posted by
chromas
on Friday March 01 2019, @11:06AM
from the pack-the-device-but-carry-on-the-batteries dept.
from the pack-the-device-but-carry-on-the-batteries dept.
The US is banning lithium batteries from cargo holds. The result will mean that all your phones, tablets, computers, music players, games consoles, and other rechargeable devices must be carried in hand luggage and tipped out onto trays to go through the metal detectors. Expect longer lines.
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US Bans Lithium Batteries from Plane Cargo Holds to Limit Explosion Risk
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(Score: 4, Interesting) by FatPhil on Friday March 01 2019, @11:30AM (11 children)
Time before that, metal cutlery was shown as one of the things that's illegal to take through security, and I ate at a restaurant with metal cutlery only minutes later.
The retard runs deep when it comes to airports.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Insightful) by canopic jug on Friday March 01 2019, @11:34AM (3 children)
The circus you were party to when subjected to air travel is not even a little about safety.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 01 2019, @11:57AM (2 children)
I haven't flown for awhile but heard when wifi goes down on a flight all the millennials leave their seats to attack anyone reading paperback or hardcover books. They get angry that others are being unfairly entertained while they were denied on their devices. So banning books on flights is probably next.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday March 01 2019, @03:46PM
I always make sure I have stuff on my devices for offline reading / viewing, and make no plans to need WiFi during a flight.
Why is it so difficult to break a heroine addiction?
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Friday March 01 2019, @05:31PM
The answer is to travel with a full copy of Encyclopaedia Universalis, which can be used as a shield, melee, and range weapon.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by ledow on Friday March 01 2019, @01:05PM (5 children)
It's all theatre. Anything that's ever been a threat in a real-life attack is removed while other things that clearly pose more of a threat are not.
In London airports, the post-security cutlery is laughable. A normal-size knife but where the serrated/bladed section is only an inch long. It's not less "damaging" if you were to stab people with it, but it's just pathetic to use to cut up food.
Meanwhile, I can buy a huge glass bottle of perfume *on the plane* which, with one smash is not only a "spray in face" weapon but also a large bladed glass shiv. Hell, I've taken huge glass jars full of food, and all kinds before now.
You can't take tools into the cabin, but there's little to stop you taking anything else that's not specifically a tool. There are huge metal rods inside every luggage, it would be the work of a moment to "expose" those in a way that an X-ray machine would never see but would become a great big metal bar that could easily be used against crew and/or the cockpit doors. I carry a huge bunch of keys even on holiday, and there's screwdrivers on those too... nobody ever queries that. Even a metal-cased torch is a significant weapon.
The problem is that airport security is reactionary because of the media. "X hid a bomb in his shoe" so now we have to check everyone's shoes. Even though he didn't get to use it, and there are better places to hide it. "X had a liquid in a bottle" so now we have to ban all bottles (oh, unless it looks like milk and the person carrying it tastes it... there's a flaw right there). But still nothing to stop you having ten 100ml bottles and putting them together to form even a 2 litre fluid (between two passenger's allowances).
Reactionary security is pointless. It's already happened. It's unlikely to ever happen like that again, but sure, yeah, add it to the list of things to look for.
If anything tells you that the terrorists have already won, it's that we'd rather inconvenience 100's of millions of travellers, worldwide, daily, at significant expense, chasing fake (and sometimes entirely imaginary) security problems rather than just doing what we need to do. And mainly because of one incident some 14 years ago in one country that didn't include many of those elements at all and for which we already acted against the actual real problem (locking cockpit doors as has been standard in Europe for decades prior to 9/11 - in the days of 9/11 the security advisor to London Gatwick airport was on the TV... he basically said "We've been saying to the Americans for years that they need to combat against these kinds of attacks as we were seeing them start over in Europe many years ago, and they ignored our concerns").
If we truly cared about security, there are a billion better actions we can take than anything you see at an airport.
Many years ago people were talking to me about this and I said "if you *wanted* to scare/hurt people, the thing to do would be to raise an alarm inside an airport, and then actually attack the evacuation points". People did exactly that several years later. If I - with no malicious intent - can come up with something that bypasses all your security in minutes and provides a viable attack method that we *still* haven't defended against... there is not much you can do against the clever people with actual intent to harm. Certainly, rushing through thousands of people through security with a handful of seconds per passenger is the most ridiculous method. Why could you not pre-book hold baggage days in advance (i.e. literally you send your luggage ahead of you, giving them all the time in the world to check it), and it could even then go on entirely separate flights from the people entirely. You're already separated from your baggage for hours, what difference would it make? And then all these things become null concerns and you can concentrate on spending more time with each person going through the airport checking for risks to the other passengers (e.g. searches, scans, random selection, etc.)
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday March 01 2019, @01:39PM
For Great Justice, make it look just like a tub of Cherry Garcia.
(Just don't leave it lying around in the waiting area, M'Kay?)
Glycerine as one might expect, Fuming Nitric Acid - the actual fumes are what used to make the LA Skyline so very brown - and undiluted Sulfuric Acid USP.
No, you can't safely mix them before freezing them unless You Know What The Fuck You're Doing.
Make that a carton of _Neopolitan_.
Shrink-wrapped so as to be water-tight, then pitch it in the passenger toilet and await the Ensuing Hilarity.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday March 01 2019, @05:40PM
The problem is that nobody wants to be the guy who reduced security, just before an incident happens.
There is no benefit, not career advancement, to be had by denouncing the immense waste of time and dollars, that wouldn't come crashing should some moron (statistically a white domestic madman) actually succeed at taking down a plane.
At the same time, it should be pointed out that I can walk into the corner gun shop, keep my shoes on, wait a week to get a 50-cal, and easily shoot down planes taking off from any airport with a forest or mountain near the take-off path. Much easier than anything you can do from the inside, since passengers have learnt to fight back. But "Mah Freedom !" nothing is being done about that.
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Friday March 01 2019, @06:31PM
Heh.
Last time I flew, I accidentally was carrying an old screwdriver, a new pair of shears, wire cutters, and a chisel. I had forgotten to remove these tools from my laptop bag. The bag went through airport security, I had the bag with me in the cabin the entire time, and only when I got to the hotel did I realize my mistake. Nobody gave me any fuss. I did put the things in my checked bag for the return trip but again, nobody gave me any hassle at any point anyway.
A coworker on the other hand, went through airport security, but due to some circumstances, ended up wearing an old black leather duster (he'd lost his good coat), his hair disheveled (helmet hair), bleary/spacey from lack of sleep ("I'll sleep on the plane later"), and carrying a huge metal case with expensive computer equipment he wasn't allowed to let out of his sight. He got stopped at every single check point for a full interview. They weren't gonna let him on the plane, the company's owner had to call airport security and assure him it was fine. He forgot all his tools at the office, too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @04:25AM (1 child)
That reminds me of one of my favorite ideas. Instead of carrying your luggage to the airport, waiting for it hopefully at baggage claim, carrying it to your destination after it arrives -- why not ship it door to door to wherever you're going? Let FedEx take care of moving bags and boxes, which is their expertise, and leave the airlines to whatever their expertise is.
(Score: 2) by ledow on Saturday March 02 2019, @02:25PM
Have done this.
It requires no more planning that normal. Most airports will have packaging stands (who wrap your suitcase) who can do exactly that for you, even from the airport. It costs to do that way, though.
However, it's easier to just only take hand-luggage ("carry-on" to the US people!). Book with the right airline (even budget) and you get a hand-luggages per person and maybe more (I know that I flew BA to Spain recently and got large hand-luggage allowances, the second wasn't "guaranteed", but if it was put into the hold, they'd take it off you as you entered the plane, not make you pre-check it in). More than enough for a week's clothing, my laptop, all the essentials and presents for family. And no check-in / no waiting for luggage.
Sure, you might want to take some things they don't allow on hand-luggage but do in the hold, but I can't really think what, and certainly why I'd want to wait for my luggage to come out the other end just for those moments.
If I ran a big hotel, I'd partner with a courier and set aside a store room. You pack, send it to our courier, they get it to us *days* before you come to stay, we stick it in the storeroom and then put it in your room before you even get off the plane. Hell, I'm sure if you're a "celeb" of some kind, that's exactly what happens already.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 01 2019, @03:44PM
Whoever told you that made a mistake.
Previous FAA rules prohibited lithium primary and lithium-ion cells in the hold of a passenger aircraft unless they were installed in equipment. For example, it was OK to check a camera with an installed lithium battery, but it was not OK to check the spare battery for that camera.
Now, it sounds like the FAA rules prohibit such batteries in the hold of passenger aircraft without exception.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday March 01 2019, @01:34PM (3 children)
When I flew to Boston last year for an interview, everywhere I went were prominently posted notices that the Galaxy Note 7 - specifically: "7" - was _not_ permitted aboard aircraft.
I should have snapped a picture of one such sign.
With my iPhone.
Also hoverboards.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 01 2019, @01:50PM (1 child)
Pepperidge Farm rememebers:
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=16/12/23/104241 [soylentnews.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday March 01 2019, @05:35PM
Been meaning to do this for _eons_.
Just now I renamed by iToy from "iPhone" to "Cunt".
That is, if you catch my drift.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tekk on Friday March 01 2019, @04:59PM
That was because we had that month where like 5 defective Note 7s blew up :D
(Score: 3, Interesting) by SomeGuy on Friday March 01 2019, @02:06PM (1 child)
There are already restrictions about batteries being shipped via air. A few years back I ordered a just couple of oddball sized coin-cell batteries and was warned this would slow shipping as they could only be sent via ground.
So I guess the next step is you will have to take the battery out of your digital wristwatch, electronic key fob, and pacemaker before boarding. Because YouCantBeToSafeThinkOfTheChildrenNeverForget911PollyWannaCracker.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Saturday March 02 2019, @02:14AM
(Score: 2) by stormwyrm on Friday March 01 2019, @05:36PM (3 children)
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 01 2019, @06:16PM
Previously, the FAA rules only permitted lithium batteries in checked luggage if the batteries were actually installed in a device. You have not been able to check batteries by themselves for some time, although 2011 was a long time ago and the rules might have been different again.
Nevertheless, this FAA rule change applies to US airspace only. Other countries can have slightly different rules, and airlines which fly to multiple countries may have to follow multiple sets of rules. Moreover, an airline may impose more restrictive rules on what they allow in their hold than the aviation authorities require.
(Score: 2) by tizan on Friday March 01 2019, @06:26PM (1 child)
Partially not new...here is Delta's rule from their web page
====================
Lithium Ion Batteries
Customers are permitted to travel with lithium ion batteries that contain a maximum of 160-watt hours per battery.
Any lithium ion battery containing more than 160-watt hours is prohibited on all passenger aircraft.
Lithium ion batteries installed in a personal electronic device can be transported as checked or carry-on baggage.
Lithium ion batteries not installed in a device (spares) must be in carry-on baggage and no more than two (2) spares between 100 and 160-watt hours are allowed.
====================
(Score: 4, Informative) by ElizabethGreene on Friday March 01 2019, @06:55PM
My son flies large RC helicopters, and the above policies are what we were told for our flight to Vegas. The helicopter would go in a checked pelican case. The batteries would go in their OEM cardboard boxes and be hand carried on the plane. We're going to ship them instead because neither of us wants to walk the agents through the math to convert Amp hours to Watt hours. (The Wh rating wasn't printed on the box.)
I think it's fire risk, not security, they are managing here. We've physically damaged (chopped with a hoe) a puffed 4 cell pack on the driveway (for Science!). The resulting fire was impressive. It absolutely could force a plane do an unscheduled landing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @03:10AM (1 child)
For RC and EV and other weirdos with interesting Li-Ion batteries, there's a slew of regulations in effect in NA and in EU. IDK about other jurisdictions. Among other things, you can have as many cells as you want (!) but they can't be connected in series above 100V total, neither carryon nor checked.
This really screwed a few power tools companies with new "high" voltage packs. Of course, smart people in the EV crowd just disconnect lower voltage subpacks. Ten 52V nominals instead of five 100Vs, etc.
Could one simply plug them together again on the flight? :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @03:15AM
Wh. 100Wh.
The delta quote above is therefore weird.
"Lithium Ion (rechargeable batteries) – Each battery cannot exceed a rating of 100 Watt-hour unless you have express permission from the airline. However even in this case, you are limited to a maximum of two batteries with maximum ratings of 160 Watt-hour and they must be in carry-on luggage only. There is an exception for Lithium-Ion wheelchair batteries up to 300 Watt-hours, but limited to one battery and it must be disconnected. See above for how to find out the Watt-hour rating of your batteries." [1]
[1] https://batteryguy.com/kb/knowledge-base/air-travel-with-lithium-batteries/ [batteryguy.com]