Holiday season travel: Millions of people clog the airports and expand the security lines, as each traveler undergoes a painstaking individual examination in the name of public safety. It becomes a bit more complicated when you're carrying an electronic tool or toy.
You know the drill. Everyone carrying a laptop takes it out of its case and places it in a plastic basket that runs through a scanner (it is no longer necessary to turn the notebook on to prove it isn't combustible). Some of us automatically remove our shoes as soon as we approach the screeners. Cell phones can stay in your bag.
With the nation on the "orange" level of alert this holiday, allowing a little extra time to clear security is a good idea. On the way into the airport, your car may be searched in a spot-check.
Here's the Rules
While security checks have reached a certain consistency, it may not remain so for too long. Before you head for the airport, you may want to check a frequently updated list of everything that is and is not allowed on a flight. This information comes from the Transportation Security Administration, part of the Department of Homeland Security.
It's presented in chart form, telling you what you're allowed to carry on or check, and it may not always be what you think. For instance, you can check box cutters in your luggage, but you must carry cigarette lighters on your person.
While no laptop has ever contained a bomb, the security routine can only become more detailed.
'We've not had any incidents with bombs in laptops, but we will never let our guard down," says Jennifer Marty, a TSA spokesperson. "Terrorists are always finding new and different ways to hurt people. We keep up with all the threats and scan everything very carefully."
Marty says the latest concern is the stuffing in toy animals. So that is one item you may want to leave at home, if your child allows. On the other hand, the TSA realizes that many photographers carry copious accessories, and it now allows an extra bag of electronic equipment as carry-on luggage.
Otherwise, many of the policies have been consistent since the TSA revamped the rules over the summer.
Advice From Veterans
Yes, the airport can be an ordeal.
"I hate having to keep an eye on the computer as it snakes its way into the X-ray machine," says Rob Pegoraro, consumer technology editor for the Washington Post. "If I stick to my Palm and my phone, I can easily park them both in a pocket in my luggage--you don't actually need to put each in its own plastic tub--then transfer them back to my pockets when, if, I make it through the screening."
Marty maintains that the scanners at the security gate will not harm film, hard drives, or digital cameras. The stronger scanners for checked baggage, on the other hand, run the risk of causing damage to any of these items.
Pegoraro's advice for tech-inclined vacation travelers is that less is more.
"You need less electronic junk than you may think, and it's important to take advantage of the chance to unplug," he says. "Try living without the IPod for a few days. One cell phone is enough and the BlackBerry doesn't need to follow you everywhere. Most important, leave the laptop at home unless somebody's paying you to take it along--borrow friends' computers or stop in any cybercafe if you feel compelled to check your e-mail. If you do bring a laptop, leave as many of its accessories at home as possible."
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