I just called a colleague - a seasoned business executive - who answered his cell phone, only to apologetically tell me he was in a meeting and could I call back later. See, it's not just teenagers! Emergency situations excepted, wouldn't it make more sense to not answer and let voice mail take over when one is busy? I often tell my kids that somehow I (and a few zillion other people) survived most of my life without a phone in my pocket. They look at me like I'm nuts.

Marketers know that "everything talks" - your ads, the quality of your work, your signage, and yes, even how you deal with phone calls. All these communications convey a message. When someone answers only to say they're too busy to talk, the message is either: 1) you're not important enough for me to stop what I'm doing, or 2) I'm addicted to my phone and can't stop myself from answering no matter where I am or what I'm doing.

A marketing by-product of our collective love affair with the cell phone is to use that relationship to gauge the importance of other relationships. Like "Which of these would be hardest to give up - your mother, your job, your sex life, or your cell phone? But seriously, the zealousness of cell phone use is a powerful marker by which a host of products and services can be profitably compared. Think about it.

The Chinese symbol for crisis is composed of two characters. One means danger. The other means opportunity (or some say "crucial point").

That's how I think about allowing cell phone use on airplanes. In a recent blog posting, the NY Times called it "The in-flight menace: Wireless chatter." Personally I agree.

However, from a marketing perspective, domestic airlines could seize the opportunity to differentiate by being the first to allow phones in flight, citing the success of several foreign airlines like Emirates that allow cell phones and other personal wireless devices for making phone calls. They would secure a loyal customer base, at least until it became an industry norm.

Or better, they could stand out - and avoid the danger of customer backlash - by proclaiming their opposition to using cel phones in the air, in line with numerous airline customer surveys. Then brand their action as a demonstration of customer intimacy. But the airlines should not just do nothing while waiting as their national union lobbies Congress for a ban on inflight calls.

I was on a Southwest airline flight earlier this year when they tested internet access, I thought it was great for e-mailing. But I found I could have a phone conversation too in the air via Skype. This I did not like.

Let airlines capitalize on the phone-free "escape" they provide. If not, then hey - offer cell phone and cell phone-free sections, like the old smoking/non-smoking sections. Let freedom ring (sort of)!