Idiot grounds flight with stupid Wi-Fi hotspot name

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idiot-grounds-flight-with-stupid-wi-fi-hotspot-name-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201605Qantas_A380_Over-Sydney-Harbour-1200x748-jpg
Don't get on a plane with a Wi-Fi hotspot named "mobile detonation device."
Photo: Qantas
Don't get on a plane with a Wi-Fi hotspot named "mobile detonation device." Photo: Qantas
Don’t get on a plane with a Wi-Fi hotspot named “mobile detonation device.” Photo: Qantas

Everyone knows you shouldn’t say “bomb” on an airplane — and it should be just as obvious that you shouldn’t name your wireless gadgets ridiculous things, either.

A simple Wi-Fi hotspot sparked terrorism fears on a recent Australia-bound Qantas plane because someone thought it would be a good idea to name it “mobile detonation device.”

“A female passenger is believed to have spotted the hotspot on her phone’s wi-fi menu… shortly after she boarded QF481 in Melbourne on Saturday,” reports The West Australian. “The woman immediately showed it to the crew, who then informed the captain and security.”

It’s unclear whether the name was a prank (probably), but not many passengers found it funny. Around 40 actually refused to fly after being unsettled and had to disembark, which meant a lengthy wait while their luggage was retrieved from the plane.

After being grounded for two hours with no suspicious device found, the plane was cleared for takeoff and successfully landed in Perth later.

Perhaps this was a simple mistake. People name their Wi-Fi hotspots silly things all the time, but you should probably think twice about using names like “mobile detonation device” if you plan to take your gadget on an airplane.

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