CS
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UK

Hey,

Has anyone had any trouble carrying modified game consoles and equipment abroad at airports? (i.e - backlight gameboy, lsdj, kaoss pad)

I read a law was recently passed saying you need to charge your laptop and any electronic equipment when entering airports.

These articles only specify the USA, though wondered if this also applied to worldwide or if anyone has trouble carrying 2/3 consoles for performing?

Would putting new batteries be enough to show the equipment worked through security?

Thanks

---

Articles:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti … arged.html + http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne … ys-US.html

Last edited by CS (Aug 26, 2014 9:31 pm)

sandneil
Offline

weird as hell new rule
i reckon the answer to your question all depends whether or not you have white skin
presumably they can still go in your hold luggage?

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Checked luggage should be fine. As for the ruling, my best guess is, if you can switch it on and show what it is, they won't care. Especially with a Gameboy. It's also my experience that unless you have brown skin, the TSA just doesn't care. Yes, it's horrifyingly racist and sickening, but that's how it is here. hmm

nordloef
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sweden

When I was to Seattle FighterX gave me his heavily modded Speak n Spell, when I got back to Sweden and opened my luggage there was a small note from the US Airport Security that they had inspected my luggage. And yes they broke it. With Game Boys I've only had them swabbed for bombs. I think it's worse for circuit bent stuff then for Game Boys.

chipocrite
Offline
Philadelphia, PA

I was passing through a small airport in Florida (Tampa maybe? I forget) a few years ago during a really slow part of the day, and the security guy took his time to really carefully inspect and swab my two Game Boys. He was really nice about the whole thing -- almost seemed like he was just bored or something. Other than that, I've had my bags run through the scanner a few times; I usually tell them, "No problem, just let me know if you have any questions." Not that that helps, I dunno, but I'm just trying to explain that I understand they probably don't see this stuff every day and I do have a decent explanation. One time a flight attendant saw me using an old DMG and said, "You know people make music with those nowadays?" That was neat.

Knife Crimes
Offline

This thread made me think of a handy article I read on the topic, and lo, the googles provide;
http://teachmetomake.wordpress.com/trav … ectronics/

Seems like sound advice. The only time custom electronics of mine have travelled internationally, they went as carry-on luggage from Australia to the US and back with no problems.

Kool Skull
Offline
STARDRAIN, CA
nordloef wrote:

When I was to Seattle FighterX gave me his heavily modded Speak n Spell, when I got back to Sweden and opened my luggage there was a small note from the US Airport Security that they had inspected my luggage. And yes they broke it. With Game Boys I've only had them swabbed for bombs. I think it's worse for circuit bent stuff then for Game Boys.

fucking whackkk

Invisible Robot Hands
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Playboy Man-Baby
arfink wrote:

Checked luggage should be fine. As for the ruling, my best guess is, if you can switch it on and show what it is, they won't care. Especially with a Gameboy. It's also my experience that unless you have brown skin, the TSA just doesn't care. Yes, it's horrifyingly racist and sickening, but that's how it is here. hmm

Confirmed. I was stopped for like 3 hours and they looked through my shit without even letting me say anything or show them what it was. Oh, but they did wipe my palms for bomb residue, so that was nice.

e.s.c.
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IL, US

never had any issues with game consoles and music gear, though i never flew with bent drum machines to avoid that one potential problem.. backlit game boys, electribes, video samplers, video mixers, etc all had no trouble at all (even in my carry-on: i never check my gear)

SurfaceDragon
Offline
USA

I've been on airplanes with modified DMGs and modified effects pedals without any incident. But TSA did swab the inside of my guitar case while making a joke by saying something like "You look like a musician so I've got to swab for drug residue." I think he just wanted to see what kind of guitar I had in the case which happened to be a heavily modified USA Fender Stratocaster. And they stole all the lighters I had in my checked luggage and left a note saying that if I want my lighters back I needed to call some number which I never did.

kineticturtle
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Matthew Joseph Payne

Yo 99% of people - including TSA inspectors - wouldn't know the difference between a backlit and non-backlit gameboy. In fact unless there's exposed wires and MAYBE potentiometers without knobs on them, nobody is going to bat an eye when your gameboy lights up.

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan

I guess this joke is no longer funny?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3rONgKIm8I

dsv101
Offline
Medina, Ohio

If you wear this, they won't even bother looking at your stuff.

Timbob
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dsv101 wrote:

If you wear this, they won't even bother looking at your stuff.

except your colon.

TonightWeLaunch
Offline

I've never had anyone bat an eye at my Game Boys when flying, apart from a Japanese couple in line behind me once who were fascinated by them and who I tried to explain chipmusic to through the language barrier.

Last couple times they haven't even had me take any electronics smaller than my laptop out of my carry on bag. These are all domestic flights though, I would suspect they're more paranoid on international ones.