New TSA Laptop Guidelines
In a move that's sure to pique the interest of business travelers, the TSA announced a new screening policy for laptop bags in mid-August. On its face, it certainly seems like an improvement: rather than making you remove your laptop from the bag before sending it down the X-ray conveyor belt, TSA employees just X-ray the bag directly. Sounds like a win-win for everyone, right? Well, the drawback is that the TSA requires your laptop bag to lie flat against the X-ray belt and to "present a clear and distinct image of the laptop separate from the rest of the bag." And it turns out this "clear and distinct image" can be obscured by internal pockets, snaps, zippers, cables, chargers, and just about everything else. Simply put, most laptop bags won't work with the new system.
To combat the charge that the TSA policy isn't all that practical, the TSA put out a call to laptop bag manufacturers in March asking for "checkpoint friendly" prototypes. These bags will be expressly designed for X-ray machines, with no dividers, pockets, or materials that would otherwise interfere with the laptop image. And apparently the manufacturers responded by submitting 40 bags for testing. So if you do a lot of traveling with your laptop, consider looking for the "checkpoint friendly" label.
See Amazon.com's checkpoint-friendly laptop bags.
While that does improve the situation to some degree, some argue that the policy will create more problems than it solves.
What do you think?
-- Rivers Janssen
Don in AZ on September 11, 2008 at 04:19 PM
Won't work for the 90%+ of us who carry our laptops in backpacks.
totwtytr on September 11, 2008 at 04:32 PM
It's the TSA, everything they do to "help" just makes the situation worse. I'd call them highly trained monkeys, but that would be an insult to the monkeys.
TSA=Too Stupid for Arby's.
John Steele on September 11, 2008 at 04:54 PM
What a surprise, its a cock-up.
Just reinforces the old adage "Every time the Congress makes a law its a joke and every time they make a joke its a law."
Kendall on September 11, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Actually this is a step up as far as I'm concerned - before I thought the deal was that you HAD to have a bag with the Checkpoint logo on it to run it through. Now it seems they are being more lenient and letting you run it through with any bag as long as the laptop can be seen well.
That enables me to rearrange things in a bag, or to pick a bag where I can be fairly sure none of the other contents will obscure the laptop. Sounds better than the way things are today, to me.
s sommer on September 11, 2008 at 05:05 PM
Will continue to put my laptop in my carry on & remove for security check. Yawn.
Brad on September 11, 2008 at 05:08 PM
While I fundamentally agree with the above comments, I still feel the need to point out this is all the goddamn terrorists' fault. Especially today that should be remembered. The amazing innovation and creativity of Western Civ and especially us Americans built a pretty cool society, yet these shit-for-brains Islamic assholes who contribute shit to the world f it all up with their useless jihad bullshit. Remember them every time you have to perform like a monkey for a TSA rep.
bobby b on September 11, 2008 at 05:11 PM
No way, no how am I spending money on this. If I did, in three weeks they'll rescind this ruling, and allow us to carry them through in any carry-on-size bag that's pink.
bobby b on September 11, 2008 at 05:13 PM
No way, no how am I spending money on this. If I did, in three weeks they'll rescind this ruling, and allow us to carry them through in any carry-on-size bag that's pink.
hey on September 11, 2008 at 05:16 PM
Do note that most designs that are compliant are using a hinged design where the laptop goes into a swing out sleeve (the above image gives a good example). Depending on the arrangement it is ether much easier or somewhat easier than removing your laptop from your bag. The problem comes with us travelers, who tend to stuff every available pocket with files and other material.
As a traveler you'll simply have to ensure that you don't stuff anything into the disappearing pocket created by the hinge design. The main trade off is size and weight of bag for less hassle at security. The utility will vary dramatically.
hey on September 11, 2008 at 05:18 PM
The swing out pocket can work for backpack designs as well as shoulder style. I however haven't seen may people fly with the backpack design due to size and other considerations.
Evil Bob on September 11, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Though they have gotten better, TSA is still the number one reason I hate to travel. Just about all of their policies are reactions to the methods people might use rather than trying to figure out who might use those methods. And none of them has passed the "feel good" test.
To paraphrase a presidential candidate, this is putting lipstick on a pig.
Ken Mitchell, Citrus Heights, CA on September 11, 2008 at 07:52 PM
I have taken a different tack; after flying across the country every other week for 5 years, I now have a job that doesn't require me to fly. I don't sweat airports any more - because I don't go there.
When the TSA finally bankrupts all of the airlines, it won't worry me at all.
Ken Mitchell, Citrus Heights, CA on September 11, 2008 at 07:53 PM
I have taken a different tack; after flying across the country every other week for 5 years, I now have a job that doesn't require me to fly. I don't sweat airports any more - because I don't go there.
When the TSA finally bankrupts all of the airlines, it won't worry me at all.
Ken Mitchell, Citrus Heights, CA on September 11, 2008 at 07:53 PM
I have taken a different tack; after flying across the country every other week for 5 years, I now have a job that doesn't require me to fly. I don't sweat airports any more - because I don't go there.
When the TSA finally bankrupts all of the airlines, it won't worry me at all.
Peg C. on September 12, 2008 at 05:04 AM
I own about 7 laptop bags; I'm not about to buy a new one. We've stopped flying; that's our solution. A more alienating experience than 21st century flying I've yet to find.
Jenni on September 12, 2008 at 06:22 AM
There's no such thing as a "TSA friendly label". I don't know if you were being facetious, but there's already enough confusion and misinformation out there. No need to cause more. The TSA doesn't official endorse any bag either—they simply put a call out to manufacturers to make a bag that will make checkpoint easier. And it's still your call... It's just a matter of what's more important to you... getting through security faster or cramming more stuff in you bag. Personally, I hate taking things out of a bag that's got a ton of stuff jammed in it and having to reassemble. And believe it or not there are laptop bags out there already that pass the standards.
Joe on September 12, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Quote Brad "While I fundamentally agree with the above comments, I still feel the need to point out this is all the goddamn terrorists' fault. ...yet these shit-for-brains Islamic assholes who contribute shit to the world f it all up with their useless jihad bullshit. Remember them every time you have to perform like a monkey for a TSA rep."
Wrong Brad, it is 100% our fault. What about any of this "screening" is Constitutional? My inalienable rights are violated each and every time I fly. Some would say, "Don't like it then don't fly." That is wrong again - Everywhere I travel (one of my rights) in the USA my rights go with me and according to past Supreme Court decisions my rights can't be altered, abolished, or modified by the government. In fact the government's primary reason for existing is to secure my rights. According to the Supreme court Congress has nothing approaching a police power. So how is is all of this being done? By extension of power through malapplication, malinterpretation and malenforcement of law. We as a people have become too stupid and ignorant legally speaking to really pose as a break on government's ever encroaching power. There is no instance in history of governments peacefully relinquishing powers they ought not to have or exercise and voluntarily returning to operate within their proper legal grant of authority. It really is up to us to deal with and has nothing to do with "terrorists." Terrorists can't take away or prevent me from exercising my rights, my own government can and is the only issue here. The terrorists and the supposed threat they represent are a convenient pre-text for government to seize power in areas it has not been granted. There has been no new Amendments to the Constitution. Amendments are specific grant of power from the people to the federal government via the state government. I haven't seen any new ones, how about you?
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