Of Laptops and Airport X-Ray Machines
I’ll be going on another brief family reunion slash vacation tomorrow to Kalibo, Aklan. As with my last trip to our home province, I’ll be attending a wedding (and playing some rounds of DoTa, I guess). But this time around, I’ll be able to take my work with me, courtesy of Corsarify.
Needless to say, my laptop’s first out-of-town trip includes passing through the airport security checks. This begs an important question: Is it safe to let my laptop through the X-ray machine? Wouldn’t my data be obliterated, my job wrecked, and my life ruined? (Ok, I’ll stop.)
The plain and simple answer is: Yes, it’s safe. Maybe the frequent laptop travelers know this already, but as a newbie I had to do a quick search on Google to assuage my fears.
I found a wealth of info at PC Guide. A morsel:
The reason that these machines pose no threat to your disks is that X-rays are not magnetic. They are a form of electromagnetic energy, and perhaps it is this name that causes the confusion. Guess what electromagnetic energy is? Light.
Which should’ve been obvious to a college grad like yours truly. But hey, you can’t fault a guy for being a bit too paranoid when it comes to his laptop. Anyway, it’s not the airport X-ray equipment that a laptop owner should be worried about:
Quite ironically, those who avoid putting floppy disks [and laptops] through X-ray machines may be inadvertently risking them with exposure to another device that can affect magnetic media, and which is right at the same security checkpoint–the metal detector!
Emphasis added. The undying About.com agrees:
Metal detectors on the other hand, can cause damage and request politely that Security/Customs do not use the metal detector but do a hand check instead.
And so I put my fear of the X-ray to rest. See you next week!
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- Leaving for Aklan
- The 100$ Laptop
- Google Makes Me Don Juan
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- Lessons From London
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Just don’t check your laptop in. Make sure you bring it in your hand-carry luggage.
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:08 pm
Yup, that’s what I plan to do. Especially after I saw last time out how brutal the baggage boys can be when loading the stuff. Thanks for the reminder, though.
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:24 pm
Yeah. I never dare let my [stolen] laptop pass through the metal detector. It’s always through the x-ray machine, and always handcarried. The “Fragile” stickers can never assure you that it will be safe when you check it in.
August 10th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Ok, so now I know that I should not be allowing the guards to stick that metal detector thing when I go to the mall… I hope that their metal detectors are fake and just make those weird “beep” sounds… :p
August 19th, 2006 at 12:47 am
Fleeb, yeah, I doubt if the baggage handlers even care about the “fragile” sign! I mean, when I was peering outside the airplane window before take-off, I was watching the handlers indiscriminately throw this and that package around with wild abandon. In fact, I cringed at the sight of such…abuse.
Mike, who knows, maybe they are fake! Hehehe…
August 19th, 2006 at 5:27 am
But but but magnetism is electromagnetism too, that’s not the reason x-rays are okay!
AGH!
August 19th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
been travelling for quite a number of times and believe me, the worst thing that happened to be was getting my powerbook scratched by that &$#@ TSA person! Oh well, good thing Apple replaced it (due to some other defects).
key here is to keep your laptop in a safe sleeve case. domestic travel does not require that you take out your laptop and power it in front of the security guys but it has to go through that xray machine.
August 19th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Mia, oops. Maybe that’s why I didn’t get high grades in physics.
Sir Rommel, good for you. Apple looks like it does take great care of its customers, unlike other industry giants we know of
I’ve been looking for a great laptop sleeve, but it seems that my favorite mall, SM North Edsa, isn’t exactly a haven of retailers of the product. Doing local searches online, too, but to no avail…
August 19th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
It’s not your fault. ;p It’s PC Guide’s. XD
August 20th, 2006 at 8:09 am
kimps, go to Digital Walker (VMall) for your computer sleeves as well. Dami dun!
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:48 am
Mia, yeah I know
But my physics grades still weren’t good, esp. in Pisay, hehe!
Sir Rom, ah, Virra Mall! Will drop by the place, then. Thanks a lot, sir!
August 24th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
As of now, as far as international air travel is concerned, no laptops.
Right after 9/11, though allowed to hand-carry my Sony Vaio, I had to announce at the security check points that I have a laptop so they could not harm it.
I’ve been through the most brutal security checks (Detroit Intl) but my Sony survived it.
My HP laptop, however …
Will advise you of resolution which should be in a day or two.
Eric
August 25th, 2006 at 1:32 am
Senor, so I trust that the Sony Vaio was a good model?
Hope the resolution turns out to be okay and absolutely in your favor. The customer is always right, after all…good luck!
September 1st, 2006 at 9:27 pm
Off topic: Finally got a copy of Indio Bravo at the book fair today
Thanks again for the tip!
September 3rd, 2006 at 4:50 pm
That’s great! Happy reading, then
I’m sure you’ll enjoy the book.