8 Aug
2004
8 Aug
'04
12:05 p.m.
Joe R. wrote:
At 12:40 PM 8/6/04 -0700, you wrote:
Or with reservations made in the last 24 hours, or with a return
flight in less than 72 hours but you're checking baggage, or, or, or....
I travel a lot, mostly within the lower 48, and I almost always end
up coming home with a new toy or two. In the last two years, every time
I've gotten on a plane at least one ofmy checked items has been
searched. I've also lost several small items, the most costly being a
small folder with *all* the receipts for a 2-week expense report. The
most recent was the spare battery pack for my Sony camera.
Anything that doesn't look like laptop or camera accessories I put in
checked baggage. It makes life easier. :)
One oddity - printed overhead transparencies look like plastic
explosive under the fleuroscope. My company's [very sensible] policy is
that I carry on everything I need for the first day of class, including
presentation materials. Whenever that includes transparencies I'm 100%
guaranteed to sit for the explosives swab test.
Doc
On Fri, 6 Aug 2004, Vassilis Prevelakis wrote:
I beg to differ. I sat in Kansas City airport two years ago and spent
abut 3 or 4 hours with the security people and watched as they opened
numerous bags and I didn't see them put a sticker on ANY of them. Even when
flying and reclaiming baggage I've never seen one of those stickers.
OK I may as well tell this story too. I was in KC and went scrounging
with Gary Hildebrand and found a black Bell and Howell Apple II. I had
called the airline and changed my departure two days ahead of time. But
they failed to schedule the new departure so when I got to the airport
UNSCHEDULED the red flags went up and I was tagged to be inspected
everywhere that I went. Luckily I arrived at the airport about 6 hours
early. I had to take EVERYTHING and go down to security and let them
inspect it (hence the LONG wait). I/they didn't have a problem with
anything but the Apple II and were going to send me to the maintenance area
and have them disassemble and inspect the Apple. Sheeshh! I said "Hey wait
a minute it opens right up" and showed them how to open the top so they
could look inside it. After that they were happy (until I got to the next
checkpoint!) I asked why they didn't just X=ray the Apple II and he said
that they were afraid that it might conceal plastic knives or something
that wouldn't show up on X-ray. I don't know why it would have mattered
since I was putting the computer in checked baggage but no one ever said
that logic or brains were required at TSA.
Important Lesson: NEVER show up at an airport with a confirmed
reservation! If you do, you're guaranteed to get the full treatment! Well last year I travelled (from the US) to Europe
with a suitcase full
of de-commissioned computers (incl. a Sun Ultra 1 which filled most of
the suitcase) and spare parts (about 5-8 year old stuff). Since I
couldn't care less about eproms or other media, I just let it go
through the normal checked luggage check. The suitcase was not locked
(as per guidelines) and I know they opened it (not in my presence, so I
don't really know how much time they spent looking though it), but
nobody said anything to me about it, and the suitcase went through
without any problems.
Sending a computer through checked baggage doesn't even elicit an errant
brainwave.
If you are packing clothing with the equipment (as
padding or to save
carrying a second suitcase) I would advise you to pack them in
transparent plastic bags, so that the checkers can go through them
without spilling them all over the floor. Also avoid small unpacked
items that can fall off the suitcase during the visual inspection
process.
You know when your bag was checked because the TSA puts a form in your bag
saying they did.