[hardocp] MacBook Air Causes TSA Consternation - Overclock.net

linskingdom · 03-09-08

Quote:

Check out this blog entry about the author’s woes when trying to get his shiny new laptop through TSA screening at the airport. I’ve dealt with some great TSA screeners and some not-so-great screeners in my business travels but I’ve never had to deal with what this blogger endured.

I'm standing, watching my laptop on the table, listening to security clucking just behind me. "There's no drive," one says. "And no ports on the back. It has a couple of lines where the drive should be," she continues.

Source

OC'ing Noob · 03-09-08

lol i saw this on hard earlier. funny stuff...its amazing that we spend millions on airport security and their level of competence is still this low. it has a screen, keyboard, and boots up into os x...really now...how hard can this be?

Coma · 03-09-08

Valid suspicions, though. It has no drive and no ports, so it could host something in the unused space, you know. Even if it does boot into OS X, it really makes it look like it's being used as a case for something else.

stargate125645 · 03-09-08

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Originally Posted by Coma

Valid suspicions, though. It has no drive and no ports, so it could host something in the unused space, you know. Even if it does boot into OS X, it really makes it look like it's being used as a case for something else.

I don't think it's a valid suspicion any longer when someone comes along and states what it is. If someone is trying to sneak a laptop that is really a bomb or whatever onboard, they aren't going to make it look like something that has never been seen before or they will get screened. It's common sense.

Halo2Vista · 03-09-08

damn. PWNED by the TSA!

WhiteCrane · 03-09-08

Valid suspicions.

The TSA needs to train their guards.

I'm impressed the guards even knew what a 'port' or a 'drive' were.

IIowa · 03-09-08

redsunx · 03-09-08

IamtheGTIguy · 03-09-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by stargate125645

I don't think it's a valid suspicion any longer when someone comes along and states what it is. If someone is trying to sneak a laptop that is really a bomb or whatever onboard, they aren't going to make it look like something that has never been seen before or they will get screened. It's common sense.

Um, no.

There is a very valid concern that people might start removing things like CD-ROM drivers and harddrives in their laptops and replacing them with bombs, weapons, etc... As a result, the TSA people are always trained to look for the existence of a harddrive and an optical drive. A computer with neither very reasonably could raise suspicion.

You expect TSA people making $15/hr to keep up-to-date with every technological development in the computer-data-storage sector of the market?

At least these people are doing their jobs. They are at least asking critical questions when they are supposed to. Sure, it's funny. But it surely was reasonable to at least inspect the laptop a bit more once they noticed the lack of internal moving parts.

[FH415] LOKI · 03-09-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamtheGTIguy

Um, no.

There is a very valid concern that people might start removing things like CD-ROM drivers and harddrives in their laptops and replacing them with bombs, weapons, etc... As a result, the TSA people are always trained to look for the existence of a harddrive and an optical drive. A computer with neither very reasonably could raise suspicion.

You expect TSA people making $15/hr to keep up-to-date with every technological development in the computer-data-storage sector of the market?

At least these people are doing their jobs. They are at least asking critical questions when they are supposed to. Sure, it's funny. But it surely was reasonable to at least inspect the laptop a bit more once they noticed the lack of internal moving parts.

Agreed, valid points.

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[hardocp] MacBook Air Causes TSA Consternation

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