Laptops
Posted by Kaarlo the roadie on Thu, 2008-05-15 14:52
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 "Arctic fox kinda thingamajigger with a punk rock twist" Location: Finland, beyond civilisation
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So, i believe this has been discussed before but i've heard a rumor that airport officials at american airports have a right to either confiscate or format your laptop if they see fit. Is this true? I dont want to lose my photos from the con or any songs i have for DJ purposes on the computer for that matter. Thank you in advance, sincerely yours, Kaarlo the Finnish dude going to U.S of A for the first time |
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That's a new one on me. Never heard that before, (sounds like an urban legend). No mention in Snopes.com.
If the TSA has determined that anything you have is a potential threat, (like a six oz tube of toothpaste), they can confiscate it. In some cases, you may be able to bring it as checked luggage or you may have the option of mailing it home.
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permalinkLocation: Hainesville, IL
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Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in United States vs. Arnold that "U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents are not requires to have reasonable suspicion before searching laptops or other digital devices at the border, including international airports."
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a useful article, "Protecting Yourself from Suspicionless Searches While Traveling which sums up with the (unfortunately rather bleak) statement:
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permalinkWell, that is new! You may want to look at the actual opinion the article links to, handed down by the Ninth Circuit:
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/6D5D931898D8168188257432005AC9B8/$file/0650581.pdf?openelement
And the somewhat more frank description of what this decision means to us in the Amicus Curiae, (Friend of the Court), Brief, filed by Association of Corporate Travel Executives and the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/US_v_arnold/arnold_amicus.pdf
a long read but quite eye opening.
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permalinkLocation: Alaska
I recommend placing all information on a server which you can access over an encrypted connection. Don't keep any information on a portable device which is sensitive, I don't. I tend to also work with customer information, so much of the data I access is over an encrypted network mount/drive.
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May I point out, before anyone throws a hissyfit, that tens of thousands of people cross the US Border every single day without any trouble, and that the number of credible press reports of people having unreasonable searches is extremely small? And that the people who howl about "unreasonable" searches may not necessarily be entirely innocent? The big reports I have heard have involved (a) a suspected child pornography dealer that the FBI was watching for, and (b) a known smuggler. The others all seemed to involved American citizens, who by their actions may well have brought the attention upon themselves.
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permalinkIf the person is a suspected child pornographer, is a search of his electronic files unreasonable? However, the way the decision came down, the government can seize the files of anyone coming into the country. It doesn't take too great a stretch of the imagination to see that this could be used against anyone for any reason.
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permalinkLocation: Washington DC
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Actually, it requires a wild imagination, an unhealthy dose of paranoia and an unreasonable fear that someone will be judging you.
1) Furry porn isn't against the law, not even the cub or gay porn.
2) If you just go thru security and don't bother even talking to the screeners, they won't have a reason to look once at you, let alone twice.
3) Show up early, get your boarding pass at the door, not the gate.
4) Confirm your flight 24 hours prior to take off.
5) Do -NOT- disassemble your laptop. They will ask you to put it thru the scanner separate from everything else. If you disassemble it, they will have a reason to talk to you, and possibly a reason to ask you to boot it up.
6) If possible, ask like a normal human. That's the easiest way to get thru security unmolested.
I traveled twice by air this Xmas and had no issues at all. Remove shoes, coat, and bags, put them on the conveyor, and slide the laptop thru separately from your other bags, and pick them up on the other side. Smile, collect your things, put your shoes back on, and go get a snack or a magazine until your flight leaves.
Simple, easy, fast, and no problems. No one cares about your plushies or fursuits, either.
Just watch your stuff and makes sure it goes thru when you do and pay attention to it, not the grunt telling you to step thru. There are thieves. They're more of a problem than the guards. Just be observant, not paranoid.
And I can't stress this enough: CHECK IN AT THE FRONT DESK AND GET YOUR BOARDING PASS THERE!!!!! Do NOT wait to get your boarding pass at the gate. They may run out. It happened on every flight I saw. I got mine two hours prior to embarking, and it never caused a problem. Those who waited to get theirs at the gate got screwed. THEY OVERSELL EVERY FLIGHT.
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permalinkI wasn't referring to some concept of a government campaign against furs. I was considering how a government official could abuse the sweeping powers this court ruling offers against an opponent.
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permalinkLocation: Montreal , Quebec , Canada
Recherei , there is not an anti-furry conspiracy going on as much as I know .. so please stop freaking out!
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permalinkLocation: Alaska
oh no Roo, no not ever.
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permalinkLocation: Ardmore, PA
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May I also suggest that backups are your friend?
When I take pictures at events, I tend to dump an extra copy onto a USB memory stick or a CD, "just in case". When it comes to losing data, I would be far more worried about theft/accidents when traveling with a laptop.
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permalinkLocation: Finland, beyond civilisation
Hmm... point noted, i dont have an encrypted servers (my server machine got obliterated when moving to a new place. But no, i aint goin' on an hissyfit 'ere, just makin' sure, it does sound a little troubling to hear that they can randomly check mah computer, seeing there's 10 thousand music clips there. Dj purposes so i should be safe on the legality issue (atleast here in Finland *grins*)
You can take your laptop as handluggage to your seat right? You dont have to place it in cargo hold i presume, then i doubt it would be destroyed by an accident, thievery naturally is another thing
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permalinkI have been bringing my laptop, (in a laptop backpack), onto international flights for years without incident. No official has ever asked me so much as to turn it on for them. In the rare occurrence of a random search of one's files, encryption could work against you. I don't think they are working with RIAA, (at least not for now), and any large encrypted file might be viewed with suspicion.
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permalinkLocation: Manahawkin, NJ
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i agree, and would recommend investing in an external HD. Its great to have one to back up your entire laptop. you can get good deals on one on ebay.
good luck!
-Vitani
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permalinkLocation: Montreal , Quebec , Canada
As stated in previous answers , unless they suspect you of being a threat they shouldn't be doing that kinda of stuff.
Heck , I have a weird surname and didn't get stopped at the borders or anything
when I went to Walt diwnsy world in Florida by plane last year ..
My brother's inflatable t-rex when we came back did raise some eyebrows though XD
No , seriously , if you don't look suspect or weird they'll let you through just fine..
People who will get stopped are people who look nervous and hesitant to answer the routine questions when you pass customs.
If you act normal and don't looklike you're trying to hide something there won't be any problem..
and I think the officials have better things to do than erasing furry conventions photos from a hard drive.
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I love you all ..
except for the people I don't like..
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permalinkLocation: Finland, beyond civilisation
Thanks for the answers i think this is cleared up for me, I can once again fly a little more stressless.
Oh and speaking of weird, i shuold sleek my mohawk up and go around in patch jacket and my DIY Riot shirt then? Haha, quess i'm just gonna dress up like anyone else for a while.
Still stressed about the flight itself though, so long time in the mercy of the pilots and two switches of plane
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permalinkEh. I've been working around aircraft my entire life. So mechanical failures really don't worry me. And most of the western world invests a lot of money in making sure that the airlines are safe.
The only thing that ever worries me is missing my connecting flight.
I'm taking the train this year. With the way gas prices are, and airline surcharges, its will prolly be the cheapest.
Plus what better then watching the scenery go by, drawing, and not being crammed into a bus seat?
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The train also has a snack car that you can wander to and get something to nibble on. And if you are traveling the Pennsylvanian, some of the scenery is quite spectacular.
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permalinkThats what I hear. I've only ever taken the train too Chicago from WI in the past. So this will be something new for me.
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permalinkLocation: Washington DC
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The train is a luxury I indulge in whenever I have time and need to travel thru scenic areas. I went by train some years ago from Chicago to Scottsdale, and the 3 day trip was well worth the time I spent. Oh, yes, it was beautiful. Pennsylvania has lovely mountains. But look at them, not down the side of the train. A lot of the track is on the side of said mountains and it is a long way down...
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