Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.
Composing a tweet in riposte?
Pool, Getty ImagesIt's unclear why the government has decided to prevent travelers boarding at certain locations in the Middle East and Africa from having laptops and tablets inside the cabin during flights.
What's a little clearer is that one airline thinks the whole thing slightly risible.
Royal Jordanian Airlines took to Twitter on Thursday to offer its light-hearted -- or, perhaps, exasperated -- perspective on the matter.
It offered a listicle of "12 things to do on a 12-hour flights with no laptop or tablet."
Some of it was played for pure humor. For example: "Engage in primitive dialogue from the pre-internet era."
And: "Reclaim territory on armrest."
I rather enjoyed: "Pretend tray table is a keyboard."
But then there was the last suggestion: "Think of reasons why you don't have a laptop or tablet with you."
That seemed like a hearty dig at the ban and its purpose. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Those of conspiratorial bent suspect that this might not be about security, but rather an attempt to punish some Middle Eastern airlines that are accused of getting generous government subsidies. While American airlines, of course, merely made $25.6 billion last year. (American airlines tend not to fly from the airports affected by the ban.)
For its part, another affected airline, Emirates, told its passengers that it'll pack up laptops and tablets just before boarding so that passengers can use them up to the last minute.
Still, when your ban is being openly mocked by a foreign airline on Twitter, how do you respond to an act of such aggression? An @POTUS tweet, perhaps?