> One bin for each laptop, tablet, phone, etc would be madness.

The current case, in every airport I've traversed, was each laptop in a separate bin.

I believe I stumbled through an airport "piloting" this program (BOS) as we had to remove tablets, too. We were not told "everything larger than a phone", we were told "laptops and tablets" — all in separate bins. It took five bins to get through.

"Piloting" new security regulations, to the passenger, appears as if TSA has no idea what their own rules are. Every airport I visit seems to have its own inconsistent idea as to what I need to take off, what needs to go in a bin, etc.

In my experience, the baggage X-ray is the bottleneck at the checkpoint; I don't see how this is going to help.

Also, does this include cameras? Who's the judge as to whether a camera is larger than a cell phone? (And just what I want, to advertise even more loudly the valuables I'm traveling with.)

Do you think it would be any faster if you had to "check" your carry on at check-in, they were all scanned asynchronously from you actually going through security, and you pick up the bag on the other side in a mini baggage claim scenario? I know baggage claim proper is generally a madhouse, but if it's just literally going through a wall to allow the actual security screening to happen faster, I think it could be faster overall.

Would definitely need some infrastructure changes in the airports themselves, which is probably a pretty big negative.

Considering I trust the average TSA employee about as much as a junky I found on a street corner, no way am I letting my electronics out of my sight. I already take them all on as carry on specifically to keep the TSA from stealing them, moving to a system like this would mean I couldn't travel with electronics (other than the exempted cell phone) anymore since there's like a 25% chance that the TSA will decide to swipe it.

just flew last week and yes it did include cameras.

I'm puzzled by this as news because, at least on the east coast where I do most of my traveling, I've had to put laptops in separate bins for several years. I used to have to put the iPad in a separate bin also until they said it could stay in the bag. Now I guess it is back into a bin.

I generally travel with my CPAP machine also so it is quite an ordeal to get through security:

    • work laptop
    • personal laptop
    • iPad
    • CPAP machine (outside of carrying case)
    • CPAP carrying case
    • shoes and jacket
    • backpack
    • and often my carry-on luggage

They actually ask you to remove your CPAP from the case? That's so strange. I usually keep my CPAP and iPad in the same bin. I also use my CPAP bag to hold stuff like my house keys, pens, and small bills as it gets scanned.

I have been pulled aside once just so they could swab it, but my CPAP is mostly ignored by the TSA. I'd imagine they see enough gray ResMed bags that as long as it get scanned, it's nothing special.

This will make stealing electronics much easier. And the TSA has been unresponsive to complaints about being separated for prolonged periods from control of your own carry ons.

Eventually one of the TSA workers will think, "hey let's invent bins that are actually shaped to hold the common case of a laptop, iPad, and phone all in one, not overlapping". And a few years later, they may actually implement it.

For years, I have put my MacBook Air and iPad in a bin together. As long as they are not stacked, it has always been fine. Not to say things couldn't change, but I would expect tablets to be treated the same way laptops have been historically.

Also, if they do need separate bins for all of these items, they'll run out of bins faster, which would be a pain for the TSA employees. I expect that if interpreting the rule strictly creates a hassle for the TSA employees (who have to cart the bins around), they won't take the strict approach.

> However, I don't think a laptop and an iPad will fit into one bin without overlapping each other.

Not a problem in US, the X-ray devices show the operator a view X, Y and Z axis so sandwich isn't a problem. And if there is an uncertainty, it can be checked manually. A separate bin per bigger device would increase the queue length.

> Not a problem in US, the X-ray devices show the operator a view X, Y and Z axis so sandwich isn't a problem.

That would still be a problem. A side shot of the sandwich doesn't fix the fact that there's no good top shot.

Tsa has not allowed items on top of the laptops for a long time and this has been heavily enforced ime.

As long as you don't have to stack them, and you don't have an asshole screener it should be fine. But rules are rules and some high school dropout will probably send you to the back of the line if you fail to put your iPad Mini in a bin separate from your laptop.