Irrational Fears: Entry 1 - Airplane Mode

Airplane mode.

Simple enough. A nifty idea. Use your phone at 30,000 feet without having to worry about scrambling communication lines and being the sole person responsible for bringing the plane plummeting down to a mysterious island.  The survivors left only with supplies salvaged from luggage, some crazy lotto numbers, and a host of life stories to tell that never seem to have an ending that makes an ounce of sense. And it’s all your fault. You forgot to swipe that damn button.

Ok, yes, I realize that using a phone in the air would have to circumvent several decades of engineering and probably bend a few laws of physics to have an effect on your flight experience. 

But still, I turn off my phone … and then not 100% sure it’s off, turn it on … only to shut it down again to make sure I can verify it’s “actually” shutting down.  

This cycle can sometimes repeat itself several times. All the while, time is running out and sweat is beading on my forehead while I’m dreading the “stow all electronics” announcement. If I only had time to check once more!

Granted, the fact I once had a faulty Android phone that would turn on by merely touching any button, or the touchscreen, complicated the situation.

Switching to the iPhone has mostly taken care of this fear, but I still do check at least twice to make sure it’s off….

Take that Dharma Initiative! You’re not getting any more subjects to experiment on during my watch!  In your face Smoke Monster!