TSA Checkpoints: Waterfield Sleeve & Jacket, or your experiences?

[speekez]

Curious to know how the TSA security checkpoints have been lately. It used to be your laptop had to be removed from its bag or sleeve and placed alone in a bin... you couldn't even sit it on your sleeve to cushion it from damage. Late last year, I believe the TSA enacted a rule change that would allow laptops to stay inside certain sleeves and bags if they met certain regulations. The advantage of being able to do this is to limit the cosmetic damage your laptop would suffer from being thrown naked in a bin.

I'm not much more body armor or skins, so the prospect of being able to keep my macbook pro in a TSA approved sleeve would be ideal. I'm curious to hear peoples experiences lately, ideally if you are using the Waterfield brand Sleeve or Suede jacket, both of which apparently meet TSA regulations.

Of course, the TSA says they can still ask you to remove the laptop if the TSA approved sleeve doesn't allow for a clear Xray of the laptop. I'm also curious if the TSA staff seems to be clueless of this rule change and is still forcing everyone to remove the laptop.

Your experiences?

 

[pacificsands]

Waterfield Sleevecase Experiences

I have gone on three trips now with my waterfield / sfbags sleevecase. Every time I've been through security, I have been able to simply remove my sleeve from the bag, show the security officer that there was nothing in the case except the laptop (ie no papers, magazines; this is important) and was able to send it through the machine without event.

I did this on both coasts, and in the midwest, so it seems the new regs are spreading pretty fast, so long as you assure them it's just the laptop in the sleeve. So, long story short, it's been really good for travel so far. But nothing is guaranteed; you never know when a dick TSA official will appear and force you to remove your computer.

Incidentally, the sleevecase from waterfield is very, very impressive. Well-made, quality, water-repellent ballistic nylon. I highly recommend it.

 

[SPEEDwithJJ]

Interesting. I guess it depends on the TSA personnel. I've just gone through the TSA security checkpoint at my local airport about 3 weeks ago & man, they make me take my laptop out of my laptop sleeve (I'm also using the WaterField sleevecase). They were also not too impressed with me when I told them that the sleeve only contains the laptop & nothing else... & what's worse is that there's a new thin line (scratch) on the bottom of the laptop after that X-ray scan. Oh well, this is all for the safety of everyone so I guess this is worth the sacrifice of my laptop.

 

[speekez]

Thanks, guys. This is about what I expected -- depends on the TSA staff it seems. On your Waterfield sleeves, did you have the flap version or non-flap version?

As far as scratching goes, it sounds like this is happening from the laptops contacting the bottom of the bins and rumbling around. Is there any product (like a clear vinyl or like the protective sheets you put on a PDA screen) that you could cut to size and slap on the bottom of your laptop before heading to the airport. Something that adheres via static or something rather than adhesive. That way, if forced by the TSA, you can remove the laptop from your sleeve and sit it alone in the bin, but discreetly protected?

 

[brentsg]

Now that I read this I can explain my 2 new scratches that came about during my recent trip to LA.