Flying with Firewire Hard Drive

williamconifer wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:20 PM
Greets,

I gotta fly down to Orlando for the next week, my Dad's sick. I have a butload of graphic editing I need to do to prep for a Bridal Fair I have coming up. I'm going to bring my 180 gig firewire HD with me. Anyone have any problems getting a external Harddrive thru security? Also does the radiation do anything to the harddrive?

Any road warriors out there? Spot? any thoughts??

jack

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:24 PM
The radiation shouldn't be any problem at all. The metal case of the drive itself should be more than sufficient to protect the data inside.

Are you taking your laptop computer with you? The last couple of times i've been through security they have often asked passengers to demonstrate electronic devices in operation, presumably to show that they're not bombs in a dummy case. It might help if you have your laptop there so you can plug the drive in and prove it's actually a drive.
williamconifer wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:30 PM
good point.

BTW, if you ever see me at the airport don't yell "HI Jack". not good. hehe.

jack
johnmeyer wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:36 PM
Hi Jack,

Very funny.

Definitely bring the power cord for the hard drive. They WILL ask you to demonstrate it.
kevgl wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:46 PM
Anyone read Dave Barry's first novel "Big Trouble" ?

There's an hilarious scene in there about going through airport security where a couple of crims have a nuclear bomb but security are only interested in checking everyone's laptop.

Bloody funny.

Cheers
epirb wrote on 1/15/2004, 5:52 PM
Just watched the movie "Big Trouble" on cable. Hillarious! They told em it was a garbage dispposal and demonstrated it! (accidentaly activating the timer) But hey, they got through!
kevgl wrote on 1/15/2004, 6:22 PM
Didn't know they had moviefied it ...

Read his new book a month or so ago too, another good read.

Cheers

Spot|DSE wrote on 1/16/2004, 7:02 AM
It depends entirely on the airport. Keeping in mind that I typically fly at least 10 flights a month, or roughly 3 times a week, I've only been asked once to demonstrate a drive or laptop in the past 4 months. Now...they HAVE dropped my laptop once, still waiting for the gov to pay for that one, but also have had the firewire drive dropped 3-4 times. No damage, thank heaven.
I wouldn't worry about it at all. In fact, you can tell them that you don't have the powercord, and that it doesn't power up via cable. They are used to seeing these things now, and it's even in the TSA handbook that is kept at every TSA station.
FuTz wrote on 1/16/2004, 7:33 AM

I've put an external FireWire drive in my luggage (ie in the plane's "belly") without any problem. Just PAD it cause guys at the luggage don't necessarly treat the bags with extensive care.
As for hand luggage, they all have these new detectors now so they'll just pass this "magic stick" over your keyboard/camera/electronic device probably without having to ask you to turn it on.
Spot|DSE wrote on 1/16/2004, 7:44 AM
For me, I'll NEVER pack a drive in the belly. Too easy to steal. Yes boys and girls, the TSA does steal. A lot. At Las Vegas/McCarran, they recently nailed a group of TSA baggage inspectors for theft, and same in Miami, and there were a couple in Dallas. We've never lost anything of high value, but have lost candy bars, tradeshow swag, a watch, headphones, and a few CD's from our 'secured' bags. In Vegas, we have a security camera that clearly shows items in the bag that weren't there on arrival.
Don't belly pack anything of value unless you stand with the TSA folks and watch them put on a striplock, and a tape tag after they've inspected.