We all know to turn off our cell phones when we enter a hospital or to turn them to silent mode when we arrive at a movie theatre, but this is the first time that I’ve heard about an outright ban on personal digital assistants. The Alton Towers Resort theme partk in the UK is now enforcing a rule that effectively bans the use of any PDA or PDA-like device. No taking notes. No scribbling a mobile email.

Thankfully, the PDA-free rule is not going to be in effect permanently. Instead, Alton Towers is only enforcing the no PDA rule from yesterday until Sunday, June 1st. The idea is that they are trying to “encourage parents to disconnect from the office and reconnect fully with their families.” I’m sure we’ve all been on trips where some attendees are not fully present.

Wandering around on the grounds of the theme park will be a number of scary PDA police, like the one shown here, and if they catch parents using a PDA, the device will be taken away from them for the day. You know, in the same fashion that children have their things taken away from them in school. If the program is successful, Alton hopes to introduce the rule FULL TIME.