After my last travel (I hate volcanoes  :Mad: ) I noticed a funny point. For now several trips, I am carrying with me a very small computer that hosts many demonstrations. This is in addition with the laptop. At airport screening, I systematically take the laptop out of the brief case, and put it on the belt for X RAY. I always forget to do the same with the small computer. Guess what? Never, and in country, I was asked to place the tiny computer on the belt out of my luggage.

Obviously, this surprised me. Personal brainstorm… Why are laptops screened out of the luggage? Not to check if they carry a bomb. Within or outside the briefcase, it would change nothing on the X ray. Then why? Next time, watch the monitor. Electronic equipment is rather impenetrable. You may not see what is lying beneath this equipment, for instance a weapon or a bomb. Laptops have a rather large footprint and thus may hide weapons.

But why did the officers not check my computer? Its physical footprint is a small square that may hide a small gun or a knife. Why no check? I guess that the officers have been trained to look for laptops, i.e. a given form factor within a range of size. My small computer does not fit inside this category, thus passes through.

Lesson: Educate the people about the rationales behind a security measure. Only then may they apply the security rule intelligently.

May be somebody has a better explanation (and less distressing)