Guy misses flight because TSA doesn't believe MBA is a real laptop [Archive]

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BiikeMike

Mar 10, 2008, 12:45 PM

The TSA has been known to take issue with products designed in Cupertino before, but for one particular traveler, it was Apple's thinnest laptop ever that caused the latest holdup. Upon tossing his ultra-sleek slab of aluminum underneath the scanner, security managed to find enough peculiarities to remove it from the flow, pull it aside and wrangle up the owner for some questions. Apparently, the TSA employee manning the line was flabbergasted by the "lack of a drive" and the complete absence of "ports on the back," and while hordes of co-workers swarmed to investigate, the user's flight took off on schedule. Thankfully, said owner was finally allowed to pass through after some more in-the-know colleagues explained in painfully simple terms what an SSD was, but the poor jet-setter most definitely paid the price for trying to slip some of the latest and greatest under the sharp eyes of the TSA (and cutting it close on time, of course).

Link (http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/10/tsa-cant-believe-macbook-air-is-a-real-laptop-causes-owner-to/)

wordmunger

Mar 10, 2008, 01:11 PM

Wow, apparently TSA inspectors don't watch TV. You can hardly turn the television on without seeing an MBA ad.

That and the lack of sources cited makes me think this story might be false.

youradhere4222

Mar 10, 2008, 01:41 PM

I believe it.

I've seen one, maybe two MacBook Air commericals - and I watch TV a lot. It wouldn't be hard for someone not to know about it if they watched TV rarely or never at all.

gibbz

Mar 10, 2008, 01:54 PM

I'd rather have TSA take note of what they consider suspicious than have them do nothing at all. It is rather funny, but in the end, better safe than sorry.

brn2ski00

Mar 10, 2008, 01:57 PM

That is a riot!

I wonder what some of the other Apple products were that didn't pass security?

BiikeMike

Mar 10, 2008, 02:03 PM

Nike+iPod. Having a weird electronic device in your shoe probably doesn't look too good!

:D

Mindflux

Mar 10, 2008, 02:04 PM

Wow, apparently TSA inspectors don't watch TV. You can hardly turn the television on without seeing an MBA ad.

That and the lack of sources cited makes me think this story might be false.

My gf works for TSA. She's seen many a MBA's and never had an issue.

Just someone else trying to call TSA out on something.

If this story had any truth to it why haven't we heard about people with flash based mp3 players being questioned?

Adokimus

Mar 10, 2008, 02:08 PM

BiikeMike

Mar 10, 2008, 02:17 PM

Yeah... that's pretty funny. Don't know why he didn't just boot it up and show that it worked. It would be hard to believe it was a fully functioning laptop and a bomb in that amount of space. Though, I think people on these forums have a skewed perception on how obvious new tech products are (not a bad thing).

p.s. - Good call on the nike+iPod. I doubt that would go over well, and there's even less advertisements for it.

Yeah, I definitely take for granted new tech products. I read Engadget pretty much every day, cruise around on here, etc.

And I can't take credit for the Nike+iPod, that was a link from the Engadget article

davidwarren

Mar 10, 2008, 02:20 PM

I'd rather have TSA take note of what they consider suspicious than have them do nothing at all. It is rather funny, but in the end, better safe than sorry.

are you serious? TSA is a joke. Do you really think anyone would try and hijack an airplane again?

QCassidy352

Mar 10, 2008, 03:08 PM

seems about the level of competence I'd expect from TSA. They're great at harassing us regular travelers, but the FBI (running tests) continues to have no problem getting weapons, including bombs, past them.

arcanic

Mar 10, 2008, 03:36 PM

I got stopped by the TSA during a trip to Las Vegas....they said...."beautiful laptop....guess I got lucky!"

:apple:Arc:apple:

japanime

Mar 10, 2008, 04:21 PM

My colleague and I brought five eMates through LAX security this past weekend. A TSA agent said "cute laptop!" when he saw one of them.

I thought that was pretty cool.

:)

Adokimus

Mar 10, 2008, 04:40 PM

are you serious? TSA is a joke. Do you really think anyone would try and hijack an airplane again?

You're completely right. I don't know why they even spend resources on security. No one would ever try something like that again. Best not to hassle us with it. Even metal detectors strike me as "tacky" on what would otherwise be a nice trip.

[/sarcasm]

chadrob30

Mar 18, 2008, 01:40 AM

NC MacGuy

Mar 18, 2008, 07:35 AM

I've taken over ten flights with mine and not even a raised eyebrow from security. It lays flat in plastic bin, they see Apple logo on top and computer pieces through x-ray.

Fellow passengers on the other hand......

ctt1wbw

Mar 18, 2008, 08:22 AM

n0de

Mar 18, 2008, 08:39 AM

I have been on several trips with mine and either they just ignore it or are really interested because they do know what it is.

There have been several times I have actually forgotten to take it out of the bag and they have not even noticed. It is so light compared to my corporate laptop that sometimes I forget I have it with me ;)

fishkorp

Mar 18, 2008, 12:11 PM

My wife's taken hers on multiple flights and never got any weird looks or confusion, just like any other laptop. Once she got the "oh is that the new Mac?" question, but otherwise, nothing else.

Mindflux

Mar 18, 2008, 12:13 PM

All you had to say was TSA.... those guys are freakin brick heads. They made me put my cane through the xray machine and have me walk through the stand up unit. I looked at them like they were morons. Maybe it's because they are.

They have policy to follow. Yell at the Gov't, not TSA.

I hear about TSA day in and day out, my fiancee works for TSA. Most passenger complains are about policies TSA employees have to enforce, but did not make themselves. Blame the right people.

buffalo

Mar 18, 2008, 07:33 PM

Guess this traveler should've allowed a little extra time getting to the plane... ;)

mrsmitty13

Mar 28, 2008, 06:51 AM

All you had to say was TSA.... those guys are freakin brick heads. They made me put my cane through the xray machine and have me walk through the stand up unit. I looked at them like they were morons. Maybe it's because they are.

I'm sorry if you think TSA officers are "brick heads" but I actually applaud that attentive officer who stopped the MBA to question its differences and the potential that it was a threat. The TSA learns from incidents like such and eductaes their officers so it doest happen again. Take a look at www.tsa.gov and they have a cover story featuring the MBA. As for you personal situation you have the right to not be forced to walk without your cane if you choose to. You need to stand your ground and if they do not want to honor your request then ask to speak to their supervisor. On the TSAs defense, that cane HAS to go through the x-ray. What they can do for you is let you walk through with it, get you to a chair, then take your cane and run it through the xray. Don't come on the Internet and bash the quality of all TSA officers based on your individual experience. Its not fair to those of us that are vigilant to security and responsive to the passengers personal needs.

asmallchild

Mar 28, 2008, 07:28 AM

are you serious? TSA is a joke. Do you really think anyone would try and hijack an airplane again?

Tower 6-3-1. Group beatdown of offender in progress. I repeat, group beatdown of offender in progress.

;)

munckee

Mar 28, 2008, 07:32 AM

Nike+iPod. Having a weird electronic device in your shoe probably doesn't look too good!

:D

I always used to take my sensor out of my shoe for this exact reason (now use a shoepouch which doesn't seem so oddball).

Neil321

Mar 28, 2008, 07:46 AM

All you had to say was TSA.... those guys are freakin brick heads. They made me put my cane through the xray machine and have me walk through the stand up unit. I looked at them like they were morons. Maybe it's because they are.

Didn't you ever stop to consider, they maybe looking for something inside your cane,like one of those pop out blades you see in the bond films ( far fetched maybe, possible certainly ) or even some sort of chemical explosive liquid or even a bomb. Oh i use a stick i cant be a nutter

BornAgainMac

Mar 28, 2008, 08:15 AM

I would have connected the Air to the Airport's wireless network to bring up www.apple.com and education them. I got stopped when I had my Nike Plus. I had an extra one in the package just in case I needed to explain it and they let me on the plane.

EarthDawn

Mar 28, 2008, 08:47 AM

lol...

funny stuff...

TSA is so random and they really are not on the same page. Things are different from airport to airport and meanwhile I thought they were all suppose to follow the same guidelines...

ahhhhhh whatever its just funny to see them scramble

GSMiller

Mar 28, 2008, 09:46 AM

LOL!

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/14047

The suspiciously thin, port-free laptop sends airport security into a tizzy, until cooler heads prevail. Maybe it's time for some tech briefings at the TSA, no?
On his blog, programmer Michael Nygard (by way of the Unofficial Apple Weblog) writes that during a recent trip through the airport, his solid-state MacBook Air stopped TSA agents—puzzled by its lack of rear-facing ports or a standard hard drive—in their tracks.

Nygard said the agents put him and his suspicious "device" in a holding cubicle as security staffers huddled nearby, looking at X-ray printouts of the sinister-looking Air and scratching their heads.

I smell a new ad campaign for the Air!...

*Men in black suits staring through a one way mirror at man sitting at table in holding area*

*One holds xray up to light*

*They stare at it, mind boggled*

*One holds up actual picture of device, the MBA*

*Screen goes white, zooms in on MBA, voice over goes "MacBook Air--So thin, you'd swear it wasn't a real laptop"*

*Flashes to Apple logo*

DesignerOnMac

Mar 28, 2008, 11:09 AM

My gf works for TSA. She's seen many a MBA's and never had an issue.

Just someone else trying to call TSA out on something.

If this story had any truth to it why haven't we heard about people with flash based mp3 players being questioned?

In February of this year a woman went through security in Texas. She went through the gate fine but was chosen for the hand scan. The scanner went off around her chest. She was asked to go behind a screen and bear her breasts. TSA discovered her two nipple piercings. The female TSA person was unsure of what to do. She called over her male counterpart and he informed this woman that she needed REMOVE both piercings if she wanted to get on the plane. She needed a pair of pliars to remove both. This was painful and humiliating to this woman, since several male TSA people WATCHED!!!!
(This was on CNN news.com last night.)

EMAGDNIM

Mar 28, 2008, 11:13 AM

I don't know what to say about that story other then someone is going to get sued...

Sdashiki

Mar 28, 2008, 11:45 AM

"TSA is well aware of terrorists' interest in hiding dangerous items in sensitive areas of the body, therefore we have a duty to the American public to resolve any alarm we discover," the agency said in a statement."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23444817-401,00.html

my nip piercings never make a metal detecting wand go off. she had a HUGE gauges maybe...

mrsmitty13

Mar 28, 2008, 11:55 AM

In February of this year a woman went through security in Texas. She went through the gate fine but was chosen for the hand scan. The scanner went off around her chest. She was asked to go behind a screen and bear her breasts. TSA discovered her two nipple piercings. The female TSA person was unsure of what to do. She called over her male counterpart and he informed this woman that she needed REMOVE both piercings if she wanted to get on the plane. She needed a pair of pliars to remove both. This was painful and humiliating to this woman, since several male TSA people WATCHED!!!!
(This was on CNN news.com last night.)

Keep in mind these are CLAIMS made by this passenger. No full investigation has been done yet to verify her CLAIMS. How many people did not want to eat at Wendys when a person CLAIMED she found a finger in her chili? Then it turned out to be a big false scam only to collect money.

Policies and procedures with the TSA will not FORCE anybody to take off a piercing. Just like people want to run around saying comments like "TSA TOOK my liquids away, or TSA TOOK my knife away." TSA does not confiscate or take anything away unless it is a severely dangerous weapon coming through (i.e. gun) and in that case it is only being held as evidence. Any item that falls into the hand of the TSA is being SURRENDERED by the passengers. The passengers are given the OPTIONS of taking the items back out of the screening area and doing whatever they please with it.

notjustjay

Mar 28, 2008, 12:21 PM

Policies and procedures with the TSA will not FORCE anybody to take off a piercing.

Your country is huge. You have hundreds of airports, each staffed by hundreds of people working for TSA. Can you really guarantee that every single one of those employees is always following procedure carefully all the time? That not a single one of them might start feeling power trippy or irritated after a long shift and take it out on a passenger?

BiikeMike

Mar 28, 2008, 08:09 PM

TSA is so random and they really are not on the same page. Things are different from airport to airport and meanwhile I thought they were all suppose to follow the same guidelines...

I COMPLETELY agree! I travel, A LOT, with work, and it is usually for 1-3 day trips, so I always try and pack carry on. I am a technical support person for a large Financial Institution (wow, I just made myself sound really important, I'm just a subcontracted A/V guy ;) ) and I carry a lot of stuff with me. Wires, connectors, batteries, testers, etc. It all looks very suspicious, and I get stopped 75% of the time I go through airports. They pull out my work bag, I tell them what I do and what everything is, and I'm on my way.

Now, I use this bag for other things around town as well, and for driving trips. Usually I have wrenches, knives, multitools, etc. but I pull them out for fly away trips. I am based out of RIC, and last week I flew to DFW for a job. When I cleaned out my bag, I forgot to take out one of my speed wrenches. I had no idea, and I made it through security at RIC. on my way home, with the exact same stuff I came with, I got stopped, and they took my speedwrench out and said I couldn't have it on the flight. He said I could surrender it, mail it to myself, or check my bag. I told him it got through security at RIC, and he said that they must be an unsafe airport.

Moral of the story, TSA is only as effective as the quality of sleep that perticular the agent got last night.

I smell a new ad campaign for the Air!...

*Men in black suits staring through a one way mirror at man sitting at table in holding area*

*One holds xray up to light*

*They stare at it, mind boggled*

*One holds up actual picture of device, the MBA*

*Screen goes white, zooms in on MBA, voice over goes "MacBook Air--So thin, you'd swear it wasn't a real laptop"*

*Flashes to Apple logo*

Brilliant!

EDIT: Just watched the TSA thing, HILARIOUS! http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/03/update-bob-screens-apple-macbook-air.html

How is an X-Ray image of a laptop secret information?

jorge66

Apr 1, 2008, 01:53 AM

Danger!!! A laptop on board!!! Code RED! code RED! Call the squad!

Of course I believe that story is real TSA is full of arrogant morons. There was another story on the news that a lady was handed a pliers to remove her nipple piercing.

Hey, but this is done for your security. Please remove your shoes, strip naked, get x- rayed, dance like a clown, don't bring anything at all on board and so on. Harassing has no limits. BUT IT IS DONE FOR YOUR SAFETY.
http://www.nbc11.com/news/15729064/detail.html?dl=headlineclick
:D:D:D:D