News MacBook Air on TSA watchlist

[CardJoe]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/03...sa_watchlist/1

A luckless traveller hoping to take his shiny new MacBook Air on a US domestic flight was subjected to scrutiny by TSA staff who refused to believe it was a real laptop.

[Woodstock]

now that made me lol in real life thats awesome, but ill add that i had to power on my laptop (asus fj3p) no less then 5 times going from heathrow to auckland international

[rhuitron]

It's not a Laptop.

it's a waste of money and Precious lifetime.

[Cthippo]

Once again, the Transportation Stupidity Administration moves swiftly to keep us safe from, um, yeah, something.

[Arkanrais]

the anti-mac demon strikes again! muhahahah
/me laughs maniacally while chanting "f*** mac's" backwards in a satanic voice

[Joeymac]

Security Officer 1: "uuuhhhhh uuuhhhhh uhhhh....."
Security Officer 2: "Uuhh..."
Security Officer 1: {displays look of confusion/ponderment} "UUUUUUhhh.... RAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! RAHHHH!" {smash of Macbook Air on floor}

[Stickeh]

Its not got a hard drive or ports? OH NOES.

Why did they not just ask him to turn it on to prove it works? Imagine it now...

'Turn it on then'
*Owner leans forward*
*All TSA's in the room step slowly backwards*

[rhuitron]

^ LOL!!!

Cant Stop laughing.

[Shadow_101]

tbh if I hadn’t heard of the mac book air already, i would be suspicious of a laptop so thin, with no ports/hard drive. End of the day, they didn’t seize the laptop they just followed procedure. So yes, I think they where just doing there job.

[rjkoneill]

security guy - "go on then - run an application, prove its a real computer"
michael - "ok fine - i will" [opens up itunes]

security guy - "HE CANT RIGHT CLICK! ITS A BOMB! EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND!"

[steveo_mcg]

Originally Posted by Shadow_101

tbh if I hadn’t heard of the mac book air already, i would be suspicious of a laptop so thin, with no ports/hard drive. End of the day, they didn’t seize the laptop they just followed procedure. So yes, I think they where just doing there job.

Shadows version is correct but not as funny...

If they guy left more time no problem.

[Mister_Tad]

Either the guy is exaggerating in the extreme (and possibly works for apple's marketing dept) or the security were far more idiotic than normal.

I've brought PSUs, motherboards, stacks of RAM, graphics cards (all on their own in a plain plastic bag) through security, they've always known exactly what they were (and not just the young, hip ones). Most of the PC bits I've bought have been smuggled in from the states at some point (in my carry-on), without any problems whatsoever.

[theevilelephant]

after having the full airport security experience in the US (minus the rubber gloves experirence) i think that all airport security are idiotic muppets. I mean i wasnt hurtin anyone by sleeping on the floor!!

Ontopic again. i can understand their nervousness to let an electronic device that doest exactly match what they see as a laptop. yeah the air might be thin but thats more than enough space for a bomb

[Arkanrais]

this just goes to show, if you want to smuggle explosives on to a plane, then put them in a harddrive casing in a standard size laptop and have your fun that way

[airchie]

LMFAO, That's awesome!

I had something similar after a work trip to South Korea.
I had a 500GB external HDD, one of the Maxtor ones (I know, but I didn't pick it) in the big, thick metal case.
On the way back, I wanted to lighten my hand-luggage so placed the HDD in my main suitcase and checked it in.
10 mins later, two security guards, who don't speak much english, ask me to follow them.
I'm kinda worried until I realize they just spotted a big metal box in the middle of my bag in the x-ray.
Luckily, once I opened the bag and showed them the HDD in the flesh, they were fine with it.

Was a bit scary initially though.

[Cupboard]

American Airport security seems to operate at two ends of a spectrum - on one hand them are spending loads of time over a perfectly legit thing (but I think they were right to question it if they weren't sure) and on the other I accidentally took 2 knives to and from America in my hand luggage that I had forgotten I had put there until I came to unpack.

I would have been screwed though if they had asked me to boot up my laptop on that trip though - the battery didn't hold charge so I would have needed an adapter which was stashed in my hold luggage

[Nexxo]

Originally Posted by Shadow_101

tbh if I hadn’t heard of the mac book air already, i would be suspicious of a laptop so thin, with no ports/hard drive. End of the day, they didn’t seize the laptop they just followed procedure. So yes, I think they where just doing there job.

Perhaps, but kind of worrying that security is in the hands of people with such lack of, well, insight.

If I wanted to disguise a bomb as a laptop, it would look, quite obviously, like a generic laptop. It would look scuffed and used, it would have a functional HDD, it would run happily, I would have all the cables and accessories with it. It would look utterly unremarkable. It wouldn't look like a brand-new sliver of sleek aluminium that is just going to draw attention, admiring, curious or otherwise.

Psychology, people: the unusual is best hidden in plain sight.

[badders]

Originally Posted by Nexxo

Perhaps, but kind of worrying that security is in the hands of people with such lack of, well, insight.

If I wanted to disguise a bomb as a laptop, it would look, quite obviously, like a generic laptop. It would look scuffed and used, it would have a functional HDD, it would run happily, I would have all the cables and accessories with it. It would look utterly unremarkable. It wouldn't look like a brand-new sliver of sleek aluminium that is just going to draw attention, admiring, curious or otherwise.

Psychology, people: the unusual is best hidden in plain sight.

You could have the detonator on a mini-PCI card.

Best not to have an icon on your desktop that says "Detonate Now..." though.

[Redbeaver]

ROFL!

yeah, its funny... but frequent traveller myself, i know how sucky that mustve feel... my vote is for TSA to get them some bloody education................

[speedfreek]

Originally Posted by Woodstock

now that made me lol in real life thats awesome, but ill add that i had to power on my laptop (asus fj3p) no less then 5 times going from heathrow to auckland international

How do you like yours? mine is great but the bluetooth sucks under XP

Those TSA guys are jerks, I had to sit in the middle shoeless while they searched my luggage once, they dusted it all down with these little wipes and made me feel like I was some sort of monster. They were wrong, they are the monsters!