Vertical Brain Cell - checkpoint friendly?

[autumnmist]

I know the *Horizontal* Brain Cell is not checkpoint friendly because it has metal snaps on it.... but the Vertical Brain Cell does not, or, at least, the one sitting on my desk in front of me does not.

It seems like the Vertical Brain Cell would qualify as a checkpoint friendly bag then, right? Or am I overlooking something...

[Darcy]

Technically, the Brain Cell is not checkpoint friendly because it has pockets.

[amw]

FWIW, With nothing in the pockets, TSA did not challenge my vertical brain cell.

[Darcy]

FWIW, With nothing in the pockets, TSA did not challenge my vertical brain cell.

Good to know!! We still can't officially recommend the Vertical Brain Cell as "checkpoint friendly", but this is good information!

[amw]

Completely understandable. I imagine if a TSA agent was having a bad day, I could get challenged on it.

[autumnmist]

Well, I flew through O'Hare this weekend (2x) with my MBP in the vertical Brain Cell (no snaps). I had nothing in the pocket, since I pretty much never use the pocket anyway. Didn't get challenged at all and went through security just fine. I'd recommend anyone else who has a BC to just try it (perhaps place it with the pocket down so that the TSA agents don't have reason to start getting upset over the pocket).

[Darcy]

Wow! Glad it worked for you!! Good to know.

[reina]

I was also able to leave my laptop in the VBC through security in the Honolulu and Anchorage airports (nothing in the pockets)

[johnkzin]

I used my horizontal brain cell (must be an older version, because it didn't have metal snaps on it) to carry a laptop on my last trip to Virginia about a month ago. I got through airport security without a problem.

1) nothing else in the brain cell (not in the slim pockets, nothing)
2) brain cell in a tray by itself

They didn't give me a second look.

[SethKinast]

I put my horizontal Brain Cell through security both ways this weekend (and I have the one with metal snaps). Nothing in the pockets, but no one said anything about it. It popped right through the x-ray and they didn't even scrutinize it very much. It was great not having to take my laptop out!

[maverick]

hi folks,

my only concern here is that it takes some effort to unsnap and then later resnap a brain cell. i am sure others can do it faster than i can.

i can see how it is easy to pull out a soft cell to send through the x-ray. but i would be tempted to just pull my book out of the brain cell rather than pull out the brain cell itself.

[johnkzin]

i would be tempted to just pull my book out of the brain cell rather than pull out the brain cell itself.

In my case, I don't have the brain cell as an insert into some other bag. It was something I carried stand-alone through the airport.

[rec]

Horizontal Brain Cell

I travelled last Thursday through checkpoints in Albuquerque and OHare, and there were no problems with leaving my laptop in my horizontal brain cell for screening. The brain cell was loose in my empire builder, with nothing in the pockets, so it was easy.

The screener doesn't really care what the laptop is in if the computer is clearly visible in the x-ray screen, no?

-- rec --