Tag Archive for: bag

Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

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Estimated read time: 4-5
minutes

NEW YORK — Anyone who has traveled by air in the past 10 years will know how stressful airports can be.

You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “Laptops out of bags, please.”

But what does your laptop have to do with security?

The day that changed air travel forever

Before 9/11, you could pass through security with a carry-on bag full of everything you might need for your vacation, including a knife with a four-inch blade.

After 9/11, screening processes around the world changed overnight. In the U.S., private security contractors being paid a minimum wage were swapped out for a federalized program with highly trained security personnel. Anything that could be considered a weapon was confiscated.

Around the world, travelers were suddenly required to remove their shoes, belts and outerwear, and take out their phones, laptops, liquids and anything else that could be used as part of an improvised explosive device.

This lasted for several years. Eventually, more advanced screening methods were developed to effectively identify certain threats. Today, some countries don’t require you to remove your shoes when passing through security.

So why must you still take your laptop out?

Airport scanners have come a long way

The machine your bags and devices pass through is an X-ray machine.

The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its battery and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively, especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras.

With these items in your bag, security officials can’t use the screened image to determine whether a risk is present. They’ll have to flag the bag for a physical search, which slows everything down. It’s easier if all devices are removed in the first place.

A laptop inside a bag can also shield other items from view that may be dangerous. Scanning it separately…

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Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

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Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.



CNN
 — 

Anyone who has traveled by air in the past 10 years will know how stressful airports can be.

You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “Laptops out of bags, please”.

But what does your laptop have to do with security?

Airport security changed dramatically after the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. Before 9/11, you could pass through security with a carry-on bag full of everything you might need for your vacation, including a knife with a four-inch blade. Indeed, that’s how the 9/11 attackers brought their weapons on board.

After 9/11, screening processes around the world changed overnight. In the US, private security contractors being paid a minimum wage were swapped out for a federalized program with highly trained security personnel. Anything that could be considered a weapon was confiscated.

Around the world, travelers were suddenly required to remove their shoes, belts and outerwear, and take out their phones, laptops, liquids and anything else that could be used as part of an improvised explosive device.

This lasted for several years. Eventually, more advanced screening methods were developed to effectively identify certain threats. Today, some countries don’t require you to remove your shoes when passing through security.

So why must you still take your laptop out?

Anonymous man at checkpoint in airport exploring luggage on screen with x-ray.

The machine your bags and devices pass through is an X-ray machine.

The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its battery and other mechanical components are too…

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Multiple green country schools implementing clear bag policy for … – KTUL

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Multiple green country schools implementing clear bag policy for …  KTUL

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I Wore a Fishing Vest on a Flight to Avoid Paying $65 for a Carry-on Bag

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  • I tried to the viral fishing vest travel hack to avoid paying for a carry-on during my recent JetBlue flight. 
  • The trend was popularized on TikTok as a way to avoid airlines’ add-on fees. 
  • I fit clothes, my laptop, and toiletries into the vest’s 18 pockets and boarded the plane without an issue. 

It started out as a joke. Wouldn’t it be funny if I tried this goofy TikTok trend and embarrassed myself by wearing a fishing vest in the airport?

Sorry reader. This is no light-hearted blog. This is a story of revenge.

A brief interlude for my villain origin story:

I stupidly booked the wrong date for my flight. I couldn’t believe it. It must have been karma for making fun of my mom when she made the same mistake years ago, forcing us to drive 15 hours to South Carolina (I never let her forget it).

My ego sufficiently crushed, I called JetBlue to try and change the ticket. After sitting on hold for five minutes, I was informed by the robotic voice that I would be charged a $25 service fee for talking to someone on the phone. Equally enraged at myself and the airline, I hung up and tried changing the flight myself. 

Now would be a good time to mention that I purchased a Blue Basic ticket

The wonderfully cheap fare option came with a long list of restrictions, including a $100 change fee that I willingly agreed to since I, a seasoned traveler, would…

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