laptops & airports: what's the drill?

John M. Klassa (klassa@aur.alcatel.com)
Fri, 14 Aug 1998 13:49:36 -0400


I managed to borrow a laptop for my forthcoming trip to CA...

The problem is that the battery no longer holds a charge (I'm taking
it along so as to check email from the hotel, at night)... Worse,
even when it does have juice, it occasionally refuses to boot (I think
something's gotten loose along the way; a proper twist and a thump
generally get it back).

Ordinarily, this isn't a big deal... However, a colleague told me that
laptop-laden folks at security checks (in airports) get asked to turn on
their machines, to make sure that things are what they appear to be. (I
don't know first-hand; I fly rarely and have never had a laptop with me
before...)

My first question -- is this true? If so, and the thing happens to
refuse to boot, what's the proper, graceful way to handle the situation?
:-)

On the flip side, how dangerous is it to stick a laptop in your checked
luggage? I imagine it's not such a good idea...

So, you TravelMan[tm] types, what's the drill?

Thanks,
John

-- 
John Klassa / Alcatel Telecom / Raleigh, NC, USA <><