Just in time for the Chicago LAN, the Transportation Security Administration has changed the rules on taking a ‘full sized console’ as carry-on baggage.
Some of you may never have traveled on an airplane with your console before, but up until Saturday, August 4th, it was usually no problem. You could bring it with you as carry on luggage and not really have to worry about it being stopped for a rubber glove search. Occasionally an overzealous security screener would pull you aside to swab your bag and console to make sure there’s no bomb making chemicals, but other than that you were clear for take off. Well thats all about to change.
As of August 4th, consoles and for some reason DVD players, are now being classified in the same category as laptop computers and video cameras. You must fully remove your console from your checked baggage and place it in a bin for independent x-ray screening. So now you need a bin for your shoes, coat and hat, another bin for your laptop computer and another bin for your console.
This new adjustment to classification does not affect MP3 players, Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP (likewise your cell phone if in carry-on baggage doesn’t need to be screened independently). Apparently the DS just isn't good enough when it comes to making bombs out of entertainment devices.
We can see DVD players given the quantity that they are cheaply available in now and they have a built in power source like your laptop computer. However a console has no built in portable power source (except PS3), this seems like yet another ridiculous measure. It was nice to have a bit of privacy so all the people in line don’t know you’re such a video game geek that you can’t leave home without your console. But now you’ll need to pull it out for all to see and re-pack it on the other side of security.
On the plus side, you can now bring a lighter onto the airplane and more than three ounces of breast milk in case you get thirsty.
For a list of all the latest updates, visit the TSA website here http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/sop/index.shtm
