Comments for TravelCommons

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Ray Medina

Ray Medina — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:25:59 +0000

Mark,

I just received a twit with the following link that I think you should see.

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/08/laptop_with_tru.html

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Arnoud Heijnis

Arnoud Heijnis — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:50:46 +0000

Hey Steven, one of the smaller reasons, by far not the only one, is because of some elaborate theft scheme that had been running at Heathrow. At extremely busy moments at the security line people would send their laptops (when you still had to take them out) through the x-ray machine. Whilst they had to wait in line to go through the gate someone else on the other end would pickup their laptop from the tray and just walk off. About 4 people were hit by that method in one week. Luckily I wasn’t one of them. After having enquired with BAA they confirmed it had been an issue but that the gang had been apprehended. No sign of the laptops though.

Apparantly they were entering the terminal on cheap tickets and somehow exiting with suitcases full of laptop.

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by gobluetwo

gobluetwo — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:43:56 +0000

I have never forgotten my laptop and don’t know anyone that has. It would be tough to do, but suppose I could see it if you’re in a huge hurry and not thinking clearly.

@ Frick, in fact, some hotels will just GIVE you stray chargers. I once forgot my BB charger and the front desk told me to just take one of the dozens they had as the supply would be more than replenished by the end of the week. =)

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Meegeekai

Meegeekai — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:31:55 +0000

Lost track of you and this blog until you popped up on my linkedin page this morning. Go back to when you were starting TravelCommons posdcast. Check out this link http://adeona.cs.washington.edu/index.html. I actually tested this and it is works well. Will definitely add your feed going forward.

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Frick

Frick — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:33:47 +0000

On a tech gadget side note if you are ever in a hotel and get caught without a cell phone or laptop charger just go down to the front desk and say “Last week when I was here I think I left my phone charger in the room” they will pull out a box of tangled mess of Motorola, Kyocera, & ThinkPad chargers. Grab one that works and return it to the front desk in the morning.
You have to remember to return it cause anything else would definitely be classified as stealing…….

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Frick

Frick — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:28:49 +0000

I now have stickers all over mine, no one would dare mistake it for theirs.
Last year one of the guys I work with left theirs at TSA security. All of us were wondering how he didn’t notice that his laptop bag was suddenly 7lbs lighter. He didn’t find out till he checked into the hotel that night, he did manage to get his laptop back.

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Graham

Graham — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:09:31 +0000

I haven’t lost my laptop but I grabbed the wrong one out of the overhead bin once, this was resolved just outside the gate fortunately. Another time I was waiting for a plane and they switched the gate two times. On the second switch I ran to the gate and completely forgot my laptop. Fortunately no one noticed it and it was waiting for me upon my return.

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by mark

mark — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:30:27 +0000

An article in today’s USAToday describes a TSA program to eliminate the need to remove laptops from their cases. Unfortunately, it will require you to buy a new “checkpoint-friendly” computer case. How about instead the TSA buys the same x-ray machines they’re using at London-Heathrow?

Comment on 12,000 Laptops Lost In Airports Every Week? Hmmm… by Steven Lubetkin

Steven Lubetkin — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:33:10 +0000

At Heathrow Airport, they don’t require you to take the laptop out of the luggage. I wonder what’s different about their screening x-ray?

Makes things move much more smoothly.

Comment on Corrected Podcast #65 Posted by Dawn Owens

Dawn Owens — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:32:06 +0000

Great webcast. Thanks much for the link to the Bar & Grille Singers’ song. It’s so nice to laugh outloud at the absurdity of what airline travel can sometimes be. Thanks for the chuckle!