Israel airport security stole my laptop
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Israel airport security stole my laptop
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Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#2Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted me to a side room. Here there was one guard interrogating me on and off for ~2 hours. Just about any question I asked was met with "We can't tell you that." They confiscated my laptop b/c they had to "run more tests". I said several times I would wait for the tests, but they 'insisted' I leave. As soon as I was through security I went to Turkish airlines for help, but their immediate (read: scripted) response was "We do not deal with airport security."
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#3Yes this could have been worse, and is relatively minor compared to other mideast travel horror stories. Nonetheless I feel frustrated not only losing my computer and non-backed up materials, but because this occurs as I am helping an Israeli tech company by sharing my knowledge and expertise. There has been incredible outreach initiative in the AI research community as of late -- e.g., DL Indaba in Africa -- but this makes us feel unwanted. I will continue working with the Israeli startup, but from my office in SF.
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#4Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted m…
Good luck with that, Airline can't do anything about that. Your next best bet is to reach out to the airport again, but this time through an embassy or consulate.
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#5Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted m…
I presume the first thing you did when you got your laptop back is to re-image it?
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#6This is a good argument for never taking any electronic devices outside your home region.
Even if you get your device back, after someone takes it behind the curtain and fiddles with it ... How can you be sure that they have not compromised it for its onward journey?
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#7Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted m…
I presume the first thing you did when you got your laptop back is to re-image it?
Never got my laptop back.
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#8Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted m…
I presume the first thing you did when you got your laptop back is to re-image it?
That wouldn't necessarily remove everything evil that could potentially be done with it though.
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#9Curbside security guard asked a couple basic questions ("How long were you in Israel? Where are you traveling to?"). The guard at the first security gate inside asked ~20 questions (4-8 is normal). I think answering that I'm a SW engineer to "What do you do for a living?" made her suspicious. I was then directed to a side security area where they searched my bags and discovered my laptop. A few guards then escorted m…
I presume the first thing you did when you got your laptop back is to re-image it?
I don't think he has received his laptop yet
Re: Israel airport security stole my laptop
#10Good argument for taking a laptop that is basically a thin client to a VNC-over-SSH session.