zwho

I just saw aomphan's solution, and I just want to say, Bravo! I like that very much. I know it would mean the MOTU couldn't work, but atleast you could get a claimcheck and hopefully not worry that some handler's going to start selling used computers on ebay. I

Robespierre

If I were a terrorist, do you suppose I'd reveal my intent and methodology? Please describe in detail exactly how a terrorist would benefit from doing that.

Robespierre

aomphan - the cargo/luggage holds are pressurized and heated with the same air that passengers get.

kswl

Business travelers will probably do more video conferencing in the future. Scholarly meetings will probably also start video conferencing. That's a shame, as they'll miss out on the face-to-face contact between businessmen, attorneys, professors, scientists, etc. that forge connections and alliances between people from different countries. It's harder to stereotype "all Italians" after you've been to Italy, or "all Pakistanis" when you've been invited to a meal with a fellow physician after a meeting. That will be the real loss from this incident.

highledge

sure if you're flying on vacation the laptop, etc is a luxury. But, yes there are many business people who fly internationally (for the day and back) and don;t check any bags. And don't need to until now. That is an issue for people and I for one have more sympathy for the business traveller than the vacationer

Pago

Lets hope and pray that the airlines will once again stock the plane with magazines!!!

zwho

I'm no "bloke", Prunella. I am a wife and mother of grown children. I worked in a hospital, (I'm retired) so when I left work, if I wasn't on call, I didn't have to take it with me. I sympathize with you, no matter what you do when you're raising children, you'd better learn to multi-task. And the screaming about the price of gasoline. You know, we all bitch when the price of gas, stamps, lettuce, whatever goes up, but then if we want it, and can pay for it, we just cave and pay. The price of being safe, we'll pay it.

ann_k

Tne thing that nobody seems to be getting is that there are many, many ways to sabotage a plane. Even if we carry nothing in the cabin with us, the checked luggage could have a bomb. Even if the checked luggage is fine, the commercial freight in the passenger plane could blow. If for some reason that could be completely protected against, a terrorist can still shoot a plane out of the sky. The point is that we should not be so hysterical as to significantly reduce our quality of life. People need their contact lenses and laptops. Life has risk. We should all just deal with it.

StuDudley

Make cigarettes illegal (everywhere - not just on planes) and legalize water - I bet we'll be ahead in lives saved, as opposed to the opposite.

Stu Dudley

E_M

I agree with Ann. And with Mr. Benjamin Franklin, who said, those "that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

sera

I agree with Ann, too, and believe we'll look back on this period of post-plot hysteria and cringe. It's solid police and a hot tip that thwarted this plot, not ridiculous carryon restrictions at the airport.

wombat7

"The only thing in iPODs and cell phones and key fobs (and hearing aids and pacemakers) that can be used to detonate an explosive are batteries." What about using a cell-phone to call the cel-phone in the hold to detonate the explosive that is there?

Christina

I saw a photo in some paper about their mockup of how this could be done, and read many other articles -- it didn't have anything to do with batteries in any case as to how they were saying this could be done. It had to do with explosives that could be detonated by a small shock or spark or something. One article I read said a disposable camera could do this, and the photo I saw depicted some wires with those little metal ends on them as what could do it -- you see those in various devices (like you have in a light switch or light fixture). I don't think I've read anywhere that it had to do with batteries.

brandie346

Maybe next time I go somewhere, I'll have a bag-within-a-bag for my camera, mp3 player, etc, and use one of those TSA locks on it, and have it in my checked luggage.

I sure hope we're allowed to bring books. And what about sandwiches? Are those off limits?

brandie346

I can hear myself now: "But it's not a liquid, it's a sandwich!"

suze

Sandwiches and books are still allowed in most situations.

brandie346

That's prolly all I'd need. Ok, maybe two sandwiches...

Bummer though since I just figured out how to --cough cough-- rip dvds and put them on my laptop --cough cough--.

crefloors

I think the thing about the batteries wasn't so much the batteries themselves, but that some equipment has a space for an extra battery and that someone could disguise an explosive as an extra battery. I think they will get a "handle" on all this as the days go buy. Perhaps they are being overly cautious because there are still a few of the perpetrators out there that have not been located and I think they fear that these people might still attempt the deed.

FauxSteMarie

As for me, I would rather arrive safely at my destination rather than be blown to pieces in midair.

So, the bottom line is that I--and all of you kvetchers--will have to put up with the new restrictions or stay home.

Get over it.

StuDudley

>>As for me, I would rather arrive safely at my destination rather than be blown to pieces in midair.>>

You are in greater danger driving to the airport from your home.