New Security at Airport

[scubafanatic]

Where they can steal them. I like packing mine very safely, then hiding in my checked gear.


Absolutely NOT! Never, ever leave batteries in a dive light. They can jarred on and some are hot enough to start a fire. Even LED lights look suspicious on X-ray or hand inspection and they cannot judge which are which, or maybe explosives? :shocked2:

I leave batteries in my dive lights, but my lights are fairly small hand helds and they are in my carry on bag with my reg sets....while most scuba gear is of limited utility to the average luggage thief, lights are easy to find applications for in the non-scuba world and look very stealable, so I don't check lights. Typically I'll bring 3 identical lights, totalling $ 1000 in value, so it's not chump change! This worked fine in Coz last August anyway.

 

[DandyDon]

I have seen Coz security pulling batteries out of lights many times. Just depends.

 

[cardzard]

Ok, I think people are missing my point. I have no problem with a country making up it's own rules on travel.

1. They should plainly post what is and is not allowed, and this is both the airlines and security's responsibility. (remember there were list but none had batteries on them)

2. My batteries were secured in case just like Don posted a picture of. They were no danger.

3 There is no explanation why a collapsible fishing pole was taken, and things were taken from from so many people while my wife waited for me to return.

There is no doubt in my mind the rules are made up by those at the x-ray machine.
If you do a google search you will find countless example of the same stuff happening in Mexico all over the web. To believe that the traveler is ignorant to the rules is crazy since the rules depend on who on duty.

I posted this just to alert others, I have no hope a post here will change the BAD APPLES at the airport.

 

[dmoore19]

I always try to cooperate with TSA regs. Sure Mexico and other countries can have their own rules, but I don't want to be an easy target for the unscrupulous. Beyond TSA regs, I try to cooperate with other countries' rules, airline rules, and be reasonable & safe - but some rules are made to be busted. Some airlines would like to charge extra for my pony bottle, so I never tell them it's there; as long as I meet TSA regs, fine.

I try to minimize the possibility of any problems. I am on vacation and don't want any problems so I try to make sure I work within the rules. Just like dealing with the IRS, if I don't raise flags or go into the grey areas, maybe they'll just leave me alone. That's all I want.

 

[scubafanatic]

I have seen Coz security pulling batteries out of lights many times. Just depends.

Don, I don't do Coz anywhere as often as you do, so I'm not any expert on the latest Coz scene....as far as I can remember, the only Coz battery incident I ever had was a few years ago, when I'd removed all my dive light batteries on the way home from Coz, and security wanted to know where my batteries were as the lights were 'light' when they examined them (my LDS had instructed me to remove all lights and pack them separately, which I'd done) It appeared their concern wasn't airport security, but toxic waste, apparently they wanted some sort of evidence I hadn't abandoned a bunch of batteries in Coz in the trash, once I showed them my separate battery bag, they were fine and let me go on my way......which may be an arguement to NOT leave excess batteries behind as a gift/favor to the locals...just sayin'.

 

[dmoore19]

Don, I don't do Coz anywhere as often as you do, so I'm not any expert on the latest Coz scene....as far as I can remember, the only Coz battery incident I ever had was a few years ago, when I'd removed all my dive light batteries on the way home from Coz, and security wanted to know where my batteries were as the lights were 'light' when they examined them (my LDS had instructed me to remove all lights and pack them separately, which I'd done) It appeared their concern wasn't airport security, but toxic waste, apparently they wanted some sort of evidence I hadn't abandoned a bunch of batteries in Coz in the trash, once I showed them my separate battery bag, they were fine and let me go on my way......which may be an arguement to NOT leave excess batteries behind as a gift/favor to the locals...just sayin'.

I do understand your post.

With that last comment, like they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[ggunn]

Don, I don't do Coz anywhere as often as you do, so I'm not any expert on the latest Coz scene....as far as I can remember, the only Coz battery incident I ever had was a few years ago, when I'd removed all my dive light batteries on the way home from Coz, and security wanted to know where my batteries were as the lights were 'light' when they examined them (my LDS had instructed me to remove all lights and pack them separately, which I'd done) It appeared their concern wasn't airport security, but toxic waste, apparently they wanted some sort of evidence I hadn't abandoned a bunch of batteries in Coz in the trash, once I showed them my separate battery bag, they were fine and let me go on my way......which may be an arguement to NOT leave excess batteries behind as a gift/favor to the locals...just sayin'.

??? If you have a bunch of lights without batteries in them, what are you concerned that they might do to you? Make you go out and buy batteries?

 

[Mossman]

??? If you have a bunch of lights without batteries in them, what are you concerned that they might do to you? Make you go out and buy batteries?

I thought that seemed a bit odd as well, Mexican authorities complaining that batteries were left behind as toxic waste? Surely that's gotta be one of the lowest priorities of Mexican airport security, to make sure that Americans aren't leaving batteries behind in a country that already has the most minimial ecological protections in place. If I somehow were caught with some ridiculous complaint about leaving batteries behind in their "pristine" country, I'd laugh very hard and then make sure my bribe was as tiny as possible, two bucks worth at most, and that's only if I already got my dive gear back intact.

 

[rusti999]

When I came back on the 12th, I had a small rachet & socket set taken. I have made 3 trips this year with it & never had an issue. They didn't take a lighter I had forgotten about though......guess it's ok to burn the plane, but not disassemble it!

Had a similar experience flying out of CZM earlier today. I had a set of hex keys confiscated at security. Absolutely no tools, they said, so in this respect they are stricter than the TSA (the keys are way smaller than 7 inches). Bummer...

P.S. Some other people had problems with batteries, I can confirm that they don't like exposed batteries.

 

[sharky60]

TSA has ALWAYS required me to take my laptop out of the bag and put it in it's own tray thingy with "no other items", both flying around the U.S. and to Mexico.

I don't carry on any liquids or toiletries, so the quart bag thing is never an issue.

I carry all my memory cards in a "film safe" bag and sometimes they take that out and look through it, but not always.

The only battery that goes through carry-on with me, is the one in my camera, all the extra one's; extra camera battery and a multitude of rechargable AA's for my strobe & small scuba lights, all get packed.