DID YOU EVER WONDER? Air traveler bored without iPod tunes

As I was making my travel plans for this holiday, I wondered again just why I can't listen to my iPod on the plane. It's so silly because my iPod doesn't have a signal that would be any sort of a problem for the pilot. My friends at college and I have some major music selections I want to listen to, rather than just doing nothing for several hours.

Jennifer

• Passengers are allowed to listen to MP3 players on flights, but not during takeoff and landing.

Until the airplane crash at Denver International Airport, a lot of readers thought it didn't seem to make much sense to turn off iPods, along with other equipment. They echoed Jennifer's sentiment: Since there's no signal being emitted, there's no way it could interfere with the pilot's communications and possibly make a plane crash.

But in light of that crash, the explanation we had received several weeks ago from Kelly Jackson, Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Public Affairs Administrator, rings especially true.

She agrees that, unlike a cell phone, the iPod is not transmitting a signal. She added, though, that if you're listening to an iPod, you can't hear and comply with the crew members' instructions. "All communication devices must be turned off because when you are taking off and landing they are giving specific instructions for safety."

The crash in Denver occurred during takeoff and passengers had split seconds to get off the burning plane.

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