As a frequent traveler I pay close attention to the caprices of the Transportation Security Administration. Recently, the TSA has announced a program to support and encourage manufacturers’ creation of “checkpoint friendly” laptop bags. The idea is this: if companies make bags that allow unobstructed x-ray views of the laptop from within the bag, then it will no longer be necessary to remove the laptop from the bag for screening.

The problem is, the options presented make no sense from a bag usability perspective. The usual backpack and messenger bags are no good, and instead the TSA has endorsed three other designs:

The first two might be convenient for the TSA during screening, but they’re pretty horrific for any other use. Having to fully unzip a bag to extract a laptop seems unfortunate indeed. The sleeve style case is fine, but I fail to see the convenience benefit. Taking a sleeve out of a bag is no less inconvenient than taking a laptop out of a bag.

Can someone explain this to me?

published October 15, 2008

Comments

  1. Jill Walker Rettberg

    I’ve thought the same thing – what about asking at the TSA blog? They seem to be surprisingly good at actually responding to questions. Whoever’s doing the blogging’s doing a pretty good job.

  2. Ian Bogost

    The TSA blog is really cool, you are right, but it’s also really noisy in the comments, with most threads devolving into the same issues and weighing in at several hundred comments. I’m not sure where to get a word in.