Warning to hardware hackers

Just travelled through Gatwick North with my AAO and camera kit. AAO has a Lapjack cover on it (one of my own photographs). Goes through the X-ray machine and gets grabbed as it comes out. The lady was very nice, asking if it was my own photograph etc (camera was in the X-ray machine at the time). Camera comes through and down the rollers. But not my laptop.
It gets taken to one side and swabbed for explosives/drugs. Whyh? Because it's a laptop without a hard disk and lots of wire under the casing. Not visisble to you or me but seemingly highly suspicious to X-ray operators !!!

You have been warned !!!!

 

I fly too often and my bag always looks like that It's full of wires, accessories, various bits of computer kit etc and I am used to being pulled and swabbed.

Flying has become such a total shag - what's one more annoyance to add the ever lengthening list. I saw someone have to take his trousers off at Schiphol recently. I'm off there again on Monday so it'll probably be me next. I'm thinking of swimming instead but the North Sea is a bit nippy at this time of the year (although it's pretty nippy in high summer too).

 

Sounds like you found the only airport security staff who aren't aware of the new generation of netbooks with SSDs :roll:
My AAO (and a previous eeePC - also solid-state) has been through airport security in Spain (Alicante, Malaga, Palma), Madeira, and the UK (Cardiff, Bristol) without any hassle. In fact, the only comment I have had was something like "nice kit - I'm thinking of buying one" at Cardiff.

 

I reckon they hadn't done their daily quota of swabbing !!! At the desination airport I normally get pulled over but this time a bloke with no hand or hold luggage was infront of me. "Excuse me sir...." as I just hurried through !!

 

Had the same problem leaving MCO in October, took ages while they went over my acer

 

Ain't had no problems myself travelling from LPL to SXF and back again. Not with the laptop anyway...

Was gifted a hand sized gum bear, 400 grams or so. in the front pocket of my rucksack were head phones...

draw your own conclusions