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MacBook Pro gets me hassled at JFK security

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dezeinstein

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 23, 2003
68
40
Los Angeles
On my flight out of JFK yesterday, I took my 17" MacBook Pro out of my combo DSLR/laptop case, as usual, and placed it on its own tray. I walked through the metal detector, and then then everything just stopped. The TSA officer working the monitor called over one, then a second officer, who stared intensely and pointed and discussed quietly whatever they were looking at. I figured it was my Canon DSLR setup, even though it raised no eyebrows days earlier on my flight to NY.

Well, it turns out it wasn't the camera and lenses. "Is this your laptop?" I was asked sternly. I wasn't about to tell them that Apple doesn't technically consider it a 'laptop' but really a 'portable,' so I just said that yes, it was mine. They asked me if I would mind if they looked more closely at it. I of course said... "of course."

They walked over to a table and swabbed the entire laptop, focusing closely around the battery. This was very curious to me, since the computer was in sleep mode and so the light on the outside was pulsing. I was wondering why they just didn't 'pop the hood' and see it was a working computer.
The officer than asked me with a moderate level of suspicion (it's their job!) "What kind of battery is this?" I responded that it was the standard battery that came with the computer. He looked me dead in the eyes trying to figure out what I was trying to hide, and then finally opened the laptop and saw the Macbook awaken to a wallpaper shot of my dog in my back yard.

He said "we've never seen a battery like this one."

And then I was free to go. :cool:

Has this happened to anyone else? The Pro has been out for a while - can't believe mine was the first one they saw...
 
maybe the battery was so technologically advanced they were amused by the fact that they were actually looking at a battery ;)
 
Passante said:
How can you be a newbie with a join date of 2003 ???

Sir, please walk through the MacRumors truth detector for us. :p
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Not sure what makes one a newbie... guess it's because I've been a-lurking here for 3 years and have maybe posted just once or twice?
 
dezeinstein said:
Not sure what makes one a newbie... guess it's because I've been a-lurking here for 3 years and have maybe posted just once or twice?
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Exactly - which is why arn added the Join Date line so people would be able to tell those who truly just joined from those who have been here a long time but are not active posters (but who very well might be active readers).
 
Just thinking the other day how the MacBook Pro (nee PowerBook G4) still looks remarkably futuristic.

Maybe they thought you was an alien? And that was your weapon, and you were trying to take over the world. Just a thought!:D
 
dezeinstein said:
On my flight out of JFK yesterday, I took my 17" MacBook Pro out of my combo DSLR/laptop case, as usual, and placed it on its own tray. I walked through the metal detector, and then then everything just stopped. The TSA officer working the monitor called over one, then a second officer, who stared intensely and pointed and discussed quietly whatever they were looking at... believe mine was the first one they saw...
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That's just exactly what they do when I put my bagpipe through the screener...at least with a bagpipe I can tell them what it is and that usually helps...
 
At least your computer was the only thing getting probed and swabbed. They nearly had my clothes off leaving Las Vegas last time. Grrr.

I wonder what part of the battery monitor circut they went ape shoot over?
 
To anyone who has no idea what the hell they're looking at, they would be suspicious of an x-rayed laptop. But if people were to use their brains and understand what it is, and if it was really suspicious - like there are no hard drives, etc. in the computer - then it shouldn't be an issue.
 
Warbrain said:
To anyone who has no idea what the hell they're looking at, they would be suspicious of an x-rayed laptop. But if people were to use their brains and understand what it is, and if it was really suspicious - like there are no hard drives, etc. in the computer - then it shouldn't be an issue.
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I agree. And I think for the most part the screeners see more suspicious stuff than we can think of, but have the knowledge (I would hope) of what really is or isn't a threat.

My guess is that a lot of that comes from seeing familiar patterns on the screens, and with the new MBP, it may have thrown them for a loop with re-designed innards. The other option I can think of is that the guard(s) were just trying to look busy and important and picked on this random MBP to do so. I've seen security guards get all riled up over shoelaces, so that could very well be the case.
 
i kindda understand what that tsa guy was thinking cause when i first saw the 15inch i thought..."wow this battery is unbelievably kool"...

i can see how it can look a little suspicious, since its not on one of the corners like other laptops
 
I wasn't about to tell them that Apple doesn't technically consider it a 'laptop' but really a 'portable,' so I just said that yes, it was mine.
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You would have looked like a major dork/ass if you said that. I would have said 'um ok nerd. anyway, so your laptop here...'
 
I don't think they were suspicious of the laptop, but of the battery catching fire on the plane since Dell, Apple, etc, etc did recall all of those bad Sony batteries.
 
dezeinstein said:
Not sure what makes one a newbie... guess it's because I've been a-lurking here for 3 years and have maybe posted just once or twice?
Click to expand...

These forums should factor in threads read as well as posts when calculating a person's newbie-factor.

Anyway, on topic, I travel with a 17" MBP and before that 17" PB (yes, I'm a masochist... just went to 15" to increase ease of portability) - I haven't had any issues. I've been on maybe eight or so trips since the batteries started getting press and no one has said anything.

Overall I find the whole TSA experience (a new theme ride) to be pretty inconsistent.
 
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