Carrying Gadgets And Airport Security

[+garri]

Two fellow cachers and me we will visit London exclusively for caching on august, a colleage told us that policemen of airport are doing strict inspections to people carrying gadgets in their luggage, and he saw how policemen had taking to pieces a ladtop of a tourist. I can't believe it at all, but i can understand him.

 

We are planning to carry 5 GPSr, Palm, Pocket PC, cameras, a ladtop and two PMR radios. Can anyone advice us for avoiding problems with airport security?

Edited July 18, 2005 by garri

[+ribel]

In the last year I have flown from Newcastle (UK) to Tenerife, Palma and Geneva and back, each time carrying a dSLR, compact digicam, GPSr (with leads), iPAQ, mobile phone and 4 PMR's in my hand backage. Not once was my bag searched by hand.

 

I have no recent experience of travelling through London though, where I suspect your bag may be pulled to one side for a quick hand search.

 

Bon voyage

 

Sean

[Dave from Glanton]

All the times I've travelled with anything electronic, I've generally been given the switch-it-on-and-prove-it's-a-reall-laptop/phone/whatever routine, but no other hassles

[+bobuk]

I work airside at manchester terminal 2

 

If you dont do anything foolish you will prob only get a curtious check [dont try and be a smart a**] give customs/security trouble and they can give you hell.

 

btw...enjoy your trip

 

B.

[+Learned Gerbil]

I regularly have to enter The Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament for those who confuse the bodies that occupy it with the building itself). Security has bene increaed enourmously this year well before the bombings (mainly because everyone is terrified of purple powder). like heathrow airport, everythign is x-rayed, and suspicious stuff you are asked to popen and show it is normal. No doubt one day someon wil lswitch on their camera or whatever and it will explode.

 

What they are looking for is battery powered devices with enough bulk to hold a useful amount of explosive. having seen the x-ray screens, a GPS or PDA will show the batteries, but will also show the electronics. There will be no room for explosives.

 

I always had far more trouble at Heathrow with a 35mm SLR camera than I have ever had with GPS or PDAs. They can see the body, they can see the batteries, but the lenses and film can look suspicious.

[+Hi-Tek]

I've been stopped at both Southampton & Edinburgh airport because I had my Garmin iQue dash car mount in my briefcase! The 'bulk' in it's base causes it to 'show up' on the X-Ray machine and looks 'dodgy'. Everything was scrutinised, Garmin iQue, 60CS, Legend, digital camera, calculator, wallet, spare NiMi batteries, phone - you name it - they did a very thorough job (for which I'm very grateful). My briefcase was 'sniffed' for explosives on both occasions and I was allowed to proceed. I had no problem with this (and to ensure max time in BA exec lounge) I now put the car mount in my hold luggage.

Edited July 18, 2005 by Motley Crew

[+Bob Smith]

I was asked once at airport security what the range of the the GPSr was!

 

Bob

[+S&G.Davison]

I go thru all the terminals at LHR around 2 or 3 times a week - I always have a GSM Phone, Blackberry, IBM Thinkpad Laptop, Archos Media Player, Garmin V, leads PSUs etc somtimes also a OQO

 

Sometimes you have to pull the laptop out the bag for separate X-Ray .. They never glance at the other stuff..

Edited July 19, 2005 by S&G.Davison

[+Learned Gerbil]

FOrgot to mention my last trip through Heathrow last January where they got out my PDA and Camera and swabbed them for explosives. Swabbing car door handles for explosives on the Channel Tunnel seems the norm nowdays also.

[NickPick]

Security might have a close look at all the gadgets, but unless they actually contain explosives, they'll let you through with no problems.

 

I regularly fly with GPSr, Palm, laptop, mobile phone etc, and have never had any problems.

[+*bingoboy*]

I've flown in and out of the UK with GPSr laptop etc and only once had to do anything with them

 

I was asked "what is that?" pointing at the GPSr

I said "potable sat nav" (did not want to arouse his suspicions by saying I us it for looking for old ammo containers in wood land with it)

Reply "cool is it any good"

did not look at it any more did not turn it on

[+The Hokesters]

Just do as you are told and do not answer back and you will be fine. I can not beleive that any laptop computer has been taken to bits because they are an excepted travel item. HM Customs and Excise would be heading for a court case if they did that without good reason.

 

As Dave said; the most that is likely to happen is a switch on to prove it does what it should.

 

Hope you have a great time!

[+*bingoboy*]

eMail me if you fancy a guide while in London

James AKA *bingoboy*

[+Ozbods]

I was in Greece during the London bombings. Three days later I returned to Luton with a garmin etrek venture, a plam PDA and a digital camera in my luggage and nobody batted an eyelid. No problems at all went straight thru.

I reckon you'll be ok mate. Happy caching in London.

[+macroderma]

I've flow between London Heathrow and both the US and Canada in the past few months and have had no problems at either end

 

I did forget about the Leatherman in my rucksack though , gone to a good home in Canada

[+daleswalker]

I did forget about the Leatherman in my rucksack though , gone to a good home in Canada

I know it's too late now, but if you get something confiscated while checking in you can ask for it to go in a "sharps" bin to be carried by the crew. This is then returned to you at your destination. It can be a bit of a kerfuffle but Leathermans and Gerbers don't come cheap.

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!

[+macroderma]

I didn't know they would do this

 

Maybe it varies by airline

 

I'll be better organisd next time, luckily it was quite old

 

Anyway, it has gone to a better place.....

[+The Hokesters]

I did forget about the Leatherman in my rucksack though , gone to a good home in Canada

Let me know if you want me to pick you one up when we are in the States next month. Don't want to go paying out for a new one at UK prices!!!

 

Si

[+garri]

Thanks for you replies.

 

My colelague will calm down now, he refused carrying his ladtop for getting pictures from cache pages that are not available in pq.

 

 

eMail me if you fancy a guide while in London

 

Thanks *bingoboy*, we probably consider accepting your offer

[+Learned Gerbil]

Re knives - I travelled just after 9/11 and was told that staff carrying knives and other dangerous items had been banned. My solution to my problem was to buy a jiffy bag at WH Smiths and check it in as baggage.

[+Teasel]

[dont try and be a smart a**] give customs/security trouble and they can give you hell.

You should always be nice to anyone who has the power to send you off for a cavity search!

[HugoOne]

I was asked once at airport security what the range of the the GPSr was!

 

Bob

What was your awnser? Global

[+Happy Humphrey]

I had an expensive Swiss Army Knife confiscated last year - I hadn't realised it was inside an inner pocket in my hand baggage. Fair enough - but I was told that it was confiscated and couldn't be returned . At one time, they'd hang on to items for a period, and you could reclaim them the next time you visited the airport.

 

Mrs. Humphrey had her hand luggage inspected closely this week at Manchester airport - as a random check, apparently. Mine was full of electronic equipment and cables (as usual) and didn't cause a problem. It never does - why should it?

Loads of PDA's, radios, phones, Ipods, GPSr's and charging units are carried on planes every day. What's more, you can buy all that equipment after passing through security checks at the airport, so they can't really complain if you decide to take it with you!

 

HH

[+ribel]

What's more, you can buy all that equipment after passing through security checks at the airport, so they can't really complain if you decide to take it with you!

LOL! Never thought of that.

[+Learned Gerbil]

BTW - Heathrow has a very nice collect on return service - used it in January when I bought a TT system - I would have no chance to use it abroad (no car, no PC and no Dutch maps) so arranged to collect it in arrivals on return.

[+macroderma]

I did forget about the Leatherman in my rucksack though  , gone to a good home in Canada

Let me know if you want me to pick you one up when we are in the States next month. Don't want to go paying out for a new one at UK prices!!!

 

Si

Thanks for the offer, but I can probably survive without replacing it!

[+Sue and Bernie]

I had an expensive Swiss Army Knife confiscated last year - I hadn't realised it was inside an inner pocket in my hand baggage.

Been there, done it, t-shirt etc. Bernie is well known at Stansted now, nearly every time he is caught out with the Leatherman Micro tied to his jeans. Twice now it has been popped into a jiffy bag and mailed home from the security checks. W H Smiths welcome him as an old friend now....

 

NOTE TO TERRORISTS: Take a sharpened, deep frozen bananna! That will pass through. Avoid 1" blades and tweezers. They're not bothered by the penknife but the tweezer could be deadly!

 

...sorry, been drinking this pm - may be out of order, sarky limiter disabled.

[+Hi-Tek]

Unopened packets of fags on my person always cause the metal detector to go off at Southampton Airport. I now put them in the tray with my wallet, phone, paper etc.

[+joe gremlin]

What are fags in the UK?

[+John & Hazel]

What are fags in the UK?

Cigarettes

[nobby.nobbs]

been shown that the broken remains of a plastic spoon just as effective as any knife. so finger food from now on then?

 

slight over reaction and bolting door once horse gone springs to mind.

[NickPick]

What are fags in the UK?

Cigarettes

Ha Ha!

 

I can just imagine the bewildered look on many american faces as they think "Unopened Fags! Surely this is a family friendly forum!"

[+Pengy&Tigger]

We had a tour guide in Florida on a coach trip once, who said he nearly had a heart attack when a Brit asked for the first time if they had 'enough time to smoke a fag' on a toilet stop.

 

Bear in mind that 'smoking' someone is shooting them. He was about to explain to the gentleman concerned that they don't tolerate that kind of behaviour over there, when he realised what the chap meant.

 

T

Edited July 21, 2005 by Pengy&Tigger

[+stu_and_sarah]

Just to throw a spanner in the works - your PMR radios may well be illegal to use in the UK. Any radio people know the details?

 

In fact, you're unlikely to be stopped, but they would be able to confiscate them if you're on a disallowed band.

 

Cheers,

 

Stu

[+ribel]

Just to throw a spanner in the works - your PMR radios may well be illegal to use in the UK. Any radio people know the details?

 

In fact, you're unlikely to be stopped, but they would be able to confiscate them if you're on a disallowed band.

 

Cheers,

 

Stu

A good point, one worth making and checking out. I do think however that the European states have a pretty common policy when it comes to frequency allocations so I suspect they use the same channels. In fact, when I use mine in Spain, I'm constantly having to change channel to get a 'free' one, as they are used so much by the Spanish!

 

Also, I don't think they could confiscate them if they were on different channels. It may be illegal to use them, but not to own them.

 

Sean

[+Pharisee]

In fact, when I use mine in Spain, I'm constantly having to change channel to get a 'free' one, as they are used so much by the Spanish!

Typical.............!!!

When I used to operate on the ... ahem... 27MHz AM sideband stuff it was wall to wall Spaniards and Italians.

[+HazelS]

Thanks for the offer, but I can probably survive without replacing it!

HOW????

 

Phill has two - a Wave and the new Titanium thingy one, I think he finds a way of using them no matter what he does. Come in fantasically uselful whilst out caching though!

[+joe gremlin]

slight over reaction and bolting door once horse gone springs to mind.

Everytime I go through airport security and have to remove my shoes I think to myself 'the day some woman on a plane tries to set her bra on fire is the day I get a job with the TSA.'

 

"Sorry miss airport security, you'll have to remove that so I can inspect it. You understand it's for your own safety."

[+garri]

In fact, when I use mine in Spain, I'm constantly having to change channel to get a 'free' one, as they are used so much by the Spanish!

Typical.............!!!

When I used to operate on the ... ahem... 27MHz AM sideband stuff it was wall to wall Spaniards and Italians.

I have license for 144 Mhz and 432 Mhz, and i leave it, both bands are plenty of idiots annoying to Radio Ham operators here in Spain

[+garri]

Just to throw a spanner in the works - your PMR radios may well be illegal to use in the UK. Any radio people know the details?

 

In fact, you're unlikely to be stopped, but they would be able to confiscate them if you're on a disallowed band.

 

Cheers,

 

Stu

it has come to my notice tha that PMR band is also free license in UK, isn't it? So why are they able to confiscate my transceivers?

[+Brenin Tegeingl]

it has come to my notice tha that PMR band is also free license in UK, isn't it? So why are they able to confiscate my transceivers?

 

PMR446 radios are licence free in the UK but the frequencys and the power that they broadcast is strictly regulated. More information can be found Here

 

Dave

[+Hi-Tek]

I would think the airport security folk have a lot more to worry about than whether a particular PMR in your possession transmits too much power and/or on an incorrect frequency

 

There are a lot of web sites out there that tell you how to tweak various models of PMR and I doubt that the peeps at the Airport security stations have sufficient test equipment to prove that a PMR is either legal or illegal. They are on the lookout for far more sinister items .

[+macroderma]

Thanks for the offer, but I can probably survive without replacing it!

HOW????

 

Phill has two - a Wave and the new Titanium thingy one, I think he finds a way of using them no matter what he does. Come in fantasically uselful whilst out caching though!

I usually go cacheing on the bike and my bike toolkit is sufficient!

[+The Forester]

So why are they able to confiscate my transceivers?

Aircrew are very wary of allowing radio transmitters (other than mobile phones) to be carried in the cabin within reach of the passengers because of the obvious potential for disruption of aircraft electronic systems.

[+The Forester]

been shown that the broken remains of a plastic spoon just as effective as any knife. so finger food from now on then?

Two glass wine bottles clacked together make a pair of viscious weapons which are far more lethal and threatening than the teenyweeny wee box-cutter knives with which the hijackers of 21/07/01 were armed.

 

For many years I've thought and said that the air transport industry worldwide should come to an agreement that all duty free purchases should be delivered to the passenger at the airport of arrival, not the airport of departure.

 

There are many reasons for this, including economics and air safety. The sheer weight of 400 passengers' duty free allowance of booze on a widebody airliner costs a vast amount of extra fuel when multiplied by the number of flights and when you take into account that on a long-haul flight it costs half a ton of fuel to carry an extra ton of fuel.

 

The fire-safety consideration of carrying hundreds of litres of highly flammable spirits in the plastic overhead bins of pax cabins alone should merit a complete ban on the carriage of DF in airliners.

 

Cheers, The Forester

licence-carrying frequent flyer

[JackiePenn]

When I used to dash around the world as a commissioning engineer I would often have to turn up at an airport straight from a shipyard will all sorts of dodgy tools about my person.

 

Take for instance a radio and leatherman multi tool on my belt....rather than being confiscated, it used to be the case that you could request that the offending item be placed inside a big red security bag which the aircrew kept locked up. The items would be handed back as one leaves the aircraft.

 

I don't know if this practice is around today This was pre 9/11 era. It may have been the case I use used fly mostly BA business class and they extended special treatment.

[+sTeamTraen]

Everytime I go through airport security and have to remove my shoes I think to myself 'the day some woman on a plane tries to set her bra on fire is the day I get a job with the TSA.'

 

"Sorry miss airport security, you'll have to remove that so I can inspect it. You understand it's for your own safety."

I hope the suicide bombers don't start getting ideas from the drug smugglers who swallow the stuff and let it pop out at the other end (of the journey or of them).

[+The Forester]

Take for instance a radio and leatherman multi tool on my belt....rather than being confiscated, it used to be the case that you could request that the offending item be placed inside a big red security bag which the aircrew kept locked up. The items would be handed back as one leaves the aircraft.

Flying a private aircraft to attend a business meeting near a very large UK airport, I unwisely forgot to audit the contents of my copious briefcase before setting off. I flew from a small airport (Perth) and did not need to go through security.

 

Upon returning to my aircraft at the large airport, my forgotten Leatherman was confiscated by airport security who reassured me that the "knife" would be delivered to the safe custody of the Captian and that I would be able to get it back at the end of the flight.

 

My aircraft being a ickle one, I had been assigned a departure gate which did not have a jetway and so I needed to be driven to the aircraft on the apron. The guy who drove me there waited until we had arrived at the aircraft before presenting me with my own knife in a nice new Jiffy bag and wishing me a safe flight.

 

I don't think anyone claims that airport "security" makes sense!

[+Jaz666]

At Leeds/Bradford airport, and probably others, if you have an item of "contraband" in your hand luggage you are given the option to pay for a jiffy bag and stamp so you can post the items back home.

[nobby.nobbs]

atleast that makes sense as it's so easy to forget something in a pocket.

 

there's no way to make everything 100% safe. common sense and being observant will help but statistically very safe still.