BATTERIES INCLUDED: 'dangerous liquids' down the drain, batts follow

[panzerfaust]

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low …
… The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours …

Because of security problems, have given up taking real camera equipment on trips - have switched to using small digital cameras. Of course, given their failure rate, and the short life of the batteries, I generally take 3 cameras, with 3 batteries each (the batteries being incompatible between cameras, as the cameras are of various ages). This puts me well over the allowed two spare batteries.

Aside from the number, what are the odds that the day-release folks at TSA are going to know the 'equivalent lithium content' of the battery you are trying to bring onto the airplane? Nope, it ain’t stamped on the battery.

This is going to be, can only be, arbitrarily enforced: Arbitrary enforcement of rules and laws being one of the hallmarks of a police state, I conclude that the actual reason for the introduction of this restriction is (as I believe are many of the travel restrictions) simply to get us just that much more used to restriction.

They just keep warming the pot slowly, so the frogs stay put.

Yes. I do realize that a loose battery can short and cause a fire. The number of aircraft fires found to have been started by this mechanism, as can be found by searching the NTSB probable-cause files is ?? - zero is the answer I have been able to find.

Next TSA will be dealing with the risk of SHC (Spontaneous Human Combustion) by restricting the size and number of humans permitted? Size restriction, now I could live with that.

Happy New Year. Happy New Order ... at least the trains will run into each other on-time.

[Swamp Rat]

1. Glückliches neues Jahr!

[rasputin1952]

2. TSA will soon be restricting people on the amount of flatus

one is is capable of producing while in flight.


Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the the permissible amount of flatus an individual is permitted to produce.Passengers are not permitted to consume gas producing foods 8 hours prior to boarding. Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, beans and hard boiled eggs are particularly prone to gas production and should be avoided completely 8 hours before boarding.

… The following quantity limits apply to both compressed (intestinal) and expelled flatus. The limits are expressed in psi/kPa of “equivalent methane content.” (14.7/101.4 is atmospheric pressure at sea level). Amounts of methane in excess of 20/196.2 of intestinal gas that will be expelled into the confined atmosphere of an airliner will produce an amount of gas that could prove flammable at very low levels. It should be noted that a determined terrorist intent on creating a terroristic act, could be a willing vessel of said gas and considered a threat.

_ Gas can be released deliberately by opening the sphincter and flexing the diaphragm to produce additional pressure on the intestinal tract, or accidentally from a leaking sphincter or from a safety device, (usually a clamping of the buttocks to avoid embarrassment or accidental expulsion of fecal matter) Even at a relatively low pressure, gas can flow rapidly from an intestinal tract or leaking sphincter and be ignited by as source of flame or spark.…

_ It should be noted that on a large airliner, the amount of flatus could increase dramatically and become an enormous threat to the aircraft and passengers on board. Flash-back can occur with flammable gases. Many flammable gases are heavier than air, but lighter gasses, such as methane disperse readily in air and can reach a flashpoint quickly.

Pretty soon, the TSA will have people w/plastic tubes at the ready to ensure that flatus is removed from "willing vessels".