I took the last half hour to read all the FARs, FAAs, PDQs and XYZs, and I can't find where they say that I can't wear my headphones when the airplane is coming in for landing. (And no, I'm not flying the airplane!)

I don't use my headphones for listening to anything but silence; they're the Bose noise-reduction model that uses a single battery.

I fly twice a week. The Southwest Airlines flight attendants have been very inconsistent. Some ignore the headphones, some make sure I'm not listening to anything but allow me to keep them turned on, others allow me to wear them as long as I turn the power switch to "off", others make me take them off entirely, and some of them enjoy making it an audition for the Niedermeyer All-Stars.

Is there a case I can make for keeping them on?

-ted c "to z or not to z" wagner