TSA to introduce less annoying laptop bag rules this Saturday

According to a report in USA Today, starting on Saturday the TSA will be relaxing its policies on laptop removal from bags, and will be letting specific bags types ride through the X-ray machines with their cargo intact. The agency will allow travelers using bags which provide an unobstructed view of the computer inside to keep their laptops tucked away during the screening process, though they'll still require "accordion" or "backpack" style bag-users to grab a bin. The TSA isn't naming names or attaching labels to specific bags, but has provided guidelines to fliers suggesting what style would be most conducive to not getting shaken down every time you go to the airport. Of course, the TSA could have been doing this since the start of their time-wasting (and false-security-inducing) process, thus saving us innumerable headaches... but that would have made too much sense.

[Dead_Rebel @ Aug 15th 2008 10:51AM]

Best.
Photo.
Ever.

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 15th 2008 12:18PM]

The term "TSA" means FA in the UK...

[Bob Smith @ Aug 15th 2008 12:28PM]

What I want to know is: why aren't the baggage handlers screened?

That's right! They screen you, your luggage, the pilots, and flight attendants,
but your luggage is handled by unscreened personnel.

You didn't know that?

Call your congressman and complain. The airlines don't want to be bothered with screening them.
I'm not even certain of what kind of background check are done.

[Blackstar @ Aug 15th 2008 4:48PM]

Double plus good.

[dennis @ Aug 15th 2008 10:55AM]

One word: dumbass.

[Kris @ Aug 15th 2008 12:23PM]

Two words: chicken salad

[telepheedian @ Aug 15th 2008 6:03PM]

Three words: I like turtles

[Alex @ Aug 17th 2008 3:32PM]

Four Words: (all) Your Base Are Belong (to us)

okay fine i cheated a bit

[required @ Aug 15th 2008 10:58AM]

Less annoying? I don't think so. I find it annoying that they expect folks to buy new bags.

[War Machine @ Aug 15th 2008 4:51PM]

Now they will require people to buy Gucci bags, because they're the only ones allowed. Seriously though, the only way they can be less annoying is by not being so damn anal about it, does any other security for any way of transportation even get close to what the airlines do?

[nabil @ Aug 15th 2008 5:48PM]

and then they take your laptop and your new bag on your way into the country.

[Boarderwoot @ Aug 15th 2008 10:58AM]

Engadget you better be careful. One more of these articles bashing what Big Brother think is necessary I'll have to turn you over to the Thought Police for crimethink....

If the our government thinks it's necessary to have us spend countless hours in lines to have our personal belongings scanned and have our identity checked by overweight TSA employees around every turn, then by God it must be necessary.

One more terrorist attack and we'll have to go through security naked and you'll not be allowed to have any sort of luggage, carry on or otherwise.

[Kris @ Aug 15th 2008 12:23PM]

You tried too hard

[jroc @ Aug 15th 2008 1:03PM]

They already have scanners that can screen your naked body. They are one step ahead of you. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMMXO_GmWw0

[Tracy in Cary @ Aug 15th 2008 1:12PM]

Not only that, but your "by God" reference suggests you need to go back and re-read 1984.

[GhettoTron9000 @ Aug 17th 2008 12:42AM]

Seriously!

[Miles @ Aug 15th 2008 11:12AM]

You can claim that the airport security advances are time-wasting but the simple fact is you can't really know.

If there had been another terrorist attack via airplanes, than maybe you could say it's time wasting. But there hasn't been.

I'm not declaring that they have stopped terrorist attacks, but it's poor reasoning to assume they haven't (unless you have some evidence I don't know about).

[kjb434 @ Aug 15th 2008 11:16AM]

Most of the TSA rules do absolutely nothing to help....

All they are there for is to make people think something is being done....

Terrorist are not going to to use planes again because they know passengers are more likely to rise up and stop them (a la Flight 93).

[Boarderwoot @ Aug 15th 2008 11:31AM]

I hate to play the Devil's Advocate here Miles, but the way they took over the plane the last time could easily be done using a varaiety of things allowed on a plane. belts, maticuously sharpened pencils, a rolled up t-shirt and some duct tape, hell, even the plastic knife that I stole from the restaraunt AFTER i passed through security could do the job. My point is, anything can be used as a weapon in the same fashion box cutters were used on 9-11. Do we need security, YES. do we need this much security? probably not. I'd fear some discruntled lady passanger with a leather purse strap more than some guys full sized bottle of Head and Shoulders.

[Jack Storm @ Aug 15th 2008 11:39AM]

KJB must be an expert or psychic.

If he was in charge of our TSA, bag checks wouldnt be needed and terrorist attacks would be non-existent here.

Or maybe hes a terrorist telling us their next move?

[wiregr @ Aug 15th 2008 11:51AM]

Hey Miles, I love your logic. Also, I have a rock that keeps tigers away. What's that you say, how's it work? I don't know, but you don't see any tigers around do you? How many can I put you down for?

[Miles @ Aug 15th 2008 12:08PM]

@wiregr:

Look you missed the point of my post. I was simply saying that the article claims that airport security is a waste. But that's simply not true. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't; but the fact is we haven't had a terrorist hijack a plane since the security measures were put in place.

[Mark @ Aug 15th 2008 12:40PM]

There haven't been any attempted hijacks. News agencies report on the failure of screening and can pass through all of the malicious items that are banned if they really wanted to.

[watt @ Aug 15th 2008 1:13PM]

No one has ever built a laptop bomb. They only appear in action movies. That is all.

[Loonie @ Aug 15th 2008 2:30PM]

I demand you surrender control of this aircraft to me, or I'll plug my laptop charger in, possibly causing my dodgy lithium-ion battery to catch fire!

[Phoenix @ Aug 15th 2008 2:37PM]

Or just carry some matches through (allowed) and then buy lots of alcohol (flammable) and newspaper (for a wick) and make your OWN bombs!

[Lars @ Aug 15th 2008 3:38PM]

They may have made things slightly more secure.... maybe. But at what cost?

Seems like at this rate we'll all bee covered in bubble-wrap and not be able to leave the safety of our government-approved homes without a safety official strip-searching us "for our own protection."

[APasserBy @ Aug 15th 2008 4:08PM]

"Never mind that the baggae loaders, cleaners, caterers, and refuelers receive only occasional random screening. You can rest easy knowing that I do not have a pari of scissors or an oversized shampoo bottle anywhere in my carry-on luggage."
Smith, Patrick, and Carol Kaufmann. "The Plane Truth." Readers Digest July 2008: 96.

[jordan @ Aug 16th 2008 12:39AM]

Actually, by that logic, I think you technically *can* say it hasn't stopped any attacks. Have you seen any credible headlines that say "terrorist attack thwarted by airline security!"? I haven't. Until then, it hasn't stopped anything. The only thing you *can* say is that it *may* have deterred attackers, but I doubt that, referencing what others have said about reporters being able to bring in banned objects as well as the lackluster security screening of employees.

[r3loaded @ Aug 16th 2008 8:59AM]

Their security isn't obviously very good, as every time I walk onto a plane, I'm carrying several weapons: two hands, two feet, one head, heavy laptop with bag, pens, plastic knives, the cup of coffee that the attendant serves me, the plastic tray with my (crap) airline lunch, etc. etc.

Anything can become a weapon as long as you have the knowledge of how to use it.

[From My Cube @ Aug 15th 2008 11:12AM]

I travel sunday...hopefully the TSA will know by the time i go threw the raping (security) but I have my doubts

[Sebastian @ Aug 15th 2008 2:57PM]

Forget it - the logic of security measures is that they are put in place very easily and will almost NEVER be revoked.

(E.g. see the completely baseless and stupid ban on liquids on planes: You would need a laboratory in order to build explosives out of liquids and there are no laboratories in air plains - thus this rule doesn't make sense at all. Yet we are stuck with it and which politician would like to be voluntarily subjected to the "you support terrorism" bashing no matter how unjustified it is?)

[The 3rd Hot Dog @ Aug 15th 2008 11:14AM]

You guys get a lot of mileage out of that shot.

[acme @ Aug 15th 2008 11:22AM]

the truth is its not very hard to sneak something past security. and thats scary

[jonathan @ Aug 15th 2008 11:33AM]

I wish they would allow for a bag that prevented them from taking your laptop to the back to copy the hard drive contents.

[Jon Acheson @ Aug 15th 2008 11:44AM]

From the article, these aren't new rules, they're the same rules TSA released months ago, they're just going into effect now.

It's not like Engadget hasn't been running articles on TSA-approved bags ever since.

[thesawzall @ Aug 15th 2008 11:52AM]

Right here right now, I will pledge my vote to the first candidate who promises (and delivers) to disband this ridiculous agency.

[Barton @ Aug 16th 2008 11:11PM]

Epic agree.

[CapWKidd @ Nov 7th 2008 1:39AM]

Lets replace the TSA, with the "Do you look like a terrorist?" security check....

[la @ Aug 15th 2008 11:52AM]

big deal, let them check your bags. it is a privelege to fly, and they should actually do more. just check your bag ( or drive) if you dont want to be inspected. it is ridiculous all of the crap people have to bring on a plane to occupy their time for 2 - 8 hours. get over it and read a book. all of that electronic crap just annoys everyone around you anyway. YOU know who you are.

[Mark @ Aug 15th 2008 12:01PM]

la - This article is about laptops, so that's what I'll talk about. Not everyone is bringing them on a plane for pleasure. I know I fly every week for work and need my laptop (both to do work on the plane and to make sure that it isn't misplaced in transit.) As for anyone that is bringing it for pleasure, they probably don't want to risk losing it either, or paying the additional fee that most airlines charge to check bags.

[Boarderwoot @ Aug 15th 2008 12:05PM]

I'm sorry La, but it's also a privelage to take the Metro every day for millions of people going to work. The Metro, El, Tube whatever systems run under, around, and through major buildings of major cities every second of every day. Any terrorist with a bomb or anthrax or anything they want could get on a train at any point in any city and do an exponential amount of more damage death and destruction then a plane ever could. Yet I dont see any form of TSA security at the train station....

[CapWKidd @ Nov 7th 2008 1:36AM]

"it is a privelege to fly", are you nuts?! I hate flying! Nothing like being jammed into a plane for 4+ hours just to go across the country... the problem is, there is no other way to do it, driving, and taking the train takes days.... and the plane ride is usually 1/2 the cost of a trip! F the TSA!

[ShreDDR @ Aug 15th 2008 11:56AM]

WTF does TSA require everyone to remove their footwear is what eludes me. None of airports in europe / asia require you to unless you have metal in your shoes. Dumb Ass TSA.

[limp @ Aug 15th 2008 12:53PM]

If you dont know why TSA requires you to remove your footwear then you sir are a moron. and you should be mad at europe who doesnt require you to remove footwear. its for our safety.

[duffman @ Aug 15th 2008 1:33PM]

You have to remove your shoes because of the "shoebomber", who attempted to light his shoes on fire, but was caught a few years ago.

[lordmorgul @ Aug 15th 2008 2:13PM]

A large male shoe can hide a very long non-metallic sharpened blade. Either you don't realize there are non-metallic materials stronger than steel and easily sharpened... or you are comfortable knowing the person in the seat next to you could have one.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Aug 15th 2008 3:16PM]

Not necessarily because of the "shoebomber". Back in 93, I was searched coming back into the US and they asked me to take my shoes off... then again that was customs, not the TSA.

[Tim @ Aug 15th 2008 11:57AM]

I'd just like to throw out there - if you know you have a laptop and its going to be checked, you can get it out prepared ahead of time. What slows down lines are the people who are oblivious to the rules and even the signs stating the rules and try to go through with full-size bottles of Listerine and shampoo (lady in front of me at Heathrow who got rescanned 3 times stating she had no liquids and then being surprised that Listerine was a liquid each time - I'm looking at you) and then stand in the line doing what the people who pay attention have been doing since they started heading towards security - laptop out, shoes ready to slip off, the whole shebang.

Also - if you want a long wait, try customs on the way back into the US when you don't have a green card/citizenship.

[Josh Lankford @ Aug 15th 2008 6:55PM]

Thank god the rules are so much less annoying. Unzipping my bag, and setting my laptop in a bin on a conveyor belt was such a chore!! Ugh, and then placing the laptop back in my bag???? What were they thinking?!?!!? This oppressive, fascist TSA bag checker people!!!!!!!!!!111!!one!!!!