Going on a trip soon, what to do about TSA?

I’m going on a trip to florida soon and I am worried about security of my machines. I’m either taking my thinkpad or my Y40-70 and I will keep linux on them. Is there anything I need to really worry about? Are there any extra measures I should take in case they magically find something wrong and need to “inspect” my stuff? Or am I too paranoid?

You are being too paranoid. Take the laptops out of your bag let it run through machine. Grab on other side and walk to your gate.

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I’ve brought full size desktops on plane trips with out issue… TSA is a minor inconvenience, don’t let your paranoia make it a bigger one.

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Probs right, but can you blame me?

Have you ever been on a plane before?

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I was worried too last time I went to the US, wondering if I should get a burner phone, if I should factory reset my android tablet and use a throwaway account on it, etc, etc. In the end I decided that doing any of those things would just make me look more suspicious, so I didn’t.

Got through the TSA check quickly and without a problem, they didn’t ask me to unlock any of my devices.

(Disclaimer: I’m a white male with a nordic sounding first name. If you’re brown and your first name is Muhammed and you run into an asshole TSA agent, you’ll probably have a completely different experience).

When I was 4, so in 1998

Got a good deal on some flake, I should get in on?

Be sure to bring a bomb.

They love those.

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Nope, just paranoid about my privacy.

If paranoia prevents you from living your life of you make massive changes to you life because of it, you have a problem.

This specific type of paranoia only flares up when I travel to the US. Something about strangers working for the US government possibly wanting to read my private email and social media accounts does that.

Worst that could happen is you get checked for drugs

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It is not a big deal. I never had them give my laptop a second look. If you are flying within the US, customs is a non issue; that was a much bigger PITA than TSA.

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The odds of you being checked are relatively small, unless you are a person of interest or look suspicious.

Still, don’t carry any important information across the border. And if they plug anything into your laptop or take it out of your line of sight, just throw the laptop away immediately. Don’t even fire it up anymore. Re-installs won’t help against firmware-level spyware.

Just chill.

It really is fine. Just follow the rules and you’ll have no problems.

I fly with firearms all the time and it isn’t a problem even

Lmao dude…

TSA are monkeys with Rent-A-Cop status. Volunteer for pat down if the body scanner bothers you.

This. Sorry, The United States of America isn’t a police state, despite some people desperately wanting it to be.

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They especially like to shoot fireworks during their breaks. Nothing like a few bottle rockets at the airport to unwind </sarcasm>

Regular black pepper will put a dope sniffing dog out of action for a week.
TSA don’t care but DEA gets really pissed :slight_smile: