Travel Technology - Do you have to remove sleeve from notebooks?

Have you been asked to remove notebook sleeves when going through security?

50/50. Some of them say yes, some don't care.

I never understood the rule anyway, laptops have to come out 100% of the time, but they never care about my portable DVD player, which pretty much has the same compontents in it.

... And why does the rest of the world NOT require this?

... And what about the checking of boarding pass BEFORE you go in to the xray machine AND checking again right AFTER the xray machine? Something could have happened in between?

I could go on and on but ya know, logic and TSA are mutually exclusive so just follow the rules and be on your merry way. :rolleyes:

My laptop is in a thin but slightly padded sleeve. I have never been asked to take it out of the sleeve at places like DFW, JFK, LAX, LHR, LGW, CDG etc etc the only time it had to come out was at that hotbed of terrorist activity....TULSA.

I, too, have wondered about the logic of laptops/video cameras have to be taken out out brief cases while digital still cameras, dvd players, GPS, cell phones, pda, etc. etc. stay in. I hope this doesnt give any TSA lurkers any ideas. They have their hands full keeping us safe from Evian, Starbucks and Crest.

HNL is notorious for asking me to remove my laptop sleeve. :mad:

I guess since I've flown out of HNL a number of times, I've gotten into the habit of removing the laptop sleeve. Perhaps I'll stop doing that and see what happens.

... And what about the checking of boarding pass BEFORE you go in to the xray machine AND checking again right AFTER the xray machine? Something could have happened in between?

This is because the checkers in front of the X-ray work for the airline or the airport, and they are just to make sure the ID and boarding pass match.

The one after going through the metal detector is by TSA, and they are trying to determine if your boarding pass has the SSSS on it, which means that you get a visit to the special place and they do it all over again, very slowly, a test your bags and you for explosives.

Does no one remember 1994, when you actually had to boot up your laptop until the screener could see 3 lines of text on the screen? Compared to that, de-sleeving is nothing.

Yes, I remember the turning on the electronic devices including laptops, camera, etc. I normally do what they ask. The last thing I need is for one of them to ask for more things just to peeve me off and show their authority. I do get a bit annoyed with the amount of security. I find that Canada's security guys do get a bit overboard. They once wanted to confiscate my son's toy planes because it was a bit pointy and they wanted to check my Starbucks coffee (pre this liquid gel scare) and a host of other extra stuff they wanted. I usually comply.

I now just put all my electronics in one place so that they will go through all the stuff if they need to rather than having several bags with a bit here and a bit there. And I'm always the one with the electronics bag so that the rest of the family can take care of the other stuff and bags and I only deal with the scrutiny. Lucky me. ;)

Does no one remember 1994, when you actually had to boot up your laptop until the screener could see 3 lines of text on the screen? Compared to that, de-sleeving is nothing.

Back in the old days when a crashed Mac laptop would show an actual cartoonish bomb icon! Not sure that'd go over too well today. :)

In PHL, a security agent took my husband's computer to a separate room and was gone for what seemed like an eternity. We waited on the sidelines. God only knows what he was doing with it in there. That was in the same security line when they made an elderly woman, resembling Mr T, remove her bracelets and necklaces (one by one) since something kept beeping.

I have been looking for a transparent sleeve that could protect but still how the notebook. I had a Dell 700m and the aluminum top was all scratched from taking it out of the case and scratching on the zippers and also from the small rocks in the TSA tubs left by shoes. I just got a macbook pro and the case seems really scratchable(sp?) Anyone know of a transparent sleeve? Do you think TSA would still make me take it out?

I have been looking for a transparent sleeve that could protect but still how the notebook. I had a Dell 700m and the aluminum top was all scratched from taking it out of the case and scratching on the zippers and also from the small rocks in the TSA tubs left by shoes. I just got a macbook pro and the case seems really scratchable(sp?) Anyone know of a transparent sleeve? Do you think TSA would still make me take it out?


A thin sleeve isn't going to interfere with the x-ray image but anything else in your bag could. That's why they want it run through by itself. Flew out of LHR last month and, after a regular check at x-ray, had another even fuller check at the gate--bag emptied, hand-wanded and made me remove the battery from my laptop. This was being done to every passenger.

My laptop is in a thin but slightly padded sleeve. I have never been asked to take it out of the sleeve at places like DFW, JFK, LAX, LHR, LGW, CDG etc etc the only time it had to come out was at that hotbed of terrorist activity....TULSA.



Well, don't forget that Mohammed Atta started his day in that other hotbed of terrorist activity, Portland, Maine.

I had the unfortunate luck to be behind someone in the line at BOS many years ago and they made him boot up his laptop into Windows (3.1 I think) and then shut it down again, that wasn't much fun! But then again I have been asked to separate the (long) zoom lense from my camera, before it is xray screened, and then had a visual inspection after the xray machine.

In PHL, a security agent took my husband's computer to a separate room and was gone for what seemed like an eternity. We waited on the sidelines. God only knows what he was doing with it in there. That was in the same security line when they made an elderly woman, resembling Mr T, remove her bracelets and necklaces (one by one) since something kept beeping.

:eek: :eek:

You let them take an item of personal property out of your site?

I would have said, "Sure you can take it wherever, I am coming with you though and if I can't come with you you can do your testing right here."
What was the TSA trying to do, forensic testing on your 'puter? :rolleyes:

50/50 for me as well

At all NYC airports including EWR they make you remove the laptop from bags and sleeves.

PS. Shouldn't the question be removing the notebook from the sleeve?

I just wanted to update you I found a product called Speck Hardshell (http://www.speckproducts.com/for-macbook.html)

It is clear case to protect your macbook pro's case. I use it when I travel. Was able to get it for around $35. I think JR and or Amazon still has it for $35.

http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=7131919

$169 less two rebates totaling $100. I've never heard of the manufacturer, Hanns-G.

Yeah - Well, my local Ralph's today has DelMonte green beans at three cans for $1...:confused:

I meant to start a new thread, not to add to this one. Sorry!

Yeah - Well, my local Ralph's today has DelMonte green beans at three cans for $1...:confused:

Do you have to remove the green beans from the sleeve when going through security? I usually put my Hanns G brand green beans in my Kip Hawley clear plastic bag. Haven't had a problem yet.

-David