Have you heard the story about the laptop owner who passed her device through a metal detector security scanner? This was after the security person refused to allow her to use the x-ray, and assured her it was safe. To make double sure she turned the laptop off before she carried it through the metal detector. Then she entered the nightmare world of airport security scanners and batteries.
The Battery Damage Airport Security Scanners Cause
To prove a point, the security person asked the laptop owner to turn it on again after scanning. Everything looked good, with no sign of deterioration.
Two days later, the battery was stone dead despite the fact she had not been using it since.
The laptop BIOS went as far as telling her she did not have a battery installed at all. The most likely scenario is the laptop was close to, and directly opposite, the electromagnetic ray.
The Only Two Work Arounds of Which We Know
We understand and sympathize with the laptop owner. But the security person was only doing what they were told.
What’s more, there are security alerts for laptops, which is why airports insist on using airport security scanners.
Perhaps she could have negotiated removing the laptop battery and passing just it through the x-ray. The other workaround would be to leave the laptop at home, and rent or borrow one at one’s destination.
Can X-Rays Damage Batteries and Electronics
While large x-ray doses can harm living tissue, batteries and electronics are generally immune because they have none at all. The same applies to data, whether on a hard drive, a backup, or a USB. Media players, mobile phones, cameras, and camcorders should also be impervious to x-rays. However, if you are shooting with photosensitive high-speed camera film, have it developed before departing for the airport.
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Preview Image: Airport Security
