Wow, flying out of SFO just became much worse. While traveling this morning I surprised to find out that TSA is now requiring that you remove all electronic devices from your carry-on bags, including cables etc. and place them in a separate bin to be scanned at the security checkpoints. Along with slowing down the line to a crawl, this will undoubtedly lead to people losing expensive equipment, not to mention the possiblity for your stuff to be accidentally taken by someone else or even stolen.
Of course none of this information is mentioned on either the TSA or SFO websites.
Does anyone know if TSA is requiring this at any other airports?
Here’s more coverage of this story:
- Boing Boing
- Wired Gadget Lab
UPDATE 1: How ironic, TSA just launched their new blog today “to provide here a forum for a lively, open discussion of TSA issues”. Maybe they can explain this new SFO policy.
UPDATE 2: There’s a discussion about this issue on the FlyerTalk forums. One person thinks it’s some kind of TSA test, but so far no official word from TSA.
UPDATE 3: Just to clarify a few details, this unique security requirement was requested of everyone (not just me) in all the security lines (both regular and first class) and took place at one of the domestic security checkpoints at SFO on Thursday, January 31st.
UPDATE 4: Mark Frauenfelder posted about my TSA experience at SFO on Boing Boing and there are quite a few comments from travelers over there as well.
UPDATE 5: Ok, so it looks like TSA does not handle the gate security at SFO. It is run by a security company called Covenant Aviation Security (CAS). This might explain the discrepancies. Maybe someone from CAS would be willing to explain why the sudden change in policy.
UPDATE 6: It appears that this blog post played a part in convincing TSA to end this unusual practice of screening individual electronic items.
UPDATE 7: The Examiner published an interview with me regarding this blog post about the TSA experiement.
photo by Scott Beale
Here Are A Few Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
- TSA Ends Practice of Screening Individual Electronic Items
- Google Reader, Using Shared Items For Link Blog & Blogroll
- Maybe You Shouldn’t Buy That – A Blog About Expensive & Useless Items
- San Francisco Requiring a Permit For Bring Your Own Big Wheel
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: Tor
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
When flying out of Belfast airport (N.Ireland) to Glasgow (Scotland) they only require that laptops are taken out of bags and placed in separate tray.
However if you are carrying alot of electrical goods (as I was) they will stop you and search your bag removing all electrical goods and placing them in a separate (RED tray, normal trays are blue) before swabbing your bag for any chemical trace.
I know as I had to stand for 10mins last time I passed through security as he removed all electrical items (mobile phone, digital camera, ipod, laptop mouse, phone charger, laptop charger, camera dock, ipod cable) and rescanned them.
Amusingly tho my bag confused him (it has alot of compartments) to the point where he missed one of the largest at the front. He even started to argue with me that he had checked it, until I pointed out that every other compartment was unzipped and empty bar that one.
What would they have said if I’d managed to sneak through with a liquid container over 100ml, dear god I could have been carrying sprite or anything ;)
I flew out of chicago (ORD) yesterday and had no such requirement. I heard that FO did that just as MacWorld was ending but thought that was a one day deal. Please place your live force in a 1 quart plastic bag. I guess the TSA motto is if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with bullsh*t.
Just saw this right before your post:
“Air your security gripes on TSA blog”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080131/ap_on_hi_te/airport_security_tsa_blog;_ylt=ApCpMVaTyuZZSiksJNEYXvms0NUE
http://www.tsa.gov/blog
That is becomming more and more rediculous.
I carry at least 3 battery chargers + cables (Laptop, cellphone cameras), USB-cables, camera body, flash and a handful of lenses and several sets of batteries. There are even more restrictions on how many batteries you can bring, so I wonder if I’m allowed to fly at all (see http://safetravel.dot.gov/tips.html)
Good god, what is wrong with these people.
This is going to take an extra 10 minute for me to go through security.
Just in time as I head to the airport this morning. I’ll be in the special line for people with an SLR camera and two laptops. I think I’ll go early.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=780250 has more details- looks like it’s a “test” that’s been going on for a while.
I did not have that experience flying to and from Macworld from Jacksonville, FL.
The hell of unpacking all of my gear would delay me by 15 minutes. I don’t dare list everything that’s in my Brenthaven bag(s) on this comment but I assure you that it will make flying very difficult if this becomes common place.
It’s probably so they can determine the composition and weight of the batteries to comply with the new limitations on Li-Ion carry-on weight.
As a silent protest, I think everyone should start bringing vibrators in their carry-ons.
I flew SFO>JFK>SFO last week and I heard nothing of taking out additional items at either airport. I had checked the powercord for my iBook in my luggage (d’oh! 3 hour delay + half charged battery = unhappy blogger), but still had the trusty Blackberry, iPod, and all associated cables.
I have only ever flown out of SFO via the International terminal but I’ve heard stories of the domestic terminals being horrendous and about on par with flying out of OAK.
chrys, thanks for the heads-up on the TSA blog. I’ve updated this post that info.
A few times, I’ve forgotten to put something in a quart ziploc bag, or left the baggie in the carry on, and nobody noticed. I recently found small bottles of mouthwash in a little pocket in my messenger bag– must have gone through their machines a dozen times, and nobody ever spotted it. I’ve forgotten to remove my Swiss army knife from my bag a few times too– no problems there either.
1) Here’s a hack for everyone, regarding “liquid items”. Keep them on your person. (In a pocket, in yer undies, in yer socks, whatever…) As long as they are not metal, and not in your carry-on, they shouldn’t get you detained, and now you don’t need to do the 6oz baggie dance.
2) I had my whole flying ritual down. I knew how to get through the security lines quite quickly, so I didn’t complain too much, nor did I seek out how to complain. Now, with this anti-electronic totalitarianism, I’m feeling like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
3) Vibrators. Colin’s got it. I’m buying VIBRATORS!
Yet another reason to fly out of San Jose instead, or charter your own plane.
Brian, thanks for the FlyerTalk forum link, I’ve updated the post.
Sure, Bonnie, charter your own plane, and then the environmentalists will be calling for your head! :-)
I flew from RDU to DFW this afternoon (Jan 31) and there was no such requirement. As far as I could tell, there was no _new_ sillyness of any kind.
I flew out of DFW today (1/31) and did not have this problem. Only the laptop had to come out of the bag. It may be only SFO.
I had a friend fly international today out of SFO. After she cleared security (around 2pm) she called; when I asked her, she said that there wasn’t anything unusual about her security screening, and that she wasn’t required to enumerate all of her electronics and cables for seperate screening. Scott, maybe you got picked for a beta-test of a new policy?
I flew out of SFO today, and I had loads of cables and gadgets in my carry-on. No-one asked me to take any of them out… sounds like this new requirement is patchy indeed!
I’m fed up with this crap. I hold up the line every time I fly with my laptop and other electronics, usually juggled into bins while I’ m trying to take off my shoes and belt, while emptying my pockets. I’m sure as hell not checking them- I need them for work when I land, and my bags get “delayed” at least a couple of times a year.
Gotta agree with Colin. Frequent filers should just go out and buy one or two of the most obnoxious battery-operated sex toys they can find. Pack ‘em in the front pocket of your laptop bag and get to the airport early. Be sure to let TSA unpack them. They will too- nothing says “bomb” like a couple of batteries and some wire.
Flew out of Palm Beach last week. They did not ask for all electronics to be removed – didn’t care about my iPod, digital camera, but then they stopped me after x-ray and took the bag with my CPAP (used for sleep apnea) and said “is this a CPAP? I need the machine out of the bag for further inspection.” The guy then put the CPAP on some kind of metal thing that looked most like a scale, and then gave it back to me and said “you’re clear”.
What’s odd is that the CPAP had already gone through x-ray there, as well as up in Newark when I had flown down the previous week – and the security at Newark didn’t do the same thing.
–*Rob
I’ve been flying out of SFO every week since December, and there has been no such requirement. I use the 1st Class/Premier line for United so requirements can be different with different lines. I’m flying out of there next week, so we’ll see what happens.
I have flown out of SFO 4 times this week.
When I flew out of SFO to YVR, I only had to put my laptop in a separate bin. Left my PS2, chargers, camera, Blackberry, cables, and such in my bag.
When I flew out of YVR back to SFO, the security at YVR actually did a chemical swipe of my laptop and bag. But again, everything but the latop remained in my bag
When I flew out of SFO for two other international flights (trans-Pacific), there was no word of removing all electronics out of my bag. So it appears this is patchy or selective policy thus far.
I had to do 3 round trips in January, and the requirement of removing everything electronic (which for me meant completely unpacking my bag and putting the contents in about 5 tubs) was enforced at two different airports. They said it was a test. It was enforced once at SFO and once at Louisville KY.
I generally experience being pulled aside and having my bag inspected (with the little white fluffy thing) for explosives anyway, so this was just a variation on the theme for me.
Pamela Z
Covenant Aviation Security (CAS) is subcontracted by TSA. I doubt they changed their screening requirements without TSA knowledge and approval. Are you feeling more scared yet? It’s election time.
CAS does a much better job at screening and airport security than does TSA. There have been numerous articles attesting to this over the past few years. I’m glad they are actually checking for that kind of thing. Now, they should have streamlined things, and thrown out a bunch of the other crap they were screening for, but overall it’s a plus.
yay, it worked! kudos buddy!
Just for the record I flew out of SFO the day after you posted this. No problems with cables in my bag.
I just flew out of Anchorage, and the security there removed my laptop from the laptop briefcase it was in and quite literally tossed it haphazardly into a screening bin without even asking if they could remove it nor telling me what they were doing.
Flying from Seatac, however, I had my laptop in the briefcase the entire time until I got to my concourse while waiting for the plane to start boarding.