NEW TSA rule: make sure that your electronics are charged before you leave home.

[NotUrsula]

I know most of us do this as a matter of course, but now it is much more important: make sure ALL of your personal electronics are charged before you enter the TSA security line at your airport.

As of Sunday, July 6, 2014, TSA is now requiring that, if asked, passengers heading for flights entering the US from abroad must be able to power up any electronic device being carried onto an aircraft. If you cannot demonstrate that the item works as intended, you may be forced to surrender it in order to board. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/07/tsa-bars-dead-cellphones-from-flights/

I know that at this point the rule only officially applies to incoming overseas flights, but as with many TSA rules, I expect it to expand to domestic airports, because that is simply the way that the agency operates. Sure as the sun rises in the East, there will be TSO's at domestic airports that will be asking passengers to prove that their phones are phones.

 

[CPT Tripss]

As yet, it is not for flights origination in the US. But I fear that the Airport Security Screeners will decide, "Hey, why not?"

If one has a large laptop, turning it on and booting it doesn't prove it is benign, and not a bomb. Someone good enough to fabricate small IEDs, emptying a shell of all but critical components to turn on and use the space saved for explosives is hardly a great technological leap.

Of course an x ray would pick this up, just as an x ray will pick up an IED in any small electronics case. Bet the bomb makers are working on a device that goes boom when it is turned on.

 

[OKW Lover]

I wonder how many people actually travel with devices that aren't charged.

 

[Lewisc]

I wonder how many people actually travel with devices that aren't charged.

Maybe a passenger who couldn't find an outlet and ran down their battery at the gate area. A passenger with a laptop which has a completely dead battery, who plans on using the laptop in their hotel room plugged in to a wall outlet.

A device with a rundown battery will frequently turn on long enough to demonstrate it works, prior to shutting down.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Maybe a passenger who couldn't find an outlet and ran down their battery at the gate area.

However, by the time the passenger is in the gate area, he'd already be inside security. A more logical scenerio would be someone who was supposed to be on the last flight of the day, however that flight was cancelled for some reason and had to be rescheduled for the first flight the following morning. Said passenger could not find a hotel room, so he spends the night in the airport. Outside security and without an outlet.

Another, much more reasonable scenerio...a family takes the last flight home out of Orlando after a full day at WDW. And runs down the cell phone battery on MDE.

 

[LisaS]

I know that at this point the rule only officially applies to incoming overseas flights, but as with many TSA rules, I expect it to expand to domestic airports, because that is simply the way that the agency operates. Sure as the sun rises in the East, there will be TSO's at domestic airports that will be asking passengers to prove that their phones are phones.

How right you are! I heard on the news today that they have extended this policy to anyone flying domestically who is flagged for additional screening.

ETA: I cannot find an online source for this information so it's possible I misheard the report on the news. If I find something that confirms this, I'll post a link here.

 

[kaytieeldr]

WBZ noon news? I heard it too.

 

[LisaS]

I heard it on Boston's WCVB, noon news. It looks like online articles are just now popping up. Here's one from the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/tra...sures-domestic-passengers-20140709-story.html

 

[DopeyDame]

I can't even begin to describe my anger if they take my phone away because the battery died.

As for why I could have an electronic divice with a dead battery:

1. My DH's phone had a bad habit of just powering off randomly. Sometimes it would power back on easily, other times he'd have to remove the battery completely. It's now been fixed, but we did fly when it was like this.

2. DS has an old iphone that doesn't have a service plan, but we let him play with aps. It's ancient and doesn't have a long battery life. If he plays with it in the car on the way to the airport, it very well may drain the battery.

3. In the midst of planning and packing, I decided to throw the ipad in the backpack at the last minute, and simply didn't realize it wasn't charged.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you're flying domestically and aren't on the no-fly list, there's no issue "Government officials stress that the new security measure won't be imposed on every travelers but will primarily target passenger on a federal terrorism "watch list."" Source article in post 4.

 

[NancyIL]

I flew from London to Chicago yesterday. I knew about the new rule and had my cell phones and iPad charged. Other than having to put my iPad in the bin - I was not asked to power up any electronics, nor did I notice anyone being asked to do so.

 

[CPT Tripss]

If you're flying domestically and aren't on the no-fly list, there's no issue "Government officials stress that the new security measure won't be imposed on every travelers but will primarily target passenger on a federal terrorism "watch list."" Source article in post 4.

Right . . . If you believe that I have a great bridge for sale.

And don't miss that weasel word . . . "primarily." Sadly, the Airport Security Screening Agency wii undoubtedly be urged to go universal with this by the "anything for security" crowd.

 

[goofy4tink]

Can you carry your charger with you? I do. If you find that your device isn't charged enough to turn on, charge it. This just doesnt seem like that big a deal. Seriously....you know that you can't take your 16oz bottle of shampoo through security, so you pack it in your checked bag, or you get 3.4 oz container for it and it goes in your quart Baggie. So now you have to be sure electronics are charged....plan accordingly.

 

[Tozzie]

Can you carry your charger with you? I do. If you find that your device isn't charged enough to turn on, charge it. This just doesnt seem like that big a deal. Seriously....you know that you can't take your 16oz bottle of shampoo through security, so you pack it in your checked bag, or you get 3.4 oz container for it and it goes in your quart Baggie. So now you have to be sure electronics are charged....plan accordingly.

Normally I would agree with you but lasr year I went on a Med cruise and stayed an additional night in Barcelona after the cruise, I had my charger but didnt have an adapter for the plug my electronics were dead when I went to the airport so it can happen .

 

[CPT Tripss]

Can you carry your charger with you? I do. If you find that your device isn't charged enough to turn on, charge it. This just doesnt seem like that big a deal. Seriously....you know that you can't take your 16oz bottle of shampoo through security, so you pack it in your checked bag, or you get 3.4 oz container for it and it goes in your quart Baggie. So now you have to be sure electronics are charged....plan accordingly.

Are you really going to pack an expensive electronic device in your checked bag? And are you sure it would be permitted? A bomb in the cargo hold would be kind of problematic . . .

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I wonder how many people actually travel with devices that aren't charged.

Any passenger with teenagers like me. Chargers go missing and their stuff is always running low on battery. At least my kids. Now one more thing to take care of before a flight.

 

[bumbershoot]

Are you really going to pack an expensive electronic device in your checked bag? And are you sure it would be permitted? A bomb in the cargo hold would be kind of problematic . . .

Not sure she was saying to plan to pack the device in checked luggage.

Normally I would agree with you but lasr year I went on a Med cruise and stayed an additional night in Barcelona after the cruise, I had my charger but didnt have an adapter for the plug my electronics were dead when I went to the airport so it can happen .

This is a very cool little device: http://www.amazon.com/eForCity-Universal-Travel-Charger-Adapter/dp/B000YN01X4

Now, it's only an adapter and not a converter, but still, very fun. If you look at the other pictures, you see that everything slides in and out based on what you need. DH travels all over the world and this is very handy for him!

 

[CPT Tripss]

Not sure she was saying to plan to pack the device in checked luggage . !

So what's the alternative?
If it isn't charged you can't us carry on. If you don't check it, you have to leave it behind.

 

[NotUrsula]

Trust me, it would happen to DS or DH 9 out of 10 times; both of them are notorious for forgetting to charge their phones. As to mine, data use sucks the battery dry like nobody's business; last week I drained it from a full charge in 15 minutes, just getting directions to the rental car return from Google Maps.

 

[goofy4tink]

Are you really going to pack an expensive electronic device in your checked bag? And are you sure it would be permitted? A bomb in the cargo hold would be kind of problematic . . .

It's called planning ahead! We all realize we can't carry huge shampoo bottles thru security. So, those go in checked bags...we plan accordingly.
If people make sure they have all chargers in their carry on bag, and that devices are fully charged, there should be no issue.
And I do travel with a teenager....well , not exactly a teen, she's 20 now. If she realizes that she'll lose her phone or laptop if it can't be turned on at security, she won't over use it before she gets to the gate. Just takes some planning. If you know that your devices have to be able to be turned on, plan accordingly. It just doesn't seem all that difficult.