Re: For Writers Who Travel with Laptops

[Bill Bledsoe <bill -at- ENVISION -dot- COM>]

Catherine, List,

Very interesting.  Although one thing bothered me about this story: The
person put their laptop throught the X-ray machine?  I learned a long time
ago that magnetic storage devices and X-rays do not get along.  I will
NEVER put my laptop through the x-ray machine.  Too many EMF's to
mucky-muck my hard disk and memory thank you very much.

Security at any airport will gladly hold the laptop for you (I qualify by
saying "at least in the US") while you go through the metal detector.  They
will then ask you to boot your machine.  Once booted, you are free to be on
your way.  The couple of extra minutes this process takes pale in
comparison to the time you could spend rebuilding your entire laptop (data
and all).

cheers,
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Bill Bledsoe                    "Junk moved on line is still junk.  You can
Documentation Specialist        bet that if they didn't read the printed
Envision                        version, they won't read the online version
bill -at- envision -dot- com               either."  Dr. Conrad Gottfredson, online
or                              documentation guru-guy
intlidocs -at- mo -dot- net
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----------
From:   Catherine R. Skrbina[SMTP:CSKRBINA -at- US -dot- ORACLE -dot- COM]
Sent:   Wednesday, April 10, 1996 8:06 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject:        For Writers Who Travel with Laptops

Writers,

If you travel with a laptop, you may want to read the following message.

---- Included Message ----

Received:                           Sent: Wed, April 10TH, 1996 12:19
From:     Karin Welss <KWELSS.US.ORACLE.COM>
To:       hpsoc
Subject:  Laptop/Travel Advisory

A friendly bulletin passed on by a business associate of mine...

-------

     We've recently learned of a hustle that's being employed at airports
     all across the country to steal laptop computers.  It involves two
     persons who look for a victim carrying a laptop and approaching a
     metal detector.They position themselves in front of the unsuspecting
     passenger.  They stall until the mark puts the laptop computer on the
     conveyor belt.  Then the first subject moves through the metal
     detector easily.  The second subject sets off the detector and begins
     a slow process of emptying pockets, removing jewelry, etc.  While this
     is happening, the first subject takes the laptop as soon as it appears
     on the conveyor belt and moves away quickly.  When the passenger
     finally gets through the metal detector, the laptop is gone. The
     subject that picks it up heads into the gate area and disappears among
     the crowd.  Sometimes a third subject will take a hand off from the
     first subject and the computer is out of the restricted area before
     the mark even knows that it is gone.

     This is becoming a widely practiced problem and is happening at
     airports everywhere.  When traveling with a laptop computer, try to
     avoid lines to enter a metal detector when possible.  When you can't
     do that, delay putting your luggage and laptop on the conveyor belt
     until you are sure that you will be the next person through the metal
     detector.  As you move through the metal detector, keep your eyes on
     the conveyor belt and watch for your luggage and laptop to come
     through, as well as watching for what those in front of you are
     picking up.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
 Karin Welss                             kwelss -at- us -dot- oracle -dot- com
 Senior Technical Writer                 HP Products Division
 Oracle Corporation                      (415) 506-2925
"Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot." -- Anon
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

----- End of Message -----

Regards,

Catherine
x63643