i use a caselogic slip cover. it offers some padding. most of the time i dont have to take it out of the cover. i just place it in the basket (sometimes they are not available, so just on the rollers) and send it thru. every once in a while they make me take it out.

at mco a couple of weeks ago, they were searching everyone and my laptop got caught in a log jam at the end of the chute. as one bag after another piled up, all the laptops started skewing off the chute. none fell, but they were all hanging over.

i really think these security people have no idea of the cost or value of these items.

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f

Thanks all for the replies. The knife comments make sense. I'm glad most of us still can keep our sense of humor regarding the new security process (i.e. wearing just a jock strap )

As far as the plastic baskets, I have seen bigger ones showing up sporadically now. At ATL they actually suggested the use of the basket for the laptop.....maybe they DO realize the value. The larger baskets I've seen have holes in them (I guess to make them lighter). Now you have no place to put pocket change....it slips throgh the holes. Oh well.

I don't travel with a laptop, but the discussion about taking things out of bags reminds me of taking a cat in a carry-on bag a couple of years ago.

Initially, the screeners wanted me to put the bag through the x-ray machine. They did seem somewhat surprised when I told them you can't send live animals through the x-ray machine, and I did insist on a hand search. (Although most likely, the x-ray would not have harmed the cat, and I probably would have consented on one condition--that I get to watch the display, as I'm sure it would have looked very cool.)

Next, they asked me to take the cat out and run the bag through by itself. I didn't think this was a very good idea, since there is a reason why the phrase "let the cat out of the bag" is synonymous with chaos.

Finally, there was a line growing behind me, and they did consent to do a hand search without letting the cat out of the bag.

I was wondering about the same thing as well... and it's really annoying...
and they dropped my laptop one time as well...i wonder if they are responsible for the laptop if it was broken...



[This message has been edited by afang (edited 01-24-2002).]

i believe they are covered by the same rules as baggage handlers and follow the '2 drop rule'. they are required to drop your bags at least 2 times while handling them.



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Oh, I am sure that they do. Basically, IMHO, these security people could care less that your computer is damaged. They have the power to tell us what to do. As the Borg are fond of saying, resistance is futile.



[This message has been edited by onedog (edited 01-24-2002).]

The bottom of my Dell has huge scratches from pre-plastic tray days at security checkpoints at MSP and DFW....

People used to say my Sony Picturebook was too small. Now that I can pass security without them thinking I have a laptop, many colleagues are thinking of getting one too.

My laptop stays in my bag with my clothes and security never seems to notice.

That whole belt-reversal thing can be very annoying. I can understand that the security person may need to back up somewhat to get a better look at a bag. But sometimes they reverse more than one bag's distance. After looking at bag A and then bag B, why would one need to look at bag A again?

The over-reversal tends to screw up everything else on the incoming belt. A few weeks ago, the belt reversal pushed a bag out into a change/watch/cellphone tray, knocking it on the ground. The owner of the change/watch/cellphone had already walked through. Being the good samaritan I am, I gathered the scattering change etc. and sent it back through for him. But they shouldn't rely on friendly passengers to bail out poorly designed/operated security checks.