Narrative:

A passenger, mr xx, refused to turn off and discontinue using his 2-WAY pager. As I was doing my final safety check prior to landing, I heard the pager go off. I saw mr xx get his pager out. When I realized he was not turning it off, I asked him to turn if off. (The PA had already been made.) I strapped into my jump seat and observed him still replying to the page. I got up and told him to stop using his pager. He told me it was ok, because it works. I told him the FAA and FCC prohibit use of cell phones and 2-WAY pagers on board. He closed the pager, but did not turn it off. He continued to write his message, as we pulled up to the gate. He told me that he worked for motorola and it is ok to use motorola products, because they don't interfere with aircraft system. I told him the rule does not apply to specific brands -- all 2-WAY pagers and cell phones are prohibited on board. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the man said he was in top management for motorola and therefore he knew without a doubt that motorola products don't interfere with the airplane's instruments. After landing, the reporter stuck her head into the cockpit and asked the captain if he had heard about the motorola claim. The captain said he hadn't, saying that all cell phones and laptops must be turned off. Just then, the man was deplaning and overheard what the captain had said, and briefly argued with the captain. As the man headed down the jetbridge, the captain asked the reporter if she wanted him to follow the man. Instead, she went out to see if he had a connecting flight, so as to warn the next crew, but he didn't. The reporter believes that since he had been the type of passenger that was dissatisfied with everything offered to him on the flight, that the motorola claim was just a lot of hot air.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, F100, DFW-ORD. PAX WOULDN'T TURN OFF 'MOTOROLA' PAGER ON DSCNT AND LNDG, CLAIMED MOTOROLA PRODUCTS DON'T AFFECT ACFT SYS.

Narrative: A PAX, MR XX, REFUSED TO TURN OFF AND DISCONTINUE USING HIS 2-WAY PAGER. AS I WAS DOING MY FINAL SAFETY CHK PRIOR TO LNDG, I HEARD THE PAGER GO OFF. I SAW MR XX GET HIS PAGER OUT. WHEN I REALIZED HE WAS NOT TURNING IT OFF, I ASKED HIM TO TURN IF OFF. (THE PA HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE.) I STRAPPED INTO MY JUMP SEAT AND OBSERVED HIM STILL REPLYING TO THE PAGE. I GOT UP AND TOLD HIM TO STOP USING HIS PAGER. HE TOLD ME IT WAS OK, BECAUSE IT WORKS. I TOLD HIM THE FAA AND FCC PROHIBIT USE OF CELL PHONES AND 2-WAY PAGERS ON BOARD. HE CLOSED THE PAGER, BUT DID NOT TURN IT OFF. HE CONTINUED TO WRITE HIS MESSAGE, AS WE PULLED UP TO THE GATE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WORKED FOR MOTOROLA AND IT IS OK TO USE MOTOROLA PRODUCTS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH ACFT SYS. I TOLD HIM THE RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO SPECIFIC BRANDS -- ALL 2-WAY PAGERS AND CELL PHONES ARE PROHIBITED ON BOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MAN SAID HE WAS IN TOP MGMNT FOR MOTOROLA AND THEREFORE HE KNEW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT MOTOROLA PRODUCTS DON'T INTERFERE WITH THE AIRPLANE'S INSTS. AFTER LNDG, THE RPTR STUCK HER HEAD INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE MOTOROLA CLAIM. THE CAPT SAID HE HADN'T, SAYING THAT ALL CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS MUST BE TURNED OFF. JUST THEN, THE MAN WAS DEPLANING AND OVERHEARD WHAT THE CAPT HAD SAID, AND BRIEFLY ARGUED WITH THE CAPT. AS THE MAN HEADED DOWN THE JETBRIDGE, THE CAPT ASKED THE RPTR IF SHE WANTED HIM TO FOLLOW THE MAN. INSTEAD, SHE WENT OUT TO SEE IF HE HAD A CONNECTING FLT, SO AS TO WARN THE NEXT CREW, BUT HE DIDN'T. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT SINCE HE HAD BEEN THE TYPE OF PAX THAT WAS DISSATISFIED WITH EVERYTHING OFFERED TO HIM ON THE FLT, THAT THE MOTOROLA CLAIM WAS JUST A LOT OF HOT AIR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.