All of the reporting I’ve seen on proposed expansion of the laptop ban says they’re thinking of banning everything larger than a cell phone. This, of course, would ban iPads and Kindles. More important to me, it would ban digital cameras.
I could put my cameras (plural) and laptop in checked baggage. They all fit in a backpack designed for the purpose. However, they are all fragile and airplane baggage isn’t always (or even usually) handled carefully. They are all portable, easy to steal since I can’t lock them up due to existing TSA baggage regulations, and once stolen they are easy to sell. They aren’t necessarily easily replaced either and worst of all, each costs more than any US airline is willing to reimburse me if they are lost, stolen, or damaged.
I suppose this leaves me with two alternatives, if there really is an increased threat of bombs: don’t fly; or insure and ship that package to wherever I’m going ahead of time. In this case, fortunately for me, I don’t fly nearly as much as I use my cameras. Unfortunately, if I want to go to Hawaii, or back to Europe, I can’t drive there.
And, does banning these things to the cargo hold ensure our safety? What about the danger of fire from all the additional lithium-ion batteries in the cargo bay? Can any bombs hidden in portable electronic devices be detonated remotely? If so, shouldn’t we be lining the cargo holds of all commercial aircraft with Faraday cages?
