It has been against the law to smoke on airplanes for as long as I can remember.
Then, why are airplanes still built with ash trays?
They can be found in the bathrooms and in the aisles next to the bathrooms.
The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.
3 comments:
I flew this summer in a newer plane. It did not have the "No-Smoking" signs up by the "Call Attendant" button, instead it had a "No-Cell-Phones" button :)
I thought that was an interesting sign of the times heheh
Well, Joel Klein still has a comb.
Good question! Before becoming a teacher, I was a flight attendant for one of the majors. I absolutely loved it until everything fell apart following 9/11. True, I did find my calling in education, but there are days that I miss my globe trotting days.
The ash trays found on commercial carriers are mandated by the FAA, as there are always passengers that attempt to sneak a cigarette in the lavatory. And yup, they almost always get caught. The ash trays are provided for safe disposal of smoking materials in these cases. Unfortunately, when caught, most passengers panic and throw them in the trash receptacle or in the toilet. This then requires the flight attendants to search through the trash container and lavatory in case the cigarette is still lit. Not pleasant.
My favorite memory was on an overnight flight to Europe and I smelled cigarette smoke in the cabin. When I went to inspect, I found the loveliest elderly woman just leisurely smoking away. When I informed her that smoking was prohibited, she kindly asked, "Can't you just make one exception, dear?"
I brought her the ashtray.
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