Smartphones that aren’t
Onboard smoking has taken on a completely new meaning with this week’s bans of the Galaxy Note7 smartphone that has an alarming propensity to self-immolate.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT), Transport Canada and many airlines worldwide have banned the phones being carried onboard either by passengers or as air cargo because of fire concerns. DOT warned that passengers attempting to evade the ban risked causing “a catastrophic incident” and could be subject to criminal prosecution and fines.
Inevitably, tips to help disguise the hazardous Samsung device were soon circulating on the internet and social media, including wrapping it in a sock (yes, why not add wool kindling to the fire?)
Passenger frustration with the situation is understandable - who wants to be without their smartphone for an hour, let alone give it up at an airport, even if you are just trying to get it home so you can get it replaced? But that frustration should be directed to Samsung, not the airlines. The danger is real.
More generally, this is a huge headache for the airlines, and while bans are the appropriate course of action, they are difficult to enforce. Inside airport scanning machines, one smartphone looks the same as another. Airlines and travel companies are issuing notices prominently on their websites, but they address the same mass customer base that still contains thousands of passengers who every day plop a liter bottle of shampoo, a knife or even a gun into the carry-on baggage bin at airport security.
Once more, airline crews – especially station managers, gate agents and cabin crew – are the frontline in this latest threat to safety. They must be the watchdogs, the enforcers and, should the worst happen, likely the first responders. If you own a Note7, do them your fellow passengers and yourself a favor and dispose of it safely or hand it over before you board the plane.
Longer term, new global standards must be set for the manufacture and testing of lithium-battery powered portable devices. Unlike cigarettes, knives or guns, it’s neither practical nor desirable that all such devices are banned outright from aircraft, but if they are poorly designed they can be every bit as dangerous at 25,000ft.
Karen Walker [email protected]