Drat

So my guess is you don't carry 30+ electronic items that fill a 20" roll-aboard + most of a "personal item" backpack, eh?

At different time or another place, they will yell at you for using 3 bins instead of one bin. ;)

Uh, yeah, that would be correct...not quite that much. It's still a fair amount of electro-stuff, though, just not to the same extent as you, obviously. (Oh, I love your blog, BTW.)
Yeah, how ironic indeed. However, I can report that at my usual airports of GPT and MSP my practice has been pretty much 100% accepted, and my recent trip to LGA was similarly OK.

OP tries again
 

Okay, I decided to read and remember the posts here and went through security at DTW again today, thinking I was all ready. I got my laptop out of my laptop bag and put it in one bin, alone. I didn't bring DVD b/c I wanted to lighten my load. I kept repeating my new mantra in my mind- "laptop in own bin with no other electronics." However, in my zeal to separate the Laptop and other electronics, I left my ziplock baggie of liquids and my IPOD and BB in my laptop bag. (Did I mention that I was on almost zero hours of sleep?)

So the laptop bag went through with the liquids and my IPOD and BB and the screener caught it right away. I thought I was doing so well having put the laptop in its own bin with nothing else that I forgot the liquids! As for the BB and IPOD, having read that people often leave these in their bags, maybe I subconsciously left them? Not sure. But I have often left my IPOD in my bag.

In any case, Laptop went through fine but my laptop bag had to go through again. They removed the baggie of liquids, sent it through, THEN asked what else I had in the bag. Can't they see what is in there? I'm NOT being facetious or rude, I just wonder if they can make out an IPOD and BB. I had forgotten completely about IPOD and said there was a BB. They then took the laptop bag back and asked me to remove "any electronics". I put the BB and IPOD in a new bin (together) and the baggie had already gone through alone, so my poor laptop bag made yet another trip.

Everyone was nice, this wasn't seen as a "big deal" and I got everything together again. But I am STILL wondering why I am suddenly (in recent weeks) asked to take out the IPOD. I have left this in my laptop case or my roll-on bag many times. Oddly, my camera was in my roll-on carry-on and THAT was never brought up. It stayed there through it all and didn't pose a problem this time.

I've come to the conclusion that every screener is different and I will do my best to separate large electronics (laptops and DVD Players) and always remember to take the baggie out. (This was the 1st time I ever forgot the baggie!)

I'm in CUN now so we'll see how it goes on the way back as I need to clear customs in IAH and go back through the security line. My big question NOW is, can I place my laptop on top of its protective sleeve in the bin? It's just a cloth cover that came with my laptop bag, and I always have put them together before, but today I didn't for fear they'd make me take it out. Plus, I was in the "Puff Puff" line which is what I call the machine that blows air at you as you stand still. There is one in the row of security lines and I usually go to it as for some reason, people avoid it. I can get through faster in that line and don't mind the bodyscan, or whatever it is called.

I SO wish that we had a frequent flyer line at DTW. I've heard that some airports have programs where they're prescreened as FFs and don't have to go through this so often. I don't know how it works but if we had one, I'd certainly sign up! ;)

Drat

Thanks for checking out Flying With Fish
, I appreciate it.

As a result of the blog I'm actually headed to DCA on Thursday to film an on air segment for Good Morning America on passenger personal security in airports.....and how to quickly navigate the TSA screening process. It should air a few days after I film it.

The upside.........I also get to speak with the TSA's public affairs folks in person, which I have not in a while now.

I have protective wraps from Road Wired that were initially approved by the TSA for use in the screening process, back in 1995. The problem was no one at the TSA had any idea these wraps were approved and I was forced to unwrap my computer 99% of the time (except at PVD, but that is probably because in 2005 I was flying out of PVD 2-3 days a week on the same 6:00am flight and it's not a big airport). The TSA removed the allowance of these wraps from their web site and since then no other wraps or protective sleeves are allowed.

Your laptop must be in a separate bin, although I have had agents slide my 2 laptops into one bin at their own discretion (although once at PDX a screener placed both in one bin and the bin was rerun and I was reprimanded to not using separate bins). The laptops must be out of all sleeves and protective shells and fully visible to the screener.

You have answered your own question already :

This is the truest statement, and it answers every question. Do I take out cords and small electronics? Every screener is different. Do I take out my Kippie bag? Every screener is different. Laptop out of it's sleeve? Every screener is different. I personally don't care if a laptop is in a sleeve, as long as it is the only thing in the sleeve (no cords, BB's, books, etc.). Other TSO's follow the SOP to the T and say "no". Taking a laptop out of the sleeve and laying it on top of the sleeve in a bin appear on xray the same way it would if it was in the sleeve.
Even if you did everything exactly by the book, that is no guarantee that you will not have any problems. Dumb, I know.

sefrischling-let us know when the piece you're working on airs on GMA- I'd love to see it! Maybe you can bring up the fact that so many of these TSAs are telling us different things at different airports, or even different things at the SAME airport! The electronics question is quite valid- when I was told to use a bin for every electronic bit I had, I was a tad confused. Set them straight and good luck!

PS- I'm sure many of us would be happy to help in this piece- I know I wouldn't mind speaking my mind and asking what's going on! ;)

thaliajen,

I'll let you know when the piece airs. My part is simple, demonstrate how secure your bags while in the terminal and how to safely avoid being a thief's mark in the airport, and in the TSA screening checkpoint....as well as how to get through a TSA check point.

There is a very brief piece where they interview a women who had her iPhone stolen and I helped her sort out how to get the cops to review the tapes for security (they still could not ID the thief) and a piece where the interview the TSA. I plan on adding a detailed series of questions to their list. I need the TSA to be somewhat happy so I can use their check point for the demo though.

I have been contacted by a few other news outlets, hopefully one will let me ask a series of in-depth questions (I have a list I have been compiling since I started covering homeland security as a full-time news photog).

that's where I caught a TSO trying to boot up lappy...

Bump ..

I snipped a bit of the original message, but it finally happened to me.

All electronics out meant all electronics out. At CAK I ended up with a "train" of at least eight full-size bins plus additional "change size bins" going thru the x-ray machine. They insisted every electronic item needed its own bin and even started to separate my stuff into more bins because I put a camera and a spare battery in the same bin.

Small airport syndrome?

I got a "random" secondary at CAK one time because there was no one else there passing through security. Boredom and the small airport syndrome.

When I passed thru earlier this week there was a bit of a line, but most of it seemed to be a result of them being really picky. At most other airports, even with two lanes open, there would be no line because the screening process is much faster.

They did the full loupe and blacklight study on my ID. After the TDC, the loader who kept separating my items even went as far as asking me if I had any weapons on me.

The worst part was getting everything re-assembled.

It was my first trip into and out of CAK; otherwise, a really nice and small regional airport.

:rolleyes: Yeah, Other than the shooting, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln ?? :p

At CAK the TSO looked at my BP for a good 2 minutes. I was about to say "wow, I'm PHLflying and I'm flying to Philadelphia, exciting stuff!". They also gave a secondary to a woman escorting her son who was a soldier en route to his base. Great stuff!