New security rules for batteries on planes

Posted by Desiree Everts

If you don’t want to lose your spare lithium batteries for your camera, notebook or cell phone, you might want to pack carefully for your next flight.

New rules from the Transportation and Security Administration that take effect on January 1 ban travelers from carrying loose lithium batteries in checked baggage. Passengers are allowed to pack two spare batteries in their carry-on bag, as long as they’re in clear plastic baggies.

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the batteries that are already installed in the devices you’re bringing. The TSA has said it’s safe to check in items like a laptop or iPhone that already have the batteries in place.

The agency said that loose lithium batteries not installed in devices pose a fire risk to passenger planes. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board could not rule out the possibility that lithium batteries started a fire in a plane at the Philadelphia National Airport last year, according to the Associated Press. Full article here, thanks news.com

Not a lot I can say about this one, because unlike many of the TSA’s asinine rules there may be a basis of fact behind this prohibition … loose batteries may have cause a fire on an airliner last year.

So if you’re traveling to the Philippines and you plan to carry extra batteries for cell phone, PDA, Lap top, etc., better to read up on the rules before you get to the airport, all packed and ready to board your flight.

One of the most annoying and constitutionally indefensible aspaects of the regulation the TSA operates under is their absolute power to seize otherwise legal property of US citizens with no recourse.  To add insult to injury, they then sell off this property at action … yet make no provision to allow the citizen to, for example, send the property home, store the property for later pickup, etc.  Even if a citizen wished to pay for such services, it’s not allowed.  Sad commentary … but hey, nothing to do but learn the rules in advance … we no longer have protection from illegal search and seizure.

Popularity: 2% [?]