Comments on: Uh-oh: batteries banned from checked luggage starting next week

By: Timothy

Timothy — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:00:10 +0000

Everett,
The short answer: Especially if you’re in business or using a device for a professional application – YES. Having extra batteries is a must! Admittedly, most passengers won’t need extra recharageables and could simply pack conventional alkalines whilst keeping the recharageables in the device to comply with the guidelines. It’s really sad though that the major media hasn’t yet passed this information on to the public, especially in light of the new directives thanks to the recent attempts.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:10:24 +0000

Not a comment, – a question: There are many notes/regs/guidelines regarding various batteries in luggage, but I’ve found nothing about battery CHARGERS. Can have a Ni-Mh charger in my carry-on?

By: Sqril

Sqril — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:40:51 +0000

I wish I had see this entry BEFORE checked my camera at JFK. Yup – it was stupid, but silly me thought that I was banging it up too much in my backpack. Now I just don’t have it anymore.

By: everett

everett — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:26:35 +0000

There is a good reason for this. A fed ex or a UPS plane caught fire and burned to the ground in the last few years because of Lithium batteries. At 100 million for a plane alone the insurance company should require that these items never get on a plane. There are many items you cannot ship on a plane with these carriers because of the dangers. Many of those complaining here might be on the other side when a plane does go down. ” Well the govt. knew there were dangers but did nothing” SUE SUE SUE.

Do you really need some spare batteries folks on the airplane?

By: Katrynova

Katrynova — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:07:40 +0000

I agree with Jim J on 12/30–logic never seems to be the ultimate criteria; but perpetuation of fear is obviously the bottom line.

By: George Booth

George Booth — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:28:50 +0000

Liz, I agree with you…The TSA employees aren’t always the brightest…I suggest that you go to their website and print out the rules and put them in your carry on just before you travel. The rules change often. I am a underwater photographer and carry at least 30 2500 nimh batteries. When I was in Egypt last year they made us take all batteries out of our cameras, ipods and anything else that used them and made us either put them in my checked luggage or throw them away. Of course my luggage had just gone on the conveyor when they gave me the option…My batteries are about $10 ea. so, I found another passenger to put them in their luggage and got them back when we arrived in London. ug

On another note:
I always print the latest rules and recently read that I don’t have to take my shoes off anymore because, I wear orthotics. Mine however are prescibed by a podiatrist and are not made of gel. I would’nt have known but there was a rule change. On my recent flight I informed the TSA agent about my condition and I got to keep my shoes on. They do however, take the gel soles away from everyone. But, if you told them you had orthotics on they probably won’t challenge you…but, be prepared to lose the gel soles if they do take a look. You can try to argue the point but, winning is tough. Happy Traveling!

By: Jim J

Jim J — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:27:04 +0000

I believe that our govenment many times has ulterior motives for the things that they do. I’ve noticed that changes in carry-on rules along with increased terror threats and new messages from Osama Bin Laden always occur around major holiday periods. To me, this is just the government’s way of keeping us terrified and more likely to support giving up our civil liberties to keep us “safe” from terrorists.

By: Lawrence Behr

Lawrence Behr — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:21:25 +0000

The lithium battery problem has been known and discussed in technical papers by FAA and others for some time. The problem with fire suppression does not really apply to individual small batteries (like AA’s), although they can be incendiary devices, as has been seen in some recent unintentional incidents. Note that the TSA notice spoke of “shipments” of lithium batteries. The concerns in the papers I have read are indeed about quantities of batteries packed together being very difficult to contain if burning. Quite a stretch to the typical business traveler’s compliment of cells!

By the way, the reason for the plastic bag is to prevent the “plus” and “minus” ends of the batteries from being connected inadvertently – a necessary precondition for a fire. This could happen in one’s pocket with spare change, money clip, etc.

Regarding hydrogen production – did you ever consider how much highly explosive methane is produced by a couple of hundred passengers? Don’t loose sleep…

By: Brooks Hurd

Brooks Hurd — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:14:38 +0000

LiIon batteries can overheat when charging. I have [bold]never[/bold] heard of a battery overheating when it is not charging. If it is not installed in a device, it can not be charging.

To the comment above about splitting H2O into H2 and O2; this only will happen when the battery is submerged. If your checked baggage is underwater, then a little hydrogen produced by a battery in checked baggaqe is not a major concern. Treading water might be a concern, but first you need to get out of the submerged aircraft. This time of year, the water temperature might be concern.

By: Lila Davis

Lila Davis — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:21:31 +0000

Since they’ve said they cannot suppress the fire for “non-rechargeable” batteries, why are they limiting the rechargeable ones? Is there a misprint somewhere or do they also mean they cannot suppress fire in rechargeable batteries either?

By: Kairho

Kairho — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:41:04 +0000

After having studied the issue, I observe that batteries, knives, water, and bullets are completely harmless unless they are accompanied by a human.

So I anticipate that effective 1 June the TSA will be banning all humans from boarding. …and then claim they are 100% effective against terrorism.

By: Stephanus Surjaputra

Stephanus Surjaputra — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 14:42:15 +0000

Okay, so now what? Don’t carry cameras anymore because they have those batteriies? Will we be relegated to disposable cameras or will they ban those too?

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:57:02 +0000

Ugh; my rechargeables are Ni-MH, but do I want to gamble that the mouth breathers at TSA will know the difference? Or care?

By: Todd B

Todd B — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:33:12 +0000

As a professional photojournalist that travels around the world for my job, I have to always have a large variety of battery power for both my cameras and laptop since I wind up in many situations where I might not have power for several days…so how the hell am I supposed to deal with this?

And what the hell sense does it make that you can have batteries IN YOUR DEVICE in your checked luggage….All the reports of exploding Li-on batteries that I have read say it happened while someone had their computer on or it was being charged. So wouldn’t it be MORE likely to explode if it is conducting ions than sitting outside a device?

By: David

David — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:58:20 +0000

What will happen to all the batteries confiscated under this new rule. Will they be donated to worthy causes, will the TSA staff get to keep them themselves, or will they just be disposed of in the waste?

If a battery explodes after being disposed of, will the TSA be liable for damages?

I agree with your point that if these batteries are that serious a problem then why isn’t this order effective immediately. I don’t know if it’s true but I read somewhere that the TSA has never caught a terrorist since it was formed. I think that they wouldn’t be a deterrent to to terrorism, more a displacement onto more accessible targets.