NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/20301

Internet Message Format | 1992-07-25 | 1.8 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!rutgers!news.cs.indiana.edu!arizona.edu!arizvm1.ccit.arizona.edu!DIXONW
From: [e-mail] (Bill Dixon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: X-Rays
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 25 Jul 92 21:39:49 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: University of Arizona
Lines: 23
Nntp-Posting-Host: arizvm1.ccit.arizona.edu


    On a recent trip I passed through four airport security checkpoints
carrying my laptop with a hard disk and some floppies in the case. Two of
these points were in Europe and two in the US. At both US points (Tucson
and Chicago) I passed the laptop to the guard who did a visual inspection
and asked that it be booted. At Tucson I was required to take out the
computer and disks and run the case through the x-ray. Probably this is
a common experience to many readers.
    In Europe it's a different story. At a Zurich security point I
prepared to pass the guard my computer. No, he said, run it through the
x-ray machine with all the other carry on bags. Aghast, I tried to convince
him it would destroy the hard disk. What was wrong with these Swiss, anyway,
hadn't they ever seen a laptop? He kept saying, no problem, no problem.
Guess what? No problem. I immediatly turned on the laptop and it worked
just fine--all data intact. I had the same experience in Stockholm.
    Anybody know what gives here? Do European airports use a different
sort of x-ray machine? Or is everyone in the US, security guards included,
under a huge misconception?
- - - -
   William J. Dixon
   Dept. of Political Science          Phone: [phone]
   University of Arizona              Bitnet: DIXONW AT ARIZVM1
   Tucson, Arizona 85721            Internet: [e-mail]