Airport Security

I'm going to be travelling with my Macbook Pro to Mexico for the first time. I know at the airports they examine your carry ons in the xray machine. My carry on backpack will contain my MBP.

Is it safe to leave the MBP in the backpack and allow it to go through the xray machine?

Or will the xrays damage the computer...in which case I should take it out.

 

Don't worry about it. I've had various computers go through airport security, and none of them have developed any abnormalities.

 

By airport security do you mean the xray machine?

 

Yes. He does.

 

Airport security throughout North America ALWAYS requires you to remove the notebook from its bag and then place on the conveyor through the xray security check.

 

You have to take the laptop out of the bag, but your computer WILL NOT be damaged going through the xray machine.

 

Is that so the baggage/security can see if it`s worth stealing.

 

It's going to be in a sleeve, does it have to come out of the sleeve too? It has to be naked in front of them?

 

You can leave it in some sleeves. You have to see if your sleeve is TSA compliant.

 

I always just pull them from sleeves or cases, makes them much happier. . . unless it is one of my machines they cant figure out how to open

 

There can not be any hard parts that interfere with the X-Ray. Most sleeves will work, but security may still ask you to remove it. It's faster if you just have it out when you get to the machine.

 

make sure it is charged and ready to go, on occasion they insist you start up your machine to porve it is operational and your are not trying to smuggle small items inside of it.

 

Ok, so I'll just take it out of the sleeve and set it in a separate container for the xray machine.

 

You can get TSA approved bags, I think the reason they want you to take the notebook out is because if there is too much stuff the x-ray can't see it all, so the TSA bags unfold and lay flat notebook in one half cables and other crap in the other half. You can probably find youtube videos on them. Just carry the stuff you really need with you on your carry on.

 

Going through the airport is such a pain in the butt!! Especially at JFK at peak times!!

 

Be sure to remove all metal objects from yourself, like belts and stuff. Else you'd be standing there with them check you, and you laptop sitting their for people to pick up. If you are careful with everything, going through airport security won't be a hassle at all.

 

Dude, this is your computer, not your eldest daughter.

 

????

What I meant was that when it is exposed I am scared of people trying to steal it.

 

It's a joke.

And, seeing as you passed through security, it was no problem. You see laptop go in, you see laptop come out.

 

There's nothing to worry about.

Put it in a bin by itself and walk through the detector. It will be there when you pass through. Security has never asked me to turn any on nor have they ever touched my laptops. I've flown and gone through security many times with multiple laptops.

 

If you are getting a sleve, don't get one with a Apple logo. Get one with a Dell logo. Just so no one steals it XD

 

I've been through many airports within the US and a few international airports with a TSA checkpoint-friendly bag which doesn't require you to take your laptop out. I've never encountered any troubles and if anyone asks you, just tell them you have a TSA compliant security-friendly bag. You'd also be fine leaving your laptop in a sleeve as long as the sleeve has no pockets and no significant metal components.

 

I've always been apprehensive about putting my laptop on the rollers at airport security. I've been worried about damage as well as theft. I have not experienced either. Many airports give you a plastic tub for your laptop, which is not as harsh as putting it directly on the rollers to go through the xray machine. I don't mind having TSA locks on my luggage but I would never bother paying for one of those TSA laptop bags. I want a bag that is comfortable for me not them. I don't fly that much any more, but even if I did, the amount of time I would spend in an airport security line would pale in comparison to the time I would spend dealing with the other shortcomings of such a bag.