In true 2016 fashion, over 70 Samsung Galaxy Note 7s have exploded in the United States this year (before their eventual recall). In fact, 13 people were injured by the phones in just a few months.
Understandably, since the disaster, the United States Department of Transportation has issued a strict ban on the devices.
So, if you're looking to have a quick and painless plane flight to your holiday destination, here's a tip: be careful about what devices (and device names) you bring with you on the plane.
Passenger Lucas Wojciechowski made a disturbing discovery during his Virgin America flight from San Francisco to Boston on Tuesday.
Open my laptop on the plane and notice a Galaxy Note 7 wifi hotspot https://t.co/y1csn9gOsZ pic.twitter.com/9Z5IJULuPs
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
After all, the device is prohibited on all U.S. flights.
Turns out, Wojciechowski wasn't the only one to notice the concerning name for the nearby wi-fi device.
About an hour into the flight there's an announcement "If anyone has a Galaxy Note 7, please press your call button"
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
The flight crew was NOT messing around.
15 minutes later "This isn't a joke. We're going to turn on the lights" (its 11pm) "and search everyone's bag until we find it"
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
Because smuggling a Samsung phone is the new equivalent to boarding a plane with explosives strapped to your luggage.
Even the pilot got involved.
an additional 15 minutes later "This is the captain speaking..."
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
They crew threatened to have the plane diverted unless someone came clean.
Apparently the plane is going to have to get diverted & searched if nobody fesses up soon ?
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
"I don't know if you've ever been diverted at 3am... Let me tell you, it is terrible. There is nothing open in the terminal. Nothing."
— Lucas Wojciechowski (@lucaswoj) December 20, 2016
iMore Editor Serenity Caldwell, who happened to be waiting for a flight out of Boston, got the details from an airline employee. The device was not, in fact, a Galaxy Note 7 — a brilliant passenger simply renamed the device to GN7.
UPDATE: I talked to the attendant, and the flight wasn't diverted, just late, and spoiler: culprit wasn't a Galaxy Note 7, but a phony SSID.
— Serenity Caldwell (@settern) December 20, 2016
This makes about as much sense as naming your wifi network 'bomb' or 'AR-15'.
They managed to track down the asshat who changed his SSID, but had they not, they would have had to emergency land in Wyoming (!).
— Serenity Caldwell (@settern) December 20, 2016
In short x2: Don't bring a Note 7 on a plane or you will piss everyone off. And don't rename your SSID unless you want to chat with the TSA.
— Serenity Caldwell (@settern) December 20, 2016
According to BBC, Wojciechowski believed no further action was taken against the offending passenger.
We sincerely hope he's renamed his device to something no threatening, like "puppies on a plane." (h/t bbc)
from Distractify http://distractify.com/humor/2016/12/23/galaxy-note-7s-on-a-plane
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