For the love of god... When will these clowns learn that the only way to ensure total security is to prevent people from getting on the plane in the first place?
If you don't want to lose your spare lithium batteries for your camera, notebook or cell phone, you might want to pack carefully for your next flight.
New rules from the Transportation and Security Administration that take effect on January 1 ban travelers from carrying loose lithium batteries in checked baggage. Passengers are allowed to pack two spare batteries in their carry-on bag, as long as they're in clear plastic baggies.
Fortunately, you don't have to worry about the batteries that are already installed in the devices you're bringing. The TSA has said it's safe to check in items like a laptop or iPhone that already have the batteries in place.
The agency said that loose lithium batteries not installed in devices pose a fire risk to passenger planes.
Madness. And, yes, especially head-in-hands mad since I'm getting on a plane to Edinburgh this evening.
Sorry man. Maybe you can get yelled at by some unfireable TSA ninny at LAX like I did this past summer when I wasn't EXACTLY sure where I was supposed to stack my suitcase. I had the temerity to do this thing called "asking a question". It was too much, I guess, to want confirmation that I was supposed to pile my gear and that of my family into some huge non-descript area, and then leave it for pilfering . . .
Posted by: TexasPatrick | December 31, 2007 at 06:48 PM