The Sentinel

Issue date: 11/16/08 Section: News

As if the mini peanut packets weren't enough, airlines, such as American Airlines, are adding in-flight internet access to the list of travel perks in order to entice new passengers. Travelers pay for this access, which, according to CNETnews.com, costs each person $12.95 for cross-country flights. Although still in a trial period, issues of regulating the Wi-Fi access have already begun to rise. Having paid for their own internet, in-flight passengers should ideally have the ability to view what they please with no discretion. However, leading airline associations have asked American Airlines to think about adding filters to its internet access in order to disallow travelers from viewing obscenities, namely pornography, in such a public area as a sweaty, cramped airline cabin.

Although pornography has yet to be an issue for American Airlines, should airlines filter the internet they offer in order to avoid future pornography?or obscenity-related issues?

YES.

1. In such a public place, anyone can watch you divulge in your fantasies or whatever obscenities you are viewing. I enjoy a good plane ride, I really do. I like the free peanuts (or pretzels, what have you); I enjoy the flip-down trays; I like watching the fat woman stuff her bags into the overhead bins. It's amazing. But, what I don't want is to watch you stare at some boobies on your laptop and know what's going through your mind. A cabin is only so big, and, with nothing to stare at, chances are you're not the only one taking a gander at your screen. Do you really want everyone to know that you enjoy Japanese S&M Goth babes? Is it really OK for the rest of the flight to watch you skim through Google images to find pictures of lesbian cougars worthy of your porn archives? No. Masturbate in the airport bathroom with the Playboy you just bought. Fellow passengers should not be involuntarily forced to be spectators in your quest for the hottest money shot.

2. Yes, your inalienable right is being taken. The man is holding you back. This is just another example of the degradation of society and the downfall of human kind. You weren't planning to look at porn anyway. You're also talking out of your ass. As a mature and rational adult, you should understand that some adults are unaware of their surroundings (either intentional or by fault of mental disability), and may choose to view pornography, or worse obscenities, regardless of their public location. Thus, while you may not be planning to view obscenities or pornography, you should understand the cases in which regulation could benefit. This is where you have to just take one for the proverbial team, acknowledging that yes, it's shitty but it's a necessity that your rights must be infringed so that even sicker bastards don't use the airplane internet for sexual purposes. While it's great to live in a society that revolves around self-satisfaction, sometimes society has to give a little so worse issues may be averted.

Continued...

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