, both he and Huffington were hauled off the plane for questioning. Neither Belodoff nor Huffington was charged before being released.