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MacBook "X-Ray friendly case"

shady825

shady825

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 8, 2008
1,864
105
Area 51
I saw something on this awhile back but couldnt find anything from searching.

What exactly do airports consider to be a "X-Ray friendly laptop bag/case/sleeve"??
I remember seeing that there are types of cases that you dont have to remove the computer from. I think it had something to do with nothing being on top or bellow the laptop (like pockets in the sleeve)

I'm going to be flying back home to Chicago in 9 days and was just curious. Id feel much safer if I could keep my Macbook in the incase sleeve. There has been times where I get searched or someone in front of me gets randomly searched and then my stuff is just sitting out there on the other side of the x-ray machine almost out of my view. Thats happened before with my wallet, phone, old dell computer and other things just sitting out for anyone to pick up and walk. Those airport people dont know what belongs to who.

Thanks.
 
Beware though, it really depends on who the TSA agent is whether they allow you to leave it in the case or ask you to take it out. Most of the airports I go to still require everyone to pull the computers out of the cases.
 
QuarterSwede said:
Beware though, it really depends on who the TSA agent is whether they allow you to leave it in the case or ask you to take it out. Most of the airports I go to still require everyone to pull the computers out of the cases.
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Thank you.. I HATE when they make you do that, I would hope the incase sleeve would be ok. Guess we will see!
 
It seems to satisfy all the rules, however there is a big disclaimer on the TSA website that satisfying these rules does not guarantee anything.
 
swiftaw said:
It seems to satisfy all the rules, however there is a big disclaimer on the TSA website that satisfying these rules does not guarantee anything.
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'My Luck' they will think its a bomb or something and they will need to "dispose" of it! ;)
 
Right, most of the basic "sleeves" like that should be fine, but as QS said, it really depends. Since the allowance for "friendly" cases started, I was asked once to remove my Eee from its sleeve (in an airport where the "friendly" option was clearly and widely posted by the lines) and the rest of the time was not. So just cooperate with them and try not to be too difficult about the whole business...

Also if you're really worried about theft, just put it in the tail end of the procession. You're supposed to make sure your own things enter scan before you go through the x-ray scanner yourself, and if you put it in last, it's quite rare that it will beat you out.
 
mkrishnan said:
just cooperate with them and try not to be too difficult about the whole business...
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Of course! I was just trying to see if I could avoid the situation of having to take it out but it seems like its up to the individual.
 
shady825 said:
Thank you.. I HATE when they make you do that, I would hope the incase sleeve would be ok. Guess we will see!
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Dude, don't waste your money on an "Xray Friendly" case. You, I, and everyone else here knows that they will make you take it out of the case. No matter what.

Think about it. They make people with flip-flops on take off their shoes still.
 
GimmeSlack12 said:
Dude, don't waste your money on an "Xray Friendly" case. You, I, and everyone else here knows that they will make you take it out of the case. No matter what.

Think about it. They make people with flip-flops on take off their shoes still.
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I'm not buying anything. As stated in my original post "Id feel much safer if I could keep my Macbook in the incase sleeve." (which I already own)
 
shady825 said:
I'm not buying anything. As stated in my original post "Id feel much safer if I could keep my Macbook in the incase sleeve." (which I already own)
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Dude, seriously. You think I actually read these posts? I just write my opinion and move on ;)

(I'm not a big fan of TSA so give me an inch and I'll rant a mile)
 
Right... there aren't really "X-Ray Friendly" sleeves. Almost all of them should comply. But as you noted, it's hard to predict what will happen. As I said, in multiple recent flights (two trips in December and one in January so far), it's only been an issue for me once. But it was an issue once. So....
 
GimmeSlack12 said:
Dude, don't waste your money on an "Xray Friendly" case. You, I, and everyone else here knows that they will make you take it out of the case. No matter what.

Think about it. They make people with flip-flops on take off their shoes still.
Click to expand...

I've been on a couple of trips with my WaterField Designs sleeve and haven't been asked to remove my computer yet (three different airports, including Chicago Midway and BWI). That's no guarantee that I won't ever be asked to do so, but it's been very convenient so far.
 
shady825 said:
I'm not buying anything. As stated in my original post "Id feel much safer if I could keep my Macbook in the incase sleeve." (which I already own)
Click to expand...


GimmeSlack12 said:
Dude, seriously. You think I actually read these posts? I just write my opinion and move on ;)

(I'm not a big fan of TSA so give me an inch and I'll rant a mile)
Click to expand...

I'll agree with you one that one, on my trip to Europe I had a TSA approved case and after it went through the scanner they decided they needed to pull it out of the case and swab it with something and run it for explosives...

Its just easier to take the laptop out and put it in its own tray, makes your life easier
 
A few years ago they pulled me the the side with my black macbook and took some swabs and wiped them on the computer and put them in a machine that checked them for something, I don't know why they did that, at the time I was only about 14 or 15. It might have been that they picked something up on the laptop because earlier that week it was fourth of july and I had some fireworks sitting on my laptop, so maybe TSA detected some of gun powderer or something on my laptop.
 
...TSA randomly does the swab test on any type of electronic gear you may have on your person/bags if your number comes up...that's why I try and keep all my camers, iPod's, laptop, etc... in one carry-on when flying so they only have to "search" one bag and I'm done...
 
I made this thread awhile ago but now that it popped up again I'll chime back in...
I flew from Arizona to Chicago and then Chicago back to Arizona. I had my MacBook in the incase neoprene sleeve and I never once had to remove it going through security. I was quite pleased! I just hate having a computer sitting out in the open when I'm still on the other side of security.(your belongings usually make it through before you do) I know the sleeve still shouts computer but I just feel safer with it in the sleeve opposed to it just sitting out in the open where everyone can be like "oh look a MacBook".
 
shady825 said:
I made this thread awhile ago but now that it popped up again I'll chime back in...
I flew from Arizona to Chicago and then Chicago back to Arizona. I had my MacBook in the incase neoprene sleeve and I never once had to remove it going through security. I was quite pleased! I just hate having a computer sitting out in the open when I'm still on the other side of security.(your belongings usually make it through before you do) I know the sleeve still shouts computer but I just feel safer with it in the sleeve opposed to it just sitting out in the open where everyone can be like "oh look a MacBook".
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Haha yeah, I know what you mean about the bags going through before you do. I just flew to Orlando while carrying my MacBook Pro in a Tucano sleeve. Had no problems getting through. But like you said the bags went in first then, 2-3 minutes later, I went in. The whole time I was watching my MBP. Had anyone even came close to even thinking about taking it, you better believe that I would be screaming as loud as possible to alert the security guards. But everyone is already on the edge about traveling, so it's rare that someone is going to steal your items while there are about 10-15 guards at each checkpoint.
 
MarkMS said:
it's rare that someone is going to steal your items while there are about 10-15 guards at each checkpoint.
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Yea I know what you mean but those "security" people have no idea what belongs to who, ya know what I'm saying.
Like you said about screaming if someone grabbed it, well I could just see them instantly thinking I'm up to something and all the attention would be diverted away from the thief. Im heavily tattooed and the way this country is, Im the typical "punk", it's sad society judges people on looks alone. People say they dont but you know they do!
 
J&JPolangin said:
...TSA randomly does the swab test on any type of electronic gear you may have on your person/bags if your number comes up...that's why I try and keep all my camers, iPod's, laptop, etc... in one carry-on when flying so they only have to "search" one bag and I'm done...
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Yea I had a carry on backpack with my DS, PSP, camera, macbook, first gen nano, and an assortment of chargers and cables.
 
What's the point of taking it out anyways? Shouldn't the Xray be able to go right through the bag and show the insides of the laptop? I swear, the TSA exists to make our lives difficult.

The European airports are just as bad with the laptop crap, but at least they don't make you take your shoes off which is even more of a pain. I can always tell who my fellow Americans are when going through security overseas because they're the ones taking off their shoes while in line :D

/rant
 
yg17 said:
What's the point of taking it out anyways? Shouldn't the Xray be able to go right through the bag and show the insides of the laptop? I swear, the TSA exists to make our lives difficult.

The European airports are just as bad with the laptop crap, but at least they don't make you take your shoes off which is even more of a pain. I can always tell who my fellow Americans are when going through security overseas because they're the ones taking off their shoes while in line :D

/rant
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They make you take it out because no one travels just with a laptop in its own bag. Generally people jam as much crap into their bag as humanly possible. Then you throw a laptop on top of everything making it pretty hard to see what the heck anything is in the bag. Thus they make you take it out and run it through separately. Plus its hard enough trying to see whats in a laptop without all the extra cables and books and stuff on top.
 
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