Dead Laptop & Security
 

There is a thread on the technology forum about someone's laptop dying and it got me to thinking....

What do you do if your laptop dies while you are on the road? Do you ship it home via a courier or try to bring it home with you? I'm thinking that TSA might have a problem with bringing a computer onboard when you can't boot it up at security and prove it is indeed what it is!

Has this happened to anyone?

It's been a long time since I was asked to turn on my laptop.

Which is one area where the agency doesn't seem to act quite as stupid as it does in many other areas - whether a laptop boots up doesn't prove that it's not a bomb. It only proves that it's a working laptop. And a working laptop could just as easliy be a bomb as a non-working laptop.

It's a non-issue. If your laptop dies - it's still a laptop and the TSA won't ask you to turn it on.

I never had to boot up my computer at security and never saw anybody doing so... did it happen to anybody ??

Back several years ago...can't remember if it was pre 9/11 or shortly after....airport security would frequently request that you boot up your computer.

But as FWAAA mentions, it's been a long time since that's happened.

I think it happened to me the last two times I was gated screened at LHR.

I really want to know what they would do if the laptop doesn't turn on. Does anyone have a story to tell?

FRA randomly does this, you get pulled aside into a separate room, they do swab testing and ask you to turn the laptop on.

Hmm, hasn't happened to me since pre-9/11 but it used to be quite common

Security in LHR made me boot up my laptop for inspection this past fall

I've had to turn my laptop on. Got the backroom swab once when the battery had died.

Few years ago I also got a serious camera inspection at DFW. This is the only time this ever happened to me. I had several rolls of film and two cameras, one of which still had a partially used roll in it. TSO pulled me aside, opened each film canister (black opaque ones) and took out the roll of film Then he opened the first camera (no film inside). When he started to open the second one, I protested - he'd ruin my film. So he took a picture instead and let me pass. :confused:

Who qualifies these McDonalds expatriates to handle expensive optics & cameras? My Pentax is opened by pulling out the rewind knob -- do they just keep jerking on things until something opens (or breaks)?

I haven't had mine looked at since 9/11. A couple of times before then I was expected to turn it on. I have carried one with a battery that would last about 30 seconds.

I've gotten the careful film survey once--it prompted me to get some clear plastic tubes meant to carry film through security while it's visible. I've never tried to go through security with film in the camera. I have had security think my camera was fake because it was a SLR without a lens mounted--he couldn't see anything!

How common is it for the laptop to be taken away (from one's possession/sight) for swabbing, rather than a swab being done and taken for evaluation elsewhere?

Never Ever let the laptop out of your sight!

All the swabs I've had done, the swab machine is in the same area, or they take you to the room with the machine.

TSA/FRA/MEL security have never actually touched my laptop apart from the swab thing, they generally just ask you open it/power it on etc

Going through domestic security in IST Dec 2007, they had everyone turn on their laptop in my party ( 6 people, 3 laptops, that took some time).

For me, it never happens because as soon as they say, "Do you mind if we take a look at this?" I say, "No, as long as you stay in my sight and change your gloves first."