My LTTE: Spare Lithium Batteries No Longer Allowed in Checked Baggage

[RC]

<b>Spare Lithium Batteries No Longer Allowed in Checked Baggage</b>

http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
December 28, 2007 – Effective January 1, 2008, spare lithium batteries - extra batteries not installed on devices - will no longer be allowed in checked baggage. Spare lithium batteries may be packed in carry-on baggage and lithium batteries installed in a device may be packed in either checked or carry-on, as long as the battery is installed in the device.
The Department of Homeland Security wishes you a safe traveling season. More at TSA.gov

From the above link: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm
While there is no explosion hazard associated with either kind of battery, the Federal Aviation Administration has studied fire hazards associated with both primary and lithium-ion cells, and their extensive research is publicly available. As a result of this research, the FAA no longer allows large, palletized shipments of these batteries to be transported as cargo on passenger aircraft.

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So, because the FAA no longer will allow large palletized shipments of Lithium Batteries on passenger planes, passengers are no longer allowed to have any Lithium batteries in their checked baggage, unless they are installed in something? Now, how many passengers will have anything close to even a small palletized shipment of Lithium batteries in their check in luggage? Not many I bet. Gee, I feel safer already... again.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. OK...remind me, if you would...

Lithium batteries are typically found in what?

I know I have a spare battery with charger for my digital camera...

Is this likely to be lithium?

[NYC]

2. Laptop computers use lithium ion batteries.

I gave away my digital camera, but I think it had a lithium ion battery.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. According to the article, this shouldn't be a problem:

Spare lithium batteries may be packed in carry-on baggage...

And that's where I always carry my batteries...

With ME.

I just checked my dig camera, and the battery is lithium.

I don't have a spare battery for my laptop, so no problem there either.

And I always take that baby with me too...

Thanks!

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I have them in my camera

and we all know how explosive it is. LOL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. It sure is! LOL...

[krispos42]

11. There are rechargable and disposable lithium batteries

The "123" kind often are used in cameras and high-intensity flashlights, while portable electronics like cell phones, laptops, and PDAs usually have rechargable lithium-ion batteries. Those are also used in things like cordless power tools. Drills, reciprocating saws, that sort of thing.

[AlCzervik]

3. i don't put any electronics of any kind in my checked luggage.

[AnnieBW]

4. WTF?

I carry a spare battery for my laptop when I travel. I carry it in my laptop carrier, so that I can use it on the plane if I drain my battery. This is bullshit.

[NYC]

10. You can carry it on the plane.

You can't check it in your luggage.

[MercutioATC]

6. Again, it has nothing to do with safety....it's all about providing

the illusion of safety.

TSA and the FAA can now say "Look! We're continuing to do stuff!"

Apparently, some people feel safer when this happens...

[ixion]

7. The TSA is there only to harass free citizens, and nothing else

they are crap, and their policies are unconstitutional BS, IMO.

[RC]

12. I just thought of the real reason for the rule change.

We just had Xmas, Christmas or Holidays and the kids of HLS and TSA most likely got lots of toys that need batteries. What better way to get good batteries than to tighten the rules on what and how passengers can transport Lithium batteries on airplanes. They changed the rules so they can legally steal the the needed batteries from our checked luggage to supply their kids Xmas, Christmas or Holiday toys.

[pitohui]

13. and keep in mind many screeners won't know the distinction between lithium batteries and other kinds

all kinds of batteries will be taken by light-fingered (and light-brained) screeners

[jmowreader]

14. Lithium batteries usually (if not always) say "Lithium" on them

There are two logical explanations for this.

The first is that many lithium batteries--the fucking 2CR5 that goes in many autofocus film cameras comes to mind--have both terminals at the same end. I remember one day many years ago, I went out on the town with a lot of film, a Canon EOS 630 camera and two 2CR5s. It was a cold day so I put the battery in my pants pocket--when the battery gets too cold the camera stops working, so I had to switch them frequently. There was some change in that pocket, it shorted the terminals on the battery and the battery got very hot, very fast. If that happened in a cargo hold, it could cause a fire. Naturally, they could have decreed that all lithium batteries be shipped in plastic bags, which would solve that problem, but we ARE talking about an agency Bush set up--no room for common sense thinking in one of those.

The other, and I suspect this is the real reason, is the "zero tolerance" craze that has swept our nation--Andy gets suspended for drawing a picture of a gun so Brad's parents won't scream discrimination when he gets caught with a real one; Charlene and Don get suspended for a friendly hug so Emma's parents won't scream discrimination when she's caught giving Fred a blowjob in an empty classroom; Gina gets suspended for having aspirin in her locker so Harold's parents won't scream discrimination when he gets caught with a pound of weed in his. In this case, a lithium battery maker wanted to ship a skid of batteries from Beijing to LAX on a passenger plane, was told he couldn't do it because you can't ship hazmat on a passenger flight, and went into pout mode: "There are more batteries in passengers' luggage than there are on my pallet, and MINE are properly packaged!" Well...gee pal, if Passenger Jones' one battery catches fire the suppression system in the hold can probably put it out, but if your ten thousand batteries catch fire they're probably going to melt the plane.