Re: [Debconf-discuss] US laptop ban and DebConf
martin f krafft <madduck@debconf.org> writes:
> Here's an alternative thought about this laptop ban:
> http://m.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11823052
> Basically it says this is retaliation against Gulf airlines, because
> apparently, US airlines are exempt from the laptop ban. If that's the
> case — I did not verify — then an obvious solution (which may not be the
> cheapest again) is to fly on US carriers.
No US carriers fly to the affected airports, which is why US carriers
aren't affected. The UK appears to also be going along with and
instituting the same ban, with a slightly different selection of airports,
so whatever is going on here, it doesn't seem to be a purely US thing.
That said, I concur with the advice to just avoid flying through the US
right now when that isn't your destination. It's probably not worth the
uncertainty and risk.
FWIW, it's being met with a great deal of dubiousness; the travel expert
the local news radio station interviewed this morning actually came right
out and said the ban was bullshit that does nothing to improve airline
safety, which is remarkable -- usually the experts are more measured in
their disapproval of stuff like this. It's very difficult to figure out
the threat model under which moving electronics, containing lithium-ion
batteries no less, from the passenger cabin to the cargo hold makes the
plane safer. And of course no one who knows is saying anything at all
useful.
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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