Electronics and security lines
 

Reading the thread on missing the IFE made me think. The new rules put into place by CO and the TSA are making my trips more time consuming. I'm going out of my way to book flights that have IFE so I don't have to always pack my extra electronics.

For instance, the rule about putting every electronic "gadget" into its own bin is holding up the lines. I realize that the TSA must think it is very important and I comply, but it is holding up the lines, and not just me!

On Tuesday I had to have 6 bins go through security b/c they insisted each electronic item have its own bin. So, I had an Ipod, a BB, laptop, camera, video camera, and DVD player. (I was coming from a family event.) The man behind me looked like he was going to kill me! I offered to let him through but he shook his head. I don't know if he was mad at me or the TSA.

And if I were NOT a Plat or other Elite, I would have had even more stuff with me. With the one bag allowance, people are stuffing more into their carry-ons and taking up more time at the security line and the check-in.

I usually fly the same routes, so I'm wondering, is this electronic new rule at ALL airports? So far I have been forced to separate my electronics at DTW, MKE, and LAS. The latter being the worst as those lines to get to the CO area are LONG!

Anyone else having trouble with these rules? I had to wait while checking in at MKE b/c the couple ahead of me had more than 1 bag apiece and only one person working the CE check-in. By the time they repacked stuff into their carry-ons and paid for one extra bag, I could've checked in and been sipping a diet coke at the NW Club.

And LAS is the worst! Even the Plat line is long, and most of it is about electronics. I don't even recall when this began, though I know it was recent. Anyone know why each piece of electronics must be in a separate bin? Is it at all airports? I'm just seeing more and more congestion at the security line and while I don't mind leaving earlier to appease the TSA, I wonder if I need to do this at every airport.

Just wondering!

What!? That sounds a bit overkill to me. Did they specifically tell you to put every electronic device in a separate bin or did you just assume that this needed to be done? I always travel with an iPhone, camera and 1 (sometimes 2) laptop(s) and the only thing that goes in a separate bin is the laptop. I have never seen anyone having to put their cameras, iPods and cell phones in separate bins.

Sounds pretty silly - I always have my iPod, cell phone, camera, usb drive in my handbag, and that goes in one bin with shoes and ziplok baggie. Never had a problem... yet...

(But then again LAX always misses my mini Swiss Army knife too...) :p

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.

I was sure it was just Vegas as I fly out of DTW 2 weeks every month (more, lately) and had always had my cell phone (the BB is newer) in with the laptop and never had trouble.

I leave for Cancun on Monday and wonder just what it'll be like there. They always have different rules than we do, like the bags they have for gold/metal jewelry. I just wish they could decide on ONE way to do it that every airport and government agreed to.

To be honest, I am exhausted by all these rules. I know they're for my safety but sometimes I have to wonder why the rules are as they are. One thing is for sure, it's fairly new. I haven't slept in my own bed more than 3 nights in a row since January and I am just now noticing it. Call it jet-lag as I can't recall the 1st time but I would guess that it began in March in Vegas.

So I am guessing by your response that this is NOT every airport. But, come to think of it, flying out of Heathrow last month I did have to separate laptop and DVD player into separate bins. Hmmm....

only the laptop needs its own bin, do not put anything with the laptop everything else is fine.

that laptop may be an evil tewwerist bomb!

I've always put my freedom baggie in the same bin as my laptop (so I only use one bin) and I've *never* had a problem with that (I have a small laptop that takes up less than half the bin).

I tried it once and screener yelled at me to get back and fix it....maybe wit the new HP MiniNote 2133 I can get by with it if they think it is DVD player :)

I'm curious as to anyone who has recently gone through LAS security and having the same trouble. It feels like it all began there...:rolleyes:

I've gone through DTW security 4 times in the last 2 weeks and haven't had to do any of this... or at any other airport for that matter! This is most definitely not an official TSA policy. Nor have I taken my liquids baggie out of my carry-on bag in about a year (150+ flights) and not once has this been even mentioned by security. Huge variations in the standards it appears...

Report the airport by filling out a comment card. The whole point of TSA is to have some consistency among the airports (aside from the "planned inconsistencies.")

TSA says full sized electronics need their own bin. Full sized meaning a laptop, home type DVD player, video game console such as a Wii, PS3, Nintento, etc. Video cameras requiring film also need their own bin.

No where does it say iPod, BB, etc. If they make you put those in their own bins, like I said, fill out a comment card. That TSO needs some retraining.

Maybe they meant you couldn't send it with your laptop, but not that it all had to be separate.

This really belongs in the Travel Safety & Security forum

Xyzzy
CO forum moderator

This is the actual rule, regardless of what the TSA actually said to you. I often will send by BB through with my laptop in a single bin, and as long as they aren't stacked it it fine. If the BB is on top of the laptop they'll send it back/scan it again.

But small things can just stay in your bag or be in a bin together.

Oh, and this is all TSA stuff, not CO.

I travel with, at a minimum, laptop, blackberry, cell, iPod and noise-canceling headphones. All I've ever needed was two bins, one for laptop and one for the electronics that were not already in my bag. Its absurd how some airports, especially a large one like DTW, continue to make their own rules. You would think TSA would have their own audit department to check who is doing what, but I guess that's asking for way too much.

If the TSA had an audit department that held any clout, the entire agency would be dismantled.

I travelled yesterday from CMH with a cell phone, laptop, camera, noise-canceling headsets, an extra battery, and an AC adaptor. I left all but the laptop in my bag; nobody said a word. They were too busy yelling at other passengers.

:confused: Could you please explain how you came to that conclusion?

Only thing I know is that the laptop shows up dense enough on the X-ray that the X-ray operator may miss a significant weapon, including, potentially, a handgun, if the weapon is under the laptop as it passes through the X-ray. A simple rule seems to have been developed from that fact, that laptops must go thru the X-ray solo in the X-ray buckets (although I've seen thinking TSA stations allow small items in the same bin arund the periphery of the laptop.) Rather than choose better, ie multidimensional X-ray equipment, or better training for X-ray operators, TSA chose all laptops out all the time... arguably a rule that does increase security/safety.
However, we then get the typical overreach by singular TSA stations or even by individual TSO's. This is often seen in the pax experience as all battery operated items out of bags for the X-ray, all electronics in their own individual bin, no mini toothpaste in the same bin as a DVD player, etc. etc. This has virtually nothing to do with security/safety and a whole lot to do with misapplication of a relatively simple policy, some of which got the official blessing when TSA HQ equated DVD players with Laptop computers.
To give the benefit of the doubt, these add-on rules come from a logic that probably goes; electronics over anything else bad, so all electronics separated all the time. The "500 lb. gorilla in the room" for this logic is that anything dense to X-rays can clutter or obscure the image of a weapon, and make it difficult to pick out, but no-one at the TSA brain-trust has been able to articulate a list of items,easily understood by TSO's and pax alike that must be X-rayed separately.
Bottom line: Never attribute to "for your safety" rules or actions that can be properly attributed to overreaching bureaucratic ineptitude.

Gee, so if I had a bag of 100 RFID chips..

I always use just two bins. One for my laptop, another for my jacket, DVD player, MP3 player, cell phone, & keys.

I have been traveling with a DVD player since late 2004. After the first 2 or 3x through where I left the player in my carry-on, and the carry-on was pulled for secondary, I learned my lesson. Ever since, I have always been taking the DVD player out of my carry-on, even before the new electronics policy.

OK - y'all avoid OKC next weekend ...
 

... if a "private" bin for each is a real issue:
Amateur radio transceiver
balun and dummy load (don't start!) for above
2 digital cameras
GPS
cell phone
MP3 player
portable CD player
power supply, chargers & batteries for above
and, oh yeah, CPAP (minus distilled water, of course).

Always travelin' light, :rolleyes:
Deacon

Oh yeah, I can relate... Been there, done that..... BTW, almost always no questions asked. You're right, the dummy load is for TSA to question, it's right up their alley! Funny thing is, I've sent my FT-917 through in my bag a number of times, almost never questions asked! It's the 20M dipole that got pulled out and examined (short trip to SJU)
Oh well!

My CPAP almost always gets pulled out to have their fingers run all over it!

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.

I'll join the chorus and say that at no airport, DTW and LAS included, have I been instructed to use separate bins for small electronics. One does have to allow an un-stacked view of a laptop, DVD player, or video camera, but all other devices can be left in the carry-ons. This is not to say that a plethora of devices won't result in a hand-screening (an associate of mine was held up while they took a closer look at his shaver, of all things), but there is no requirement to separate them. Unless you get a cranky TSO on a power trip.

I have recently overheard the TSA yelling to remove "all electronic devices" from luggage. At the same airports (TPA, LAX), I safely ignored the TSA and removed ONLY my laptop.

On both trips, my carry-ons included the following electronic items:

• Laptop (for the TPA trip, I had 2x laptops with me)
• iPod
• Bose QC2's
• Canon 30D DSLR camera (w/ 300mm f4L lens attached)
• Canon 350D DSLR camera
• Additional lenses: 24-105mm f4L, 10-22mm
• Batteries, large flash, etc.
• Cell phone
• GPS unit (Garmin eTrex Vista)
• External USB hard drives, 2x
• Cables + power supplies, etc., for all above

(the above manages to fit in one rollaboard + my laptop bag--although I carry the 30D + lens over my shoulder vs. in a bag)

I have had a few TSA'ers grumble about not removing the portable hard drives before, but even where they were barking "all electronics out," I have not had a problem with just removing the laptops. Only two bag checks over the past 6-8 months, too.

Wait a minute-I thought Blogger Bob & his buddies said the 'all electronics out' mandate was the work of a few rogue screeners (somewhere) & had been dealt w/thanks to it being reported on the blog? If I'm not making this up (been driving for 6+ hrs vs. flying to LA to avoid the TSA, btw!), then see if there's a 'Got Feedback' thread for any of those airports you mentioned in the original post & submit a comment. Can't hurt.

Of course, if I am simply confused, then just ignore me :)

I go between BNA and LAX on a regular basis and have never seen anyone suggest that I do anything other than take my two laptops out and give them each a bin. iPod is in my briefcase; BlackBerry is in my briefcase also unless I forget to take it off, in which case I put it in a bin with one of the PCs; NeatReceipts scanner is in my rollaboard with two laptop adapters and assorted cords. Never a problem.

A bin of electronics all lying flat and not stacked on each other will allow the TSOs to see what they need to see. Anything else is overkill and slows up the flow through the checkpoint.

I figure I'll try again on Monday when I fly from DTW again. I always put the laptop flat but according to the previous responses to my post, I'll leave the BB in my purse or briefcase. On the way back, as it is an International Flight I will have to go through security at CUN and IAH. Maybe I'll try a different approach at each security checkpoint. As long as the laptop is alone in a bin, I should be okay, right?

I simply wondered if anyone else was being hassled about electronics in separate bins. Seems some of you have and some not. As I mentioned, it's only been recently that I have noticed this trend.

As this trip Monday is half business and half vacation, I wanted to bring my camera, but I am tired of worrying about all the carry-on electronics. I have to have the laptop and BB for work, but I'm on the fence about DVD player and camera.

BTW- I noted someone saying they leave their baggie of liquids in their bag? I've never seen that allowed and have heard TSA agents going through the lines telling us to get the baggie out. Has this rule changed? I would LOVE to not have to dig for it every time I go through security. (It's hard enough to remember to get every bit of electronics out.)

I'll certainly be paying attention to what is and isn't allowed at each airport!

Man, something is very wrong when you're worried about bringing a camera to your vacation because you don't want the anxiety of worrying about what you have to put where at the security checkpoint.

Look, I'm at two or three airports every week. In the last couple of weeks I was at NRT, SFO, LAX, SNA, BOS, EWR, and so far this year I've been at 18 airports total.

I have *never* taken anything out of my over-the-shoulder sling bag to put into a bin other than my laptop and my freedom baggie and I *always* put those two into the same bin.

I have never not-once heard a peep from anyone at any airport about this. Things that remain in my bag or my jacket pocket when they go through the belt are:
- digital camera (small one)
- blackberry
- Sony PSP
- Cowon A2 (video player, a bit larger than a PSP)
- iGo juice70 power brick with all adapters
- zipped bag of USB flash drives, USB wireless modem, adapters, chords, etc.

The exception to above was when I forgot my freedom baggie in my carry-on and no one noticed or said a word about it, and the few times I was on the blackberry right before going through and so I put it *in the same bin* as the laptop and the freedom baggie.

Now, my laptop is a Thinkpad X60 so it's small and the freedom baggie or whatever else I put in the bin with in never overlap or touch each other. Maybe that's made a difference, I don't know. But I wish folks didn't have to have anxiety when they travel about something like this - traveling can be stressful enough as it is to some people... So the TSA agents who are causing this unnecessary additional stress: :td: :td: :td: to you!

Isn't that an oxymoron? Video cameras don't use film. I haven't taken my video camera through security for about 6 months, but I did not put it in its own bin when I did (it uses tape -- is that what you meant?). Unless things have changed, I've never separated any of my (huge amount of) electronics, and only put my computer in a bin.

Fine, tape, whatever it is called. Just not digital or DVD storage.

That's what it's called (and it makes no sense to distinguish between tape, hard drives and solid state storage). It's not TSA SOP to remove cameras. I've run into these morons on occasion -- I had one TSO who insisted that I take put my printer and put it in a separate bin. I refused and said, "That's not procedure. Give me a secondary, then, but I'm not taking anything out except my laptop." He gave me a sour look and waived me through.

If the printer is considered a "full-size electronic device" or whatever ridiculous term they use to describe portable video players, xBoxen, DVD players, etc. then the request for the printer out might not have been completely unreasonable. But that's a different story...

I went through Detroit (Smith Terminal) on a secondary inspection (I forgot my license at home -- see my other posts in this forum) and they didn't make me put all my electronics in separate trays. I have a Sony Micro Notebook as does my wife and on our way back through Midway (fedexed Passport in hand), we put our matching notebooks in the same tray and there was no problem.

The problem is that the spot checks are driving people crazy. While no one should be able to smuggle a simulated bomb through, someone screaming: "you're sanctioned because there was an iPOD nano in the same tray as the person's HTC Shift notebook (e.g. the one the size of a paperback" is causing people to lose all common sense.

I think some of this stuff is also the "rule de jour" problem that many government agencies seem to suffer from.

More of a "rule du heure" which really decreases the validity of the TSA rule. But I'm always happy to discuss that with any TSA screener.

at PHL, those barkers always said all electronics out, well, I have
zune
Nintendo ds lite
oral b elite
cellphone
d300 & couple of lenses & battery
chargers
Laptop
portable hard drive

All of these are in one bag and I only took out the laptop and portable harddrive. The reason I took out my portable hard drive, the first time I heard barker yelling for electronics out, I got my portable hard drive on another bag containing my clothes. I took out my laptop only, they ignore the bag which contain my electronics but they do take out the portable harddrives from my other bag and run them again separately.

I have never encountered the requirement of every electrionic item out and in separate bins. The TSA rules require the following to be out , and in bins
- Laptops
- Video cameras that use video cassettes
- Full-size video game consoles
- Full-size DVD players
- CPAP breathing machines

I often travel with between 30+ items in my carry on for work. 2 to 4 digital camera bodies. 6 to 8 lenses with internal electronics. 2 to 4 flash units , 3 to 5 remote flash transmitters, laptop,PSP,iPod, 3 to 4 camera battery chargers, 1 to 4 "AA" battery chargers, laptop, PSP, noise canceling headsets, portable hard drive, 2 1gb thumb drives, 14-16 CF cards, 6+ camera batteries, mobile phone, blackberry , pager (used as an alarm clock), other random crap I need for my job.

I flew through DTW a few weeks back, took my laptop out, nothing else, no one said a word. No secondary screening, nothing.....no problems.

Last year, I actually had a TSO at DCA, IIRC, complain that I hadn't removed my "video camera" from my bag. (It was a DSLR body, no lens mounted.) I tried to explain it wasn't a video camera, and he actually tried to argue: "But all those cameras take video, too, so it's a video camera and has to come out." (And no, very few DSLRs take video--the sensor is only exposed when the mirror flips up and the shutter opens, unlike consumer point-and-shoot cameras.) Another screener stepped over and told him to "leave it alone."

I just checked the TSA website and it does, indeed, require removing "camcorders that take tape cassettes." The distinction is stupid and I'm not going to do it. When I travel with my video camera, I have a ton-and-a-half of other electronics with me and always get a bag check. That's good enough.

I haven't encountered this "rule" lately in my travels. Every once and awhile a rouge screener wants all electronics out, but the only thing I remove on a regular basis is my laptop. While the laptop goes through separate, I still keep it inside a padded casing to keep it protected.

I haven't had the need to clear security at DTW or MKE lately. LAS is always a disaster, regardless of the rule de jour.

Given the vast majority of my travel has been international lately, I've been clearing security at SDF (home airport), ORD, MIA, and DFW lately (plus a few other domestics like TPA, LAS, LAX, etc for the few domestic trips).

My electronics haven't been an issue at airports abroad. Usually laptop just comes out (plus liquid baggie).

Last, with the TSA .. when the rouge screener says all electronics must come out, I just take my laptop out and no one ever says anything when they screen the bag (I usually keep a router, cat5 patch cables, mobile phone, photography equipment, voltage converters, an array of outlet adapters, and other gadgets in there). I do get a bag check on occasion, usually they're trying to ID something non electronic ... my keys and keychain were the reason for the most recent bag check because the way they were positioned.

Somebody at HQ has been watching True Lies way too much.

Or Mission Impossible.

I travel with all my small electronics in a single clear gallon-size ziploc, which I remove from my carry-on backpack and place in a bin, along with any other small items which fit in the same bin. My laptop goes in another bin of its own, and my size-13 shoes and jacket (if wearing) go in a 3rd bin. No problems, and (more importantly) no more secondary screenings of my backpack.

And the TSOs at MSP have on more than one occasion taken the time to thank me for using the gallon-size bag of small electronics.