phkc070408

I have a question, and I hope I'm not giving the feds any ideas by saying this, but why is it safe to ship a camera, laptop, tablet, etc on a cargo plane but not in a passenger plane? Cargo aircraft still have humans on board. Remember, thousands of computers and other devices with batteries are shipped every day on planes from the factory to POS.

Also, would electronics be safe in the hold if all of the batteries were drained?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all against this, but I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned before.

Loren Pechtel

Data point: Chengdu, China. X-ray, wand and swab at the entrance. At least with me they were being very, very sloppy--the second swipe with the swab stick (they put it on a stick so they can reach out and swab things. Swab several bags then test) passed about 2 inches from my bag, and the wand was equally casual--she didn't detect any of the metal that I was carrying. Admittedly, as a middle age white male I'm low on their threat list. I'm used to the x-ray but the other stuff was new. (Although on one trip there was the bulk swabbing at security--bring several people into a "pen" (ropes, nothing solid), swab everybody and every bag, then test. After the test the group was released, the next loaded into the pen.)

mauve

It isn't. As I understand it, the rules banning shipments of lithium batteries on passenger flights were created because of the UPS 747 and crew lost to a battery fire in 2010.

You could say the FAA was managing real risk - 2 pilots vs. a few hundred passengers.

TSA is sort of managing political risk - a loss due to fire is "better" than a loss due to terrorism. Similar to the lack of consideration to the increase in highway fatalities that may follow when they come up with a new disincentive to flying.

NickP 1K

Yeah - cuz NO one in countries where current issues are prevalent looks like a white person. You actually seen people in Syria, Lebanon, Iran - NOT everyone is tan. Boggles the mind how people in this country from a security point of view assume a tan complexion is verboten.

quillbin

I agree with this for the most part (the 1 Cell Phone + 1 Larger Electronic Item). But I think the better option would be not banning large electronics, but requiring that all electronics larger than a Smart Phone be:

• Required to Power On at the Checkpoint
• Removed from Carry On
• ETD Swabbed

dinanm3atl

This is all that really is required. If it is a known part of screening should provide the deterrent needed.

I'd be fine having every single piece of camera gear swabbed(and my laptop).

Boggie Dog

Depends on how reliable ETD testing really is. May be more TSA show than go.

wco81

That'll drastically slow down the throughput.

TSA probably told Kelly that it would slow things down too much so easier just to ban things.

JakiChan

Let me tell you your mistake: Trying to apply logic to this situation. Logic is not an option. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM TEH TERRISTS!

If that means we crash a few planes due to LiIon battery fires in the holds where they can't be dealt with (unlike on a cargo flight) then so be it. We'll be safe from Evil Terrorists, even if we're dead.

36902BRF

I couldn't agree more. I don't understand why so many of my fellow American's have such a fetish when it comes to security surrounding terrorism but blithely ignore much greater safety concerns in our everyday lives.

wco81

Because a plane crashing will get much more media attention.

Cars crash every day. So much that any individual accident gets little if any coverage.

Maybe some local news if the victims were well-known.

An airliner going down for ANY reason will be big news. Especially if terrorism is involved.

artemis

Why not offer passengers a choice: either pay a large fee and show up at the airport earlier if you wish your large devices to be carried on, or check them for free. The person with a cheap Chromebook would probably opt to check it; the photographer carrying $20,000 of camera equipment or the business traveler with highly sensitive information on his laptop will gladly pay the fee in order not to be separated from his gear. Everyone wins.

I'd be fine with that, too. I don't mind my gear being given a serious look-over, I just don't want to be separated from it.

NickP 1K

It wouldn't at all be shocking if the 3rd party airport security add on's like CLEAR position themselves to screen electronics properly outside the standard limits. I'm sure this current admin is looking at what "industry" can do to screen vs TSA. Would be a logistical nightmare as where do you screen those devices, how do you know they aren't tampered from the time they are screened to going through normal TSA, etc, etc.

rickg523

American Security Protocol always goes for the maximum inconvenience and then works back.
Total ban will be so disruptive that arriving at the Security line three hours before boarding will become desirable. Many people will laud it as a concession. They count on that.

JakiChan

Right, but an airliner going down due to a "laptop bomb" is an IF. It may happen, but I view it as unlikely.

An airliner going down due to an LiIon fire in the hold? It's already happened once. It's a WHEN, not an IF.