I will be flying from MCI to MCO next weekend. I am trying to find out if the screeners allow people to carry portable GPS units (turned-off of course) in their carry-ons. Me and my girlfriend were having a debate about this earlier. She seems to think the TSA doesn't allow them except in checked luggage only.

Have any of you more experienced travelers ever had any issues with this?

Thanks.

We usually carry a portable GPS in our carry on for both domestic and international flights. It's never been questioned by the TSA, nor has it been when we've been asked in foreign airports what electronics we're carrying prior to boarding.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Fredd

Tony, we see GPS units all the time. Feel free to bring it along in your hand bagage.

TSORon

As others have said no problem to carry on. Your GF might be thinking about the issues whether GPS units can be used on board a plane. There, YMMV. See this active on this topic in the Travel Technology forum.

Same here. Brought GPS unit and radar detector many times. Never even been given a second glance. My lighter, cigar tube and cutter are more noteworthy it seems.

Till

Thanks for the replies everybody! I looked in the TSA's "prohibited items" section of their website prior to posting my question, and couldn't find anything listed about GPS devices. I just wanted to double check though...

Thanks again

Welcome to FT, TSORon!

Keep in mind that it isn't wise to put any valuable electronic device in your checked luggage. Computers, cameras, cell phones, GPS's, etc will disappear and you will never see them again. Use carry on for this stuff.

That is right, the big bad TSA thieves will riffle through your things and steal every valued item that is not nailed into the bag.

But TSOs are the only people who steal aren't they? We do not have past presidents who stole elections, or started wars so their friends could make billions stealing contracts that never would have come to pass.

We do not have corperate CEO/CFOs stealing millions in bonus money from their company/stockholders/investors.

I am sure you have never stolen even the slightest free copy from work, or pen from the office supply cabinet that wound up in your home sitting next to your computer. You are probably chewing on a stolen pen cap right now trolling the internet just waiting for someone to post the next topic on this forum so you can make the hamster in your small, febel head run one last lap and write down that witty comment thinking to yourself, "I will show them all how cool I am by bashing a government agency with my not so wittybanter."

But yes, pasangers should definately keep all valued items with them in their carry-on. A wise man once said "If it wasn't for d!*#heads like you, there wouldn't be any thievery in this world, would there?"

P.S. Hi everyone.

TSO_PHL_Gate_D - my suggestion is be very careful with your comments as you are opening the door to a rash of comments from the customers that pay your salary and serve that you abuse decide enough is enough and strike back.

that or i smell a troll

I will have you know I pay part of my own salary with the taxes I pay every other week to the tax man. So in essence, I am deserving to speak my opinion freely about this subject.

'thebat' made a very general, and slanderous blanket statement about me, and the rest of my coworkers. He/she pretty much called us all a bunch of thieves. Yes, there are a handful of pos that work for TSA who will take anything that is worth a nickle on the street, but they are being weeded out day by day. PHL just caught another one last week fyi.

I will speak my mind on any topic i desire to until the mods of this board toss me away like the who-are that I am. You all may not like what I have to say, as I will be honest and upfront. I will call a spade a spade if it deserves it, TSA or J.Q.P. If I hurt anyones feelings, tfb, I can only hope a tissue is close by so you can wipe your nose.

I am not a troll, or even troll like in apperance. I may not have great facial features that make the ladies I come in contact with knees buckle though. I am just your friendly neighborhood TSO.

Good day.

I've got the popcorn cooking, who wants a bag?

From TSO_PHL_Gate_D

Hmmm, I read what 'thebat' said and 'thebat' never made any references to either TSA or TSOs.

Please remember that TSA points at the airlines while the airlines point at TSA and the passenger is out the stolen/missing item. No one willing to accept any responsibility for luggage entrusted to them for the duration of the flight. So who gets blamed first? The ones who insisted on being able to open luggage at any time for any reason to inspect it and who insist that TSA approved locks are the best means of locking your luggage. The airlines also refuses to accept claims for anything 'thebat' listed.

Correction taxes dont pay your salary. The security fees in airfare pay your salaries so the people you harass and treat so indignently are your customers and the ones that pay your salary that you should provide proper customer service to instead of the bull cookies they get now.

Thebat is also very correct in those comments as its been proven again and again and again with so many reports of TSA employees being caught stealing from passengers including several very high profile incidents like the TSO at your airport that got caught stealing and trying to sell aa 50K Broadcast camera on ebay and had a ebay history of selling stolen goods with retail values in excess of 400K . Then there are the reports of the number/value/claims of theft from bags has increased since TSA took over. A little bit of google searching will go a very long way.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, TSO_PHL_Gate_D.

You might want to read thebat's post again. No where does he accuse TSOs of being thieves. There have been numerous threads in this forum of both airline employees / contractors and TSA employees stealing items from checked luggage. Both groups of employees have access to checked luggage.

The TSA policy which requires unlocked luggage (or a TSA approved lock, which is for all practical purposes is the same thing), makes it easier for people to access the interior of bags - to steal valuables or insert most anything. So whether the thief is a TSA, airline, or airport employee, TSA policy seems to be "enabling" the theft.

Now that this thread has enjoyed an OT tangent, do you have any suggestions for the OP regarding his GPS unit? Checked or carry on?