> The Americans have won folks. I'm not sure which disturbs me
> more, that Australian police are introducing themselves as
> "anti-terrorist" or that Qantas called the cops on a bloke
> who left his laptop switched on during a landing.
>
> <
http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/laptop-lands-qantas-flyer-in-hot-water/2008/09/04/1220121393686...>
>
> I expect that there's a bit more than the journaliar reveals
> mind you. The bloke probably gave the flighties some lip or
> something, but as the journaliar has worded things, it sure
> looks like the Americans have won :-/
>
> (Nutshell: Qantas 418 from Melbourne to Sydney. Punters advised
> that disembarkation is delayed due to a "technical issue". Coppers
> arrive and introduce themselves as "anti terrorism taskforce" and
> invite a "well dressed businessman" in row 7 to accompany them
> off the aircraft. Confronted by 6 coppers, the "businessman" was
> later "released without charge".)
>
> GB
"A Melbourne man arrested after leaving his laptop on at the end of a
Qantas flight to Sydney today has been released without charge.
...
Qantas also confirmed the passenger had been taken into custody after he
"failed to comply with a captain's directive."
Oddly, the law on captain's directives is expressed in terms that only
allow a captain to restrict actions, not mandate them.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/car1988263/s309a.html
"(1) Subject to subregulation (2), the operator, or pilot in command,
of an Australian aircraft may give an instruction, either orally or in
writing, prohibiting or limiting the doing of an act on board the
aircraft during flight time in the aircraft."
Thus it appears that the instruction should be "do not leave your laptop
turned on" rather than "turn you laptop off," even though in the normal
way of things one would think that the two forms were equivalent.
Quite why the law should be expressed that way escapes me, given the
restriction in (2), which in any case prevents the captain from giving
arbitary directions.
"(2) The operator, or pilot in command, must not give an instruction
unless he or she is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the instruction
is necessary in the interests of the safety of air navigation."
Sylvia.
