Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!stc!praxis!hilbert!johnr
From: johnr@praxis.co.uk (John Richards)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: airport x-ray machines/laptops
Keywords: laptops, eproms, x-ray
Message-ID: <4892@newton.praxis.co.uk>
Date: 7 Feb 90 08:56:02 GMT
References: <6325@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu>
Sender: news@praxis.co.uk
Reply-To: johnr@praxis.co.uk (John Richards)
Organization: Praxis Electronic Design Ltd
Lines: 23

In article <6325@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu> tmb@wheaties.ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) writes:
>I have just bought a Toshiba T1000 and travelled with it to Europe.
>American security check-ins at airports seem to be satisfied if the
>computer works (i.e., if you can turn it on), but in Germany, they
>insisted that I run the computer through the X-ray machine. They
>assured me that it was completely harmless and that they ran
>"hundreds" of laptops through the machine daily.
>
>* what do other people do with their laptops when they travel?

I have a Z88 which sits in my briefcase and is put through the X-ray
machine. The briefcase is always taken off and examined, and yes, they just
want to make sure the Z88 works by getting me to turn it on. Never had any
detectable damage, but of course there are no discs in a Z88, just chips.
I have put mag tapes through with no damage yet.

On another tack, someone in this newsgroup suggested that machines had to
have FCC clearance to be used on a plane or they could be confiscated (! -
sounds extreme when they could just ask you to stop using it). He/she
said his/her Z88 had an FCC clearance sticker on it. I've used my Z88 on
planes with never a complaint but there is no FCC sticker. Should I be
worried?
                                      John Richards