Sunday, January 15, 2012

Big Brain Survives Airport Security

It took 6 pieces of luggage to ship part of the Big Brain
SURVIVING AIRPORT SECURITY
Airport Security, I'm telling you, it's not a bomb!!!

The Left Brain and the Right Brain sections were taken through airport security yesterday. There was some concern about both sections. The right brain was packaged inside an oversized box and created overweight while not fitting any of the specifications of a carry on item. The left brain looked like a bomb with its Propeller arrays of wired boards!

After some bargaining with airport managers, and the offering of money, the right brain in the oversized and overweight box was allowed on the plane as a carry on. This was good luck and undoubtedly due to to some bargaining finesse, and money. Inside the jet aircraft, the Boeing 747 was retrofitted with some very large overhead luggage compartments and the Big Right Brain box fit in just fine.

Next up, the left brain, which was packed into a large brown taped box, was taken specifically to special airport operations check in which is located at a separate location from regular check through luggage, where it was x-rayed for content. I was worried sick. All those arrays and wires and chips and metal contact points from the many large solderless breadboards would certainly bring forth alarms. Fears being allayed, Airport security simply said "Data?" The reply was "yes." ... and it went through... (Sometimes the more agreeable you can be and the less you say are your greatest assets.)

Upon arrival at destination, the Big Left Brain brown "Data" box promptly appeared on the luggage carrousel, thus alleviating a lot of worry about the safety and transport of the Big Brain. Many of the smaller Big Brain siblings (children) were packed in the standard check through luggage and these went through fine, with no questions asked.