Airport security changes affect large electronics items

Oh !@!% me!!! They had to do this just weeks before my Cocos trip... I'm transiting in LAX from HK, so if anyone is at the Continental counter at 1am on Aug Sat 18, you're gonna see one pissed off jetlaggeg guy taking his camera gear out of a big lowepro backpack and camera bag...

Then I get the fun of doing that all over again when I fly back from Seattle to HK.... yippee!!!

From Seattle Times (thank Mike Veitch for pointing this one out...)

But thank god I can keep my lighter[end sarcasm]

I wonder what is considered a LARGE video camera... HC7??

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/trav...8_airweb04.html

Airport security changes affect large electronics items

By Carol Pucci

Seattle Times travel writer

Starting Saturday, travelers will be required to remove large electronic items from carry-on bags and present them for inspection at airport security checkpoints.

"The focus is on large electronic equipment," not portable DVD players, cell phones or MP3 players, said Jennifer Peppin, the Transportation Security Administration's spokeswoman in Seattle.

Affected are consoles for Xbox and PlayStation video games, large video cameras and large living-room style DVD players, she said. "Obviously these types of devices can resemble components that could be used in explosives.

Previously, only laptops had to be removed from carry-ons, and placed into bins at the checkpoints, along with shoes, jackets and any liquids and gels.

All electronic items can still be taken aboard the aircraft in carry-on luggage. Any items that travelers are asked to remove for inspection can be repacked inside security. The requirement does not affect items carried in checked luggage.

Signs announcing the changes are being posted at checkpoints throughout Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, said spokesman Perry Cooper.

In other changes effective Saturday, travelers will be allowed to carry-on disposable butane lighters, such as Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos, onto planes, but torch-style lighters will still be banned.

Mothers — or anyone — wanting to bring more than 3 ounces of breast milk onto an airplane can now do so. The liquid will still have to be declared to screeners.

Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or cpucci@seattletimes.com

Last month in Brisbane I had to unpack my cameras & laptop into tray ... yes, all the lenses body and stuff ... the security guy wanted to see all the gear in single layer ... major PITA. At least it was only once in about 15 scans that trip.

Every time though ?!!?

I was just browsing through the offical TSA website I can't find any mention of this new screening regulation.

I wonder if it just applies to SeaTac (Seattle Tacoma Airport)...?

We must remember that these security rules are put in place to protect the jobs of the functionaries responsible not the travelling public. They are reactive rather than proactive.

A recent attempt to drive a burning Jeep into Glasgow Airport has resulted in motor vehicles (except taxis) from being banned approach to British airports. They haven't yet reacted to the fact that this band of alleged terrorists were all medical doctors with the NHS, but expect stethoscopes to be banned carry-on alongside alongside mother's milk soon.

In the meantime it is still perfectly feasible to buy a quart of vodka and a gas cigarette lighter in the duty-free shop even though smoking and the consumption of non-airline supplied alcahol is not permitted in flight. Precautions against terrorism must not be allowed to get in the way of commerce - and British Airports make more money now from airport-shop leases than from aircraft movements.

A friend of mine (rather stupidly) decided to try and take a hip flask full of jack Daniels through Birmingham (UK) airport... When stopped we had to drink the lot before proceeding, Not a prob you may ask, but at 8.00am in the morning its a struggle...

The airport car park was a nightmare, as John said the drop off points where barricaded off so it took my dear old dad well over an hour to get out. But Id rather have a inconvenience than funeral...

Dive safe, fly safe

DeanB

Reading that article, I wonder if camera bodies are included. They refer to Xbox consoles and non-portable DVD players among other items which are considerably larger than most still camera bodies and some video cameras. Unfortunately, I think you'll be at the mercy of whatever Joe guard is on duty though.

But, you'll have your essential lighter even though you can't smoke onboard or in most airports.

Evidently the new ban doesn’t apply to monkeys:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/07/ap3997349.html

Money quote:

During the flight, people around the man noticed that the marmoset, which normally lives in forests and eats fruit and insects, had emerged from underneath his hat, Russell said.

"Other passengers asked the man if he knew he had a monkey on him," she said.

Why do I only get on flights with screaming babies? Heck, I’d pay extra for seats on an airline they allowed monkeys in the cabin.

Luke

Reading that article, I wonder if camera bodies are included. They refer to Xbox consoles and non-portable DVD players among other items which are considerably larger than most still camera bodies and some video cameras. Unfortunately, I think you'll be at the mercy of whatever Joe guard is on duty though.

 

But, you'll have your essential lighter even though you can't smoke onboard or in most airports.

Well on my way through LAX and Houston to San Jose and return from Seattle, I was asked to pull out my tiny little HC7 video camera, topside flash and DSLR which were in a separate camera bag with various lenses.

The Costa Rican security guard took away my lighter at the boarding gate when I left!!

I just experienced the new rules, sort of. An old dingbat kept yelling at me to take my large electronic gear out and pass it through separately, like my laptop. "New rule as August 4th" she kept yelling.

She kept repeating herself, "Large electronic devices......blah, blah, blah"

I asked about cameras. She just kept repeating herself. I asked how large is large? Does she have any dimensional cut-off for large versus small? Is it by volume? If so, perhaps some cubic inch limit had been documented. Would this apply to all cameras or just digital cameras? Would should consider lenses to be electronic devices?

She just kept yelling the same line over and over, "Large electronic devices......blah, blah, blah".

By this time, I had pulled out all three camera bodies. I made the mistake of having the 70-200mm attached to one of the bodies. I think that was the tipping point.

The guy who had to test my bags had heard my questions. He just smiled, asked some photography questions and waived me on.

I did not have to pull any gear out on my way back.

I fly in and out of SeaTac very frequently on both domestic and international routes, and have not had any screening issues.

This has actually been quite surprising, since my Porter Case holds a myriad of lenses, boxes, Subal housing, two Ikelite 125 strobes and batteries, arms, etc. I have not ever been asked to even open the case. I have to be pushing some kind of carry-on weight limit, but so far no issues.

My Vio lap top has a carbon fiber housing, and it has been run through the x-ray machine several times, as a novelty. The x-rays pass through, and I have even had some screeners say I don't need to remove it.

Cheers,

Dan

My last trip I took my laptop out as always and have neveer been stopped before for carrying my other items, this time they stopped me and said I had to take my portable hard drives out and pretty much stopped shy of yelling at me, but it was close.

The same hard drives that had been on the same airline at the same airport 1/2 dozen times this year, including two weeks earlier.

I just got back from Belize with a carry-on jammed with camera, housing, lenses, ports strobes etc. I was not asked to remove anything. They mostly checked laptops.

Of all the airports I go through, I will tell you that I HATE BRISBANE AIRPORT!!! I will route almost anywhere to avoid it. It is the only airport I have ever had trouble with. I think you have to be a member of the nazi party to work there. I had one person search my whole camera bag just so that she could sieze a tiny 3" spanner wrench. "You can't have tools....".

So much has changed.... In 97 or 8 I went for a non diving trip to Mauretania, traveling with local people through the Banc d'Arguin, flying with air france. I only flew once before, so i just packed what I thought I needed. The security officer mentioned i had a knife:

I showed them a swiss army type knife, an opinel knife and a rather mean looking small knife to gut fish, but those werent the ones she was after: the scanner showed a butter knife (that couldnt cut anything). Strangely enough, I was allowed to pack everything back and carry it into the plane....

Those nazi hand carry baggage screeners in Brisbane must have come from Cairns. I used to route any other airport in Australia except Cairns because of this one person. Maybe he has moved south!!!

Terry

Those nazi hand carry baggage screeners in Brisbane must have come from Cairns. I used to route any other airport in Australia except Cairns because of this one person. Maybe he has moved south!!!

Either that, or he has an identical twin sister. Brisbane was a real pain. The Virgin airlines check in nasty actually yelled out very loudly that if she "allowed me to carry on my camera equipment, it would fall out of the overhead bin and kill a child" She repeated this several times, loudly, calling me a potential child killer.

She also did not think I should be allowed to wear my photo vest with gear in the pockets, nor did she know the correct allowance for sporting goods (Virgin gives you an allowance for scuba gear). I ended up having to check another bag, and wear a lot of gear.

Of course, at the gate, no one checked anything for weight, and I repacked what I could into my laptop bag.

Loved the city, though.

The security inconsistencies and attitudes of the security staff at the US airports have influenced my travel choices and destinations. If I have to pass through a US airport, I will seriously consider another destination.

I think so many of the problems come from shoddy training and communication.

Cheers,

Marli

and you think your airport has problems !

A security alert at Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman on Saturday exposed major flaws in airport security and the way emergency services on the Cayman Islands respond to terrorist threats.

 

According to an official statement issued by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, “At around 9:00 pm (on Saturday, 30 June) officers were alerted to a vehicle parked in the long stay car park at the airport that had been covered in caution tape.â€

/cut/

The airport was closed for around 45 minutes, while the investigations were completed.

A 29-year-old man was taken to the police station. He told officers he had taped up the car to play a joke on a friend who is on vacation, and was released after receiving a severe warning about his actions.

 

The police statement concludes, “In light of sensitivities surrounding means of transportation, and in particular airports, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is warning the public that actions such as this will be taken very seriously and all incidents of this nature will be dealt with robustly.â€

http://www.caymannetnews.com/news-162--1-1--.html

I laughed !