NJ Transit cautions riders about using Samsung Note 7

New Jersey Transit is urging passengers not to use their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile devices on its trains, buses and transit hubs. The agency on Tuesday told passengers they should turn them off

News 12 Staff

Sep 14, 2016, 2:38 AM

Updated 2,788 days ago

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NJ Transit cautions riders about using Samsung Note 7
New Jersey Transit is urging passengers not to use their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile devices on its trains, buses and transit hubs.
The agency on Tuesday told passengers they should turn them off before entering a station or boarding a vehicle because of concerns the device's battery can burst into flames.
"We carry quite a bit of passengers, morning, noon and night. The last thing we'd want is harm to come to the individual that's carrying it and also to the individuals that are nearby," says Gardner Tabon, chief of NJ Transit's Office of System Safety.
NJ Transit says that the agency has not had any reported cases of the Note 7 catching fire, but wants to take the proper precautions. The FAA issued a similar warning last week.
NJ Transit previously restricted customers and employees from using, charging, storing or transporting hoverboards following similar fire safety concerns.
Samsung has told owners to power down and return the devices. The Note 7 can be swapped out for a different model or the owner can get a loaner device until the new model is released.
Most customers who spoke to News 12 New Jersey say that they understand the need to be careful, but not everyone was in agreement.
"I still think it's a little bit of overkill for them to turn their phones off. Because a lot of people need their phones going to work, doing anything, just in case of emergencies," says commuter Dwight Pitt.
Samsung will soon launch an update that caps the battery life of the Note 7 to 60 percent, in an effort to prevent fires.
The Associated Pres wire services contributed to this report.


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