If there's one thing bookworms know to be true, it's that you should never travel without at least several books. Plenty of us are guilty of shoving multiple tomes into our carry-on luggage just in case our suitcase gets delayed on the way to our final destination. After all, being trapped anywhere without reading material is a fate we wouldn't wish on anyone.
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but this packing habit may cause some hiccups in airport security lines going forward. Ten United States airports are currently testing measures that involve removing books from your carry-on luggage when going through security.
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The book removal is part of a larger security measure that could require travelers to remove all items larger than a cell phones from their carry-on bags and place them in separate security bins (similar to how laptops are screened).
According to passengers at airports where the measure is currently being tested, they've been asked to remove books and magazines from their carry-ons.
Although the process is currently in effect at only ten U.S. airports (including Los Angeles International and Boston Logan's International), there are plans to roll out the measure nationwide after screeners have been trained.
“TSA’s top priority is to protect the traveling public, and every policy and security procedure in place is designed to mitigate threats to passengers and the aviation sector — which we know our adversaries continue to target,” said Darby LaJoye, the transportation agency’s assistant administrator for security operations.
According to TSA officials, an overhaul of screening procedures has been in the works for two years and this new measure is unrelated to the recent electronics ban. Many passengers stuff their carry-ons to the brim, making it difficult for officials to determine what may pose a threat.
If and when this new process does go into effect nationwide, TSA PreCheck passengers will not be affected. So for bookworms who love to travel and dread unloading carry-on items into those plastic bins, PreCheck looks more appealing than ever.