I noticed last month that AMS started with the laptop drill like the US. I didn't think much about it, but then just a couple of weeks ago England started the same thing. I asked a kind security employee about it and he said it was a new EU regulation that all airports are starting to follow. France hasn't started it yet, but then again they are usually last to the table on EU stuff. Fortunately I live in France.

The security agent I spoke to said it was because the laptop is solid enough to block the x-ray from seeing what is underneath. He admitted it has made the queues longer, but they had no choice. Sure enough, the security queues yesterday at LHR T1 were the longest I'd seen on a normal Friday morning.

It was great while it lasted. When I used to live in the US, I had to get used to taking my laptop out at all checkpoints. Then I moved here and never had to do it. Now our checkpoints are going to be a mess too. However I don't think we'll see our security people shouting at passengers like they do in the US. And we don't do the shoe drill over here either.