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TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

theverge.com

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Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#31

Post by gnicholas »

cylinder wrote: post #8

Their own separate bin? I'm interpreting this to mean, electronics in their own bin, together, is fine. One bin for each laptop, tablet, phone, etc would be madness. However, I don't think a laptop and an iPad will fit into one bin without overlapping each other. So now we are at probably four bins per person including their carry-on bag as a "bin." This is really ridiculous and will lead to even longer, more chaotic…

For years, I have put my MacBook Air and iPad in a bin together. As long as they are not stacked, it has always been fine. Not to say things couldn't change, but I would expect tablets to be treated the same way laptops have been historically.

Also, if they do need separate bins for all of these items, they'll run out of bins faster, which would be a pain for the TSA employees. I expect that if interpreting the rule strictly creates a hassle for the TSA employees (who have to cart the bins around), they won't take the strict approach.

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#32

Post by mnm1 »

technofiend wrote: post #18

>Of course, those enrolled in the TSA’s Precheck program will not have to remove their oversized electronics, due to their willingness to trade their fingerprints (and $85) for speedier screening. The TSA notes that Precheck is now available at 200 airports nationwide, up from 180 at the start of the year. Despite the snark, precheck is worth the money if you're a regular domestic traveler as are the trusted traveler…

To whom does the $85 for TSA pre-check go? Seems like a racket that, like most other things in this country, is aimed mainly at the poor. Pay more, get through. Can't pay? Fuck you.

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#33

Post by choward »

kbos87 wrote: post #7

The people who complain about heightened security never have a better proposal. This article is pure pandering with no balanced opinion of the fact that there could be credible motivations to ask for this.

I have a better proposal. Do nothing. It's cheaper and hasn't been proven to be any less effective.

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#35

Post by deathanatos »

cylinder wrote: post #8

Their own separate bin? I'm interpreting this to mean, electronics in their own bin, together, is fine. One bin for each laptop, tablet, phone, etc would be madness. However, I don't think a laptop and an iPad will fit into one bin without overlapping each other. So now we are at probably four bins per person including their carry-on bag as a "bin." This is really ridiculous and will lead to even longer, more chaotic…

> One bin for each laptop, tablet, phone, etc would be madness.

The current case, in every airport I've traversed, was each laptop in a separate bin.

I believe I stumbled through an airport "piloting" this program (BOS) as we had to remove tablets, too. We were not told "everything larger than a phone", we were told "laptops and tablets" — all in separate bins. It took five bins to get through.

"Piloting" new security regulations, to the passenger, appears as if TSA has no idea what their own rules are. Every airport I visit seems to have its own inconsistent idea as to what I need to take off, what needs to go in a bin, etc.

In my experience, the baggage X-ray is the bottleneck at the checkpoint; I don't see how this is going to help.

Also, does this include cameras? Who's the judge as to whether a camera is larger than a cell phone? (And just what I want, to advertise even more loudly the valuables I'm traveling with.)

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#36

Post by diabeetusman »

djsumdog wrote: post #19
kbos87 wrote: post #7

The people who complain about heightened security never have a better proposal. This article is pure pandering with no balanced opinion of the fact that there could be credible motivations to ask for this.

The TSA has stopped zero terrorists. It's security theater. It's just dumb. No other country requires people to take off their shoes. No other country will feel you up if you fail the millimeter wave scan. Their false positive rate is so high it's pretty much random chance. Sure security is bad in other countries. I've had to remove everything from my bag in several airports, but America is still somehow the worst in…

They both have an insane false-positive rate as well as an insane false-negative rate (95%, as other people have pointed out).

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#37

Post by crypt1d »

I've never been to the US. I'd love to visit though, so many beautiful places to see! I had this idea to rent an RV on the west coast and spend a few months visiting bunch of places.

But lately I've been deterred by all this TSA crap and the political 'developments'. I just no longer feel comfortable about traveling there. Don't get me wrong, my home country is far from peachy. But everything I read about US these days screams - don't come here. I'm sure their tourism industry wont fall apart because of one person, but I'm also pretty sure I'm not the only one that feels like this.

Seems like I'll just go somewhere warm for the winter to chill out (Canary Islands, anyone?)

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#38

Post by deathanatos »

caboteria wrote: post #3

> In standard screening lanes, TSA agents will be stationed in front of X-ray machines to verbally assist passengers with the new screening procedures. Is "verbally assist" a new euphemism for "yell at"?

Yeah, I think it is.

I somewhat recently had a TSA agent bark conflicting instructions at me: "Please remove all metal and electronics before the metal detector." Okay, simple enough. But when I started executing her directive, "you can leave your watch on." "It's a smart watch — it's an electronic with metal." She didn't seem to understand that.

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#39

Post by dungle6 »

technofiend wrote: post #18

>Of course, those enrolled in the TSA’s Precheck program will not have to remove their oversized electronics, due to their willingness to trade their fingerprints (and $85) for speedier screening. The TSA notes that Precheck is now available at 200 airports nationwide, up from 180 at the start of the year. Despite the snark, precheck is worth the money if you're a regular domestic traveler as are the trusted traveler…

I have NEXUS and I agree it is worth it. But the relevant question is that TSA pre is not difficult to get. If someone (US citizen or PR with relatively clean record) wants to blow up a plane with themselves on it then I don't see how TSA pre stops them.

Re: TSA will require separate screenings for electronics larger than a cell phone

#40

Post by vibrolax »

pmalynin wrote: post #23
technofiend wrote: post #18

>Of course, those enrolled in the TSA’s Precheck program will not have to remove their oversized electronics, due to their willingness to trade their fingerprints (and $85) for speedier screening. The TSA notes that Precheck is now available at 200 airports nationwide, up from 180 at the start of the year. Despite the snark, precheck is worth the money if you're a regular domestic traveler as are the trusted traveler…

Canadian here with NEXUS (which bundles TSA PreCheck in); Absolutely worth it -- albeit both the US and Canadian governments basically now know every single detail of my life, including biometrics of fingerprints and rental scans. For someone that essentially travels by air every few months for work (and sometimes pleasure) the ability to spend 1 minute in security means I get to spend my time on things that matter.…

American with NEXUS including Global Entry and PreCheck; It's a real treat to bypass 2 hour line-ups at the road border crossings on holiday weekends. In six years I've never had an unpleasant time at the border going in either direction, even though I usually cross at entry points that don't have dedicated NEXUS lanes.
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