Originally Posted by
thaliajen
Yep- at DTW I was told every electronic had to be put in a separate bin. I had my BB in with the laptop and they sent it back! I had to put it in another bin. On that 1st flight I had (I know, I know, never do this) packed the cameras. So I had my shoes in with the ziplock bag and the DVD Player and my laptop and BB in another with my purse. They sent the laptop and BB back, putting each in a separate bin.
So on my way back I ASKED. The TSA said each one needed it's own bin, or as he put it, "no doubling up on electronics". It does sound ridiculous, I agree.
A week before, I had same problem at LAS but thought it was just the Vegas airport. At THAT time I had DVD and Laptop, and put BB in with DVD. They grabbed it before it went through and threw the BB in one of those little bins for keys. etc.
If I'm reading your post correctly:
1) BB + Laptop in one bin = sent back
2) Shoes + freedom baggie + DVD player = ok (assuming nothing was stacked/layered)
3) BB + Laptop + purse = sent back
If you're traveling with a purse, why not just toss the BB in there? My takeaway is that you should always leave your laptop separate (a practice I always follow anyway). Small electronics, like BBs, cellphones, and digital cameras (along with my watch or any other metal objects) always go in my bag when passing through security.