The only safe flight is no flight at all

Alex Massie considers the latest bit of lunacy from the TSA and remarks:

For the love of god... When will these clowns learn that the only way to ensure total security is to prevent people from getting on the plane in the first place?

Please . . . don't give them any ideas.

Comments

The new restriction on lithium batteries in checked luggage is NOT motivated by any fears of terrorism, but rather out of concerns that batteries can present a fire hazard.

Posted by Peter | December 31, 2007 12:39 PM

I'm not clear on why this is lunacy; loose batteries might sort against something metallic (like a zipper pull) and start a fire. Hence: leave them in place in your camera/computer, or pack them in your carry-on, in baggies, where they can be inspected for compliance.

Not lunacy. Relatively sensible, for once.

Posted by Rob Lyman | December 31, 2007 2:27 PM

That is, might "short" against something metallic. Sorry

Posted by Rob Lyman | December 31, 2007 2:28 PM

Uhh, there actually seems to be a good reason for this rule. Like this plane:
http://upsfire.com/philfire.htm

Moreover, it's a rule from the FAA released by the DOT.

Have you looked at the specs? It's really not going to effect your average person with a phone, laptop and Ipod.

Posted by Chris M | December 31, 2007 6:49 PM

Here's a demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJCZ4ayioCU

LI batteries have been known to explode, and as this is a chemical fire, normal cargo compartment fire supression methods* probably wouldn't work. Also, this rule comes from the DOT, not the TSA.

Just because a lot of air travel restrictions are bizarre and/or idiotic doesn't mean they all are - try not to slide into that mindset.

Posted by J | December 31, 2007 6:50 PM

I looked at the examples above and I googled battery fires. I'm still not convinced the ban is worthwhile based on a pallet fire and a possible incident from 1987. But I guess it doesn't surprise me that other Americans are willing to allow the government to confiscate yet more of their property in hopes of preventing an event with extremely poor odds of actually occurring.

Posted by Graeme | December 31, 2007 7:47 PM

Have you looked at the numbers? Air travel is something like 10 times as safe in the U.S. as it is in Europe. (Of course, it is something like 1000 times safer in the U.S. than in Africa.) Arguably, thousands of rules directed at infinitesimal hazards like battery fires are the reason.

Posted by y81 | January 1, 2008 12:11 AM

It may very well be that the rule makes sense. Or not. Depends on the likelihood of something bad actually happening.

What I worry about is the enforcement. How will they find lithium batteries in checked luggage? And the part about batteries in clear baggies in carry-ons worries me. As it is, I already have to do the following at a TSA checkpoint:

1) Remove all coins, keys, etc. from my pockets and place them in a container on the belt.
2) Remove my shoes and place them in a container on the belt, along with my jacket.
3) Remove my belt and place it in there with the shoes and jacket. (No, I don't have a Texan-sized buckle, but for some reason it sets off the metal detectors at the State Security checkpoints.)
4) Make sure that all liquid toiletries are in containers of the right size and placed in a plastic bag. Which I must remove from the carry-on and place on the belt.
5) Remove my laptop from my carry-on and place it in a separate container on the belt.
6) Show my papers and obey any commands from an employee of State Security, and make darn sure I don't ever crack a joke while complying.
7) Once I've shown my papers and cleared the checkpoint, get all of the clothing items back on, get everything re-packed in my bag.

Now we add spare batteries to the list of things that must be handled according to a Special Procedure. Yeah, I know, there may be a reasonable explanation, and it's only one more item, relatively small compared to the rest of the list. Still, the list keeps growing. First it was the British telling us that our tea might be a hazard, so we can't bring our tea past the checkpoint, except in 3 oz quantities in a clearly labeled bag. Now it's the batteries.

At some point, enough is enough.

Posted by thoreau | January 1, 2008 8:24 PM

LI batteries have shorting failure modes that include explosions and starting fires - testing done at a large US civilian space agency has resulted in design requirements that make them very difficult to use in spacecraft. The DOT ban is not unreasonable, as loose batteries are much more likely to short and overheat.

Posted by ech | January 2, 2008 1:47 PM

The requirement for putting loose batteries in baggies may be sensible, considering the fire hazard when terminals are shorted, but how on Earth are passengers or TSA drones supposed to decide how much lithium is in a battery?

Posted by markm | January 3, 2008 1:36 PM