AA battery restrictions

[mark_t5]

<p>so i just came back from a wedding in mexico and on my way to the plane on the 2nd security check ( god knows why they need 2 security checks ) the guard opened my bag and saw all my gear and he said, you have way too much AA batteries ( i had 16.. visible.. the other ones were in the flashes themselves which he didnt even bother looking ). you are only allowed to have 2 per person, so he took the batteries and gave me 2.<br>

he then didnt even see anything else and closed the bag.<br>

has anyone encountered this stupid bs rule? it seems to me that he just wanted the batteries.</p>

[joe_c5]

<p>That doesn't sound quite right.</p>

<p>The FAA prohibits batteries containing lithium in checked luggage and restricts the lithium content in spare batteries in carry on luggage. Only two large batteries (containing between 8 and 25 grams of lithium each) are allowed.</p>

<p>My best guess is that this was a miscommunication about that two battery limit. Even if these were lithium AA batteries, which I assume that they were not, they would contain much less than 8 grams of lithium each.</p>

[mark_t5]

<p>he was more concerned with those AA batteries than anything else i had if you ask me.<br>

i had like 8 spare canon batteries and he didnt even bother with those. he just really really wanted those AA batteries.</p>

[allenahale]

<p>Sounds like the TSA rep needed some AA batteries.<br>

I carried three spare EN-EL4 and two spare EN-EL3e Li-ion spare batteries in my checked bag. Of my 6 flights, I know that my bag was opened and inspected three times. Batteries remained in my bag and I did not recieve any warning.<br>

My situation may have been different if I had them in my carry-on.<br>

It won't get your batteries back, but I suggest that you file complaints with full details. It may help you on your next flight or someone else in the future.<br>

Just because they wear a uniform, it doesn't mean that they always know what they are doing.<br>

Just because it is done in the name of "Security" doesn't mean that we have to put up with it and not hold people accountable.</p>

[kev_400d]

<p>In my experience security personnel at airports all seem to be on their first day! They have no clue of the rules and seem unsure even when enforcing them. Often they are downright corrupt!<br>

<br>

2 examples that actually happened to me that I found funny:<br>

</p>

<p >1) Milan airport: I was in the long queue to go through security with a 0.5l bottle of water in my hand that I was drinking from. Guard comes up and confiscates it from me, I watch as he drinks it before putting the bottle in the bin!</p>

<p ></p>

<p >2) Balaton airport (Hungary): walking past customs the Guard waves me over and growls “cigarettes” I pull my pack of 20 from my pocket he grabs it puts it in his shirt pocket and waves me on!</p>

 

[ben_goren]

May I suggest?

 

Next time an airport security agent insists on confiscating something, insist on a receipt for it.

 

Outside of the developed world...well, I imagine there're some third-world dictatorships where

insisting on a receipt could get yourself shot, so be careful which battles you pick....

 

Cheers,

 

b&

[huperetes]

<p>Was this at a US checkpoint? If so, then you should be able to report it to the airport police, and to the TSA supervisor on duty.<br>

<br /> Of course they count on it that you do not have time, or the willingness to put up with humiliation and threat of putting you on a list which will require you to be searched each and every time...<br>

It is <em><strong>not </strong> </em> unusual for TSA staff to confiscate things for personal gain. Actually it is the <em><strong>norm</strong> </em> .<br /> This has been <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2009/07/15/tsa-getting-serious-about-luggage-theft-arrests-tsa-agent-stea/">documented </a> several times in most large airports (Google search for "<a href="http://lmgtfy.org/?q=theft+by+tsa">theft by TSA</a> ").<br /> I know this both first hand, second hand experience and news from law enforcement organizations. (I have some seriously weird horror stories on this...)<br /> Remember most TSA staff are contractors, usually <strong><em>lack </em> </strong> a high school degree, and a clear criminal record.<br /> If you do not wish your property acquired by TSA, ship it ahead or check it, if possible.</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>It sounds like this happened in Mexico ("on my way to the plane"), and if that is the case, TSA has nothing to do with this. In Mexico, there are restrictions about traveling with batteries. While this may not make sense, neither does the shoe requirement in the US.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Remember most TSA staff .. usually <strong><em>lack </em> </strong> a high school degree, and a clear criminal record.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Got some statistics on this? If not, it's a pointless statement.</p>

[huperetes]

<p>Which is why I asked where this happened.</p>

<p>I am sorry. It seems part of my post was missed. I highlighted the relevant part which would answer your question. In general, I tend not to collect tabulated statistics on people I come in to contact with.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I know this both <strong>first hand, second hand experience</strong> and news from law enforcement organizations. (I have some seriously weird horror stories on this...)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For further amusement:<br>

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-07-15-bag-theft_N.htm<br>

http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/06/22/Ironic_Suit_Claims_TSA_Throws_Weight_Around.htm<br>

http://govtsecurity.securitysolutions.com/ar/security_tsa_takes_heat/index.htm<br>

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0603/060303a1.htm<br>

http://www.govexec.com/mailbagDetails.cfm?aid=40510</p>

<p>http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12759563</p>

[mark_t5]

<p>it happend on mexico on my way back.<br /> it was just AA batteries, which was why i just said screw it...you can have the stinking batteries if you want them so much.<br /> if i made a bigger fuzz, i was afraid he'll suddenly claim that i had too much lenses and start taking those too.<br /> but it just annoys me that those guards think that cuz they have a uniform they can take whatever stuff they need at home from other ppl and call it a "security check"</p>

[mphoto gallery]

<p>A bit of a bummer but as it was pointed out, he probably needed batteries. I have recently been to Europe, Hawaii, Florida and all over Canada. The most stringent searches were in Germany where they took the lens caps off each lens and looked through the lens. This happened twice in the same bloody airport.</p>

<p>I don't mind a thorough seach but I expect they have no clue how much it costs for these camera bits and pieces so I am worried about damage.<br>

I carry pounds of batteries (AA) and have not had anybody even look at those. It is always the lens. </p>

<p>I must fit a profile....</p>

[matthew_newton]

<p>Mark, I had the same thing happen in Genoa coming back from my honeymoon. Heck the guard had me open the back of my camera (film) and snap off a few pictures to prove that it was a working camera (I wonder what he would have done if the camera had broken on the trip and the shutter wouldn't have fired). It probably didn't help that I insisted pretty hard on a hand inspection of my film (it had already been through 5 or 6 carry on x-rays at that point, because of course no one in Europe will hand inspect film).<br>

Apparently asking nicely at 6am with 3 other people in the whole airport pisses off the sercurity folks there. My request litterally was "Signore, can you please hand inspect my film? Its from my honeymoon and has already been through x-rays several times and I am worried about it going through again". His response "This is impossible. We must verify with Xray. Xray cannot damage film." He ran my bag, with film through 3 times in the x-ray machine and then had me open every lens and my camera. At least he didn't insist I retrieve the film back out of the rolls and pull it all out so that he could be sure all of it was really film inside. I was tempted to ask why he needed to hand inspect my camera and lenses after xraying them if the xray really was necessary in the first place. Considering the massive beligerant attitude I received from him its probably best I didn't (he literally droped my lens back in my backpack instead of placing them back in their cases after he looked them over and gave me a very angry glare when I asked him to please be more careful. At least he let me operate my camera for him instead of prying it open with a screw driver).</p>

<p>That being said, that has been a lone bad experience out of probably 20 times through security in various countries (mostly in the US though). I did find my checked luggage rifled through when I got back from my recent trip to San Diego (nothing was missing, but the most valuable thing in there was probably my $25 dress shirts). That being said I suspect it was opened because they either dropped it hard or dropped something else on it hard as I also noticed the strap buckle was cracked and the hard plastic lining was dished in and broken on one corner. So they probably opened it to make sure they hadn't broken any of the contents.</p>

[shoshana]

<p>Back when I traveled with 35mm film cameras and flash, I used to bring a lot of AA batteries - I needed 12 just to replace everything once. I once had a pack of 24 and the TSA guy in Austin wanted me to check my batteries.</p>

<p>I didn't have a checked bag (and if I did, it would have already been checked!) and after a few minutes discussion I was allowed to keep my AAs.</p>

<p>My husband recently had most of the contents of his quart liquid bag confiscated in LA for no reason. He lost stuff like hand sanitizer, lotion and mouthwash. It was all legal to bring on, but he didn't want to argue.</p>

<p>Most of the time we don't remember to pull our quart baggie out of the front of our backpacks and haven't had any problems.</p>

<p>Coming back from overseas, we go thru two and three security checks before boarding in foreign airports -US rules they say. In one airport we went thru 3 checks including having our carryon packs looked thru and no one ever said anything about the liter bottle of water I had. I was carrying it in a store bag and figured I'd toss it if anyone said anything but no one ever mentioned it.</p>

[mikael_karlsson]

<p>Matthew:<br /><br />The reason for hand-checking the camera and making sure it works is that you could rip the innards out of the camera and easily fill it with all sorts of nasty and highly illegal stuff. Making sure electronics work is a fast and easy way for security to do at least a rudimentary control. <br /><br />Generally speaking, what might seem as excessive security in most cases isn't. Ever flown into or out of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel-Aviv after or during a high security alert? Most airport security in the world pale to nothingness compared...<br /><br />Something else worth noting is that outside the US it's pretty much the norm to run film through the X-ray and hand inspections are rarely permitted/granted. I used to fly all the darn time with film, many rolls having gone through security a massive amount of times and never had any damage from any carry-on X-ray machine. </p>