I admit it, I am a technology junkie, and I stay abreast of new technologies and cool gadgets by being an early adopter. The new technology out there, iPad, e-Readers, etc. as well as cool new gadgets to help us with our travel conveniences, like the PacSafe bags with wire mesh in them, we hope will cause less stress.
On a recent one month excursion to Europe, I discovered that this is not always the case.
New Gadgets:
My Kindle is fantastic, as I have gloated about in previous entries, and I travel everywhere with it. Throughout the world I have found, the security staff are not sure how to handle these devices. In some airports in the US, you can leave the device in your bag. In other airports, you must remove the device and take it out of the case and place it in a bin. I’m sure this is because of the recent introduction of tablet pcs. The line between a high powered computing device and an e-reader has been blurred. Especially with the introduction of LCD e-Readers and thinner devices like the iPad. When in doubt, take out the device and put it on a tray! This will save you time, because the security team may make you take it out anyhow, or even worse – SEARCH YOUR BAG.
Security Bags
Traveling safely is very important, which is why I wrote some posts about the PacSafe CitySafe bag that is lined with a metal wire mesh to prevent slashing. Yes, this bag is fantastic. The size and usefulness are absolutely above par. However, I have had my bag initiate some head scratching on several occasions in the airport and even entering a large arena with a security scanner. The people who operate these machines may not have seen a bag lined with mesh before. They will see your bag pass through with a beautiful mesh displayed prominently on their screen. If this is new to them, they will stop you and ask to see your bag. This unfortunately can slow you down, and cause you to explain that the bag is harmless. Keep this in mind when traveling abroad to a lesser traveled country. The bag will keep you safe but it can also become a nuisance with the scanners.
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I noticed last time I traveled with my Kindle that the airplane staff isn’t really sure how to handle it. You can’t really turn the Kindle “off”, it just goes to sleep…which is really the same thing as it being “awake”, just with a screensaver. I’ve had a couple of flight attendants try to get me to turn it off when the plane is in the air but not quite at “altitude”. I tried to explain that it cant be turned off, then gave up and just put it away. On another occasion we’d been in the air for a while when the attendant asked me to turn it off because it was a “computer”. I explained that the wifi was off and that it was harmless, but I still got a “look”.
I love traveling with my kindle, but I wish people were more informed about how e-ink ereaders work.