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TSA will now require separate screenings for all electronics larger than a smartphone

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Pre-check is part of the problem. It motivates the TSA to keep lines as long as possible to make additional income. I refuse to sign up out of principle as the whole thing's a racket

Also, fuck the TSA.

Seems obvious but never even thought about that.....damn.....
 

Barzul

Member
Guys, I'm considering asking my relatives who are currently visiting the US to buy and bring me a new GPU for my PC. I live in Pakistan btw.

Considering the situation of the TSA, is it safe to do? Sorry, I didn't really want to open a new thread over this.

I don't see it being an issue at all. If they're bringing it on the plane, just make sure they put it in a one of the bins TSA provides and it will get scanned like everything else.
 

Syriel

Member
Because it doesn't actually help solve anything or make us more secure.

Instead when you're rolling through a big airport like Hartsfield or O'Hare you got everyone having to take out all of their shit and put it in a gazillion separate bins.

For one person that might not seem like much. When you multiply that by all the mother fuckers in the Atlanta airport security line it's a nightmare for ZERO gain.

So if I bring my backpack with my camera gear as my carry-on I need to put the backpack in one bin, my laptop in a separate bin, and camera bodies in separate bins as well?

What a mess.

Pretty much this. When I travel with my electronics gear, if I have to spread it all out, I take up an entire lane. Which means that line stops until I'm through and clear because there is no one to collect the items.

You are being paranoid. For starters they already have them, and another thing.....they know.

This as well. I've had multiple background checks done, including for federal work. I guarantee those were more complete than anything the TSA will ever do.

Instead of cross-referencing that though, they just want their $100 for "convenience."

If I were a terrorist I'd just blow up bombs at these security checkpoints. Plenty of people milling about for collateral damage!

(Just get rid of the TSA. It's quite possibly the best cut of government bloat possible.)

This has already been done in Europe (security checkpoint as target because it's a solid mass of people).

I can't stand people who carry on their clothes unless they're only going to be staying for a day or two. They're a big part of the reason overhead bins are so crowded and why getting on/off the plane takes so long.

Also, my coworker just said that on his most recent trip, he was told he had to take all of the books out of his carry-on and screen them on their own, because "bombs can be paper thin now, we need to be sure".

If carry on is free, and a bag costs money, then carry on it is. That's on the airlines, not the passengers.
 
stupid fucking security theatre that does nothing.

it's funny when you go to other countries and they don't waste time doing stuff like this cause they know it doesn't work.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
stupid fucking security theatre that does nothing.

it's funny when you go to other countries and they don't waste time doing stuff like this cause they know it doesn't work.

Doesn't work for what? Drugs and other shit get found all the time.

TSA doesn't need to find nuclear weapons inside a duffel bag for their jobs to be effective.
 
This isn't actually new is it? I had to take my vita out when i went flying months ago. Heck, even my phone had to go through separately.
 
Doesn't work for what? Drugs and other shit get found all the time.

TSA doesn't need to find nuclear weapons inside a duffel bag for their jobs to be effective.

we don't need a government institution searching people for drugs and they are often found after gross abuses of power and profiling.

tsa does nothing to keep people safe from terrorists, just search and terrorize travelers.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
we don't need a government institution searching people for drugs and they are often found after gross abuses of power and profiling.

tsa does nothing to keep people safe from terrorists, just search and terrorize travelers.

Well you can say that about the TSA if you want but you brought up other countries not wasting time searching people when they absolutely do do that. Many countries arguably care more about finding drugs than the TSA does.

Typically they "waste" less time by not making you take off your shoes and what not but it's not like international flight outside the US is a breeze.

I already do this automatically, I thought it's a pretty given any electronic devices should be put seperately.

I never bother except for a laptop because they specifically call that out and they never seem to care. Last week went through with a PSP Go and a shortwave radio and they didn't care that it was in the bag.
 
I still don't really get what this does.

Couldn't terrorists just choose another completely random thing to hide a bomb in?

Yes, a terrorist can fill any hollow space in any article with explosive powder or a plastic explosive. Examples: the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber (both of which failed to detonate). Laptops are used because they are larger than other articles you would likely take on a carry-on bag and its internals are somewhat sealed and hidden from a visual only inspection.

One of the theories for Metrojet flight 9268 (Russian plane that crashed in Egypt) was that an explosive device was in checked luggage. Although it's theorized that the explosive device was placed in the luggage after it was checked in.
 

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
I had to do this in Canada, Germany, England, and Italy. Figured it had already been a standard set by the US.
 
Pre-check is part of the problem. It motivates the TSA to keep lines as long as possible to make additional income. I refuse to sign up out of principle as the whole thing's a racket.

Cool.

I will leave later for the airport and pass right by you and your principles for a measly $100 for 5 years for my Global Entry access. :)
 
Cool.

I will leave later for the airport and pass right by you and your principles for a measly $100 for 5 years for my Global Entry access. :)

I get to the airport less than an hour before every flight and even opt out every time and haven't missed ant of my flights yet.

Totally cool that you don't share my principles though. To me, I will avoid willingly supporting the TSA in whichever ways I can
 
I just got back from Florida and had to go through TSA TWICE during the full flight.

Once at the Key West airport, and then again at the Orlando Airport because it's apparently designed so stupidly that you can't get to your next flight without going through TSA again if your gate is too far away from your arrival.

Nearly missed my flight because of it too because they were so glacially slow there. Hope I never have to go through Orlando Airport again.
 
stupid fucking security theatre that does nothing.

it's funny when you go to other countries and they don't waste time doing stuff like this cause they know it doesn't work.

Perhaps terrorist knowing that TSA exists is preventing the act from happening in the first place? The bad guy may suspect he's going to get caught at the gate so they turn their shitty attention elsewhere, thus, TSA is doing its job. I do not think you can say TSA isn't doing its job just because they aren't finding terroists in the act of their terror...I think that's a shitty way to measure their effectiveness overall.
 
I get to the airport less than an hour before every flight and even opt out every time and haven't missed ant of my flights yet.

Totally cool that you don't share my principles though. To me, I will avoid willingly supporting the TSA in whichever ways I can

I have never been in line longer than 5-10 minutes in PreCheck,regardless the airport.

It ain't the TSA I am doing it for. It's my time which is more valuable than $20 a year.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
I have never been in line longer than 5-10 minutes in PreCheck,regardless the airport.

It ain't the TSA I am doing it for. It's my time which is more valuable than $20 a year.

The wild card here is how many people decide to move to precheck now cause they don't want to deal with this new headache. I expect precheck lines to slowly start to get longer as more people get fed up waiting in the normal line.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
The wild card here is how many people decide to move to precheck now cause they don't want to deal with this new headache. I expect precheck lines to slowly start to get longer as more people get fed up waiting in the normal line.

Then by all means upgrade from PreCheck Economy to PreCheck Business class!
 

Kaelan

Member
Fake security measures making travel less efficient and a larger pain in the ass than ever before! Thanks terrorists!

The bin thing is so silly. So now one passenger needs a bin for their keys, wallet, phone, belt, and shoes; one for a laptop; one for a tablet; one for a Switch or any other electronics; all in addition to the carry on. As if waddling away from the nudie scanner holding your pants up and scrambling to get your bins before someone ganks your shit wasn't fun enough before...
I chucked. I can't lie though, this is why going to the airport is a pain in the ass
 

slider

Member
I wonder if the Australian disruption (breaking on various sites) is part of the (details unknown) broader Daesh driven threat.
 
I wonder if the Australian disruption (breaking on various sites) is part of the (details unknown) broader Daesh driven threat.

Probably, sounds like terrorists are starting to switch to creating peroxide based liquid bombs which the current swab machines don't pick up. Hopefully they can retrofit the machines to pick that up and it doesn't take a long time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...elaborate-terrorist-plot-to-bomb-an-airplane/

People here poke fun at the security for doing these elaborate schemes to try and foil terrorism, but if a "laptop bomb" took down an airplane everyone would have the same cry: "Why didn't they have the procedures in place to catch it?". Frankly I just wish we'd switch to the honest system: very little screening, and everyone agrees there is a chance your plane is gonna get bombed and you will die. Instead we get a lot of theater, most of which is there to smoke out anyone acting nervous.

A return to 70s flying, hell might as well bring back smoking on planes too.
 
The TSA is a waste of money, and it's ineffective. It should be done away with. Nothing would operate the way the TSA does with the failure rate that it has.
 

Soroc

Member
After TSA precheck appointment, am I all set? Is there a waiting period before it "activates"? I'm flying out of country in September and don't want to have to deal with this security crap anymore.

Edit: I guess I'll get my KTN as soon as I finish the appt and get the fingerprints and payment done?
 
This is pretty much how it already is though... Unless the last couple dozen airports I've been to over my last few dozen flights were just ahead of the game.

That's actually probably a bit conservative, it's probably more like every (US) flight I've been on in at least the past decade.
 

correojon

Member
I have to take a flight to the US from Europe next month and I´ve just learned that I won´t be able to take my Switch, Kindle or anything bigger than a cellphone with me on the cabin. I had been saving playing the BotW DLC for this :(

Does this also apply when taking a flight from the US to Europe?
 

PillarEN

Member
Lol. I must have always traveled to the US airports where they were trying this out as I can't remember the last time I wasn't required to pull my laptop out.

I have to take a flight to the US from Europe next month and I´ve just learned that I won´t be able to take my Switch, Kindle or anything bigger than a cellphone with me on the cabin. I had been saving playing the BotW DLC for this :(

Does this also apply when taking a flight from the US to Europe?

That's weird. I fly a few times a year between Europe and the US and always have my laptop with me in the cabin. I just did so less than a week ago.
 

Izayoi

Banned
Edit: Oh and apparently the TSA Pre Check application requires you to have your fingerprints on file? Yea no thanks. The last thing anyone needs is government free access to your fingerprints. Call me paranoid, but that's not something I'm ok with.
Planning on killing a few people here pretty soon?
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
This is pretty much how it already is though... Unless the last couple dozen airports I've been to over my last few dozen flights were just ahead of the game.

That's actually probably a bit conservative, it's probably more like every (US) flight I've been on in at least the past decade.

Yeah, that's not true. Unless you did it for fun. I fly ~20 times a year and have never done this.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
I have to take a flight to the US from Europe next month and I´ve just learned that I won´t be able to take my Switch, Kindle or anything bigger than a cellphone with me on the cabin. I had been saving playing the BotW DLC for this :(

Does this also apply when taking a flight from the US to Europe?

That rule is not in place but a rumor it may be implemented as far as I am aware.

Just the middle Eastern countries affected at the moment.
 

Dingens

Member
Pre-check is part of the problem. It motivates the TSA to keep lines as long as possible to make additional income. I refuse to sign up out of principle as the whole thing's a racket

Also, fuck the TSA.

thinking about it... this actually makes a lot of sense. I always wondered why going through security takes ages in the US when in every other country I've ever been to it takes 10 minutes max. (on average more like 3 minutes)
 
After TSA precheck appointment, am I all set? Is there a waiting period before it "activates"? I'm flying out of country in September and don't want to have to deal with this security crap anymore.

Edit: I guess I'll get my KTN as soon as I finish the appt and get the fingerprints and payment done?

Yep. Once you get it you're good. I registered for Global Entry (which includes TSA Pre-Check) and I got my KTN immediately after I finished my appointment. I was flying out the next week and was able to use my TSA Pre-Check without any issues.
 
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