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I re-tweeted yesterday the announcement about the new enhanced security rules for some direct flights to the USA. The full text from the TSA web site says:
“Enhanced security measures at certain airports overseas – Sunday, July 6, 2014
Last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson directed TSA to implement enhanced security measures at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States.
As the traveling public knows, all electronic devices are screened by security officers. During the security examination, officers may also ask that owners power up some devices, including cell phones. Powerless devices will not be permitted onboard the aircraft. The traveler may also undergo additional screening.
TSA will continue to adjust security measures to ensure that travelers are guaranteed the highest levels of aviation security conducted as conveniently as possible.”
What this means, to me, is if your phone battery is dead you may have to go back and get some quick power before you proceed through security. That is great if you have plenty of time to do so. What if you don’t?
I have given away literally dozens of “battery bricks” here on the blog on SWAG Saturday. I have personally upgraded my battery brick from small ones to now one big enough to recharge my laptop from zero to full if need be. My wife has one and I have a car power port to USB charger always with me in case the car I rent does not have USB power pre-installed.
My wife also always says anything you can fix for $25 is not worth stressing about when you travel. Can you imagine the stress of the choice between boarding and tossing out your cell phone or iPad? That is why we should always have a charged battery brick with us just in case. It has saved my back side more than once and now, in case my phone is dead at a TSA checkpoint, I could always just plug in and fire the puppy up. – René
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This is another absurd requirement of TSA. What about situations where someone forgets their charger? Maybe that is the reason the device is dead in the first place. So now your phone/ipad/laptop is going to be the property of a foreign government? It would seem to be more than sufficient for security purposes to just take the back off of a phone to show that it is not a bomb rather than force some one to part permanently with their phone and the important information it contains. There must be better ways to deal with powerless ipads and laptops, too.
Yeh, the terrs will never figure out to use a smaller battery to make the devices power on and look ligit.