If this lunacy doesn't stop, there won't be any business travelers to worry about. When the new dim bulb in charge of air security (John Magaw "stop talking about profiling factors like one-way tickets paid in cash by people from the middle east -- you're giving away our security secrets") wakes up and realizes what a 7.4 pound laptop could do to a human skull if enough force is exerted, they (the laptop) will be banished from the cabin and ordered to join the bag-matched checked luggage. (And y'all thought GWB was slow; get a load of this guy.)

Goodbye more business travelers. Having just returned from a leisure trip over the Holidays without my checked bag (Baggage services still has no idea where it is), it is not an option to just "put it in your checked luggage" on a business trip where the offending item might be essential to the trip. There's a reason I don't check bags when traveling on business. It's right up there with not drinking the water in undeveloped countries - it could ruin your trip.

Sure, laser pointers can damage vision if a criminal points them at eyes, but so can my toothbrush (and pen, pencil, now-permitted tweezers (sometimes), keys, pda stylus, CD, credit card, plastic knife, fork and spoon provided on board, well, you get the idea). Nearly everything in my carry-on bag or in my pockets could be used to inflict pain,
suffering or even death if used improperly by a criminal. Unfortunately, there "may be a risk" associated with every single item in my one carryon bag and personal item. To be fair to SarahWest, she understands the problem: "unless you only have hand baggage." When not traveling with my spouse and kids, I only have hand baggage. Ever.

When we stop worrying about inanimate objects and start keeping the kooks, criminals and suicidal terrorists off the aircraft, then we'll be safer.

BTW, my laser pointer looks just like a pen and hasn't been stolen by security yet. And no, since I'm not a criminal, I don't point it at anyone's eyes.