Publishers dumbfounded by airplane book ban
Globe and Mail Newpaper , Toronto, Canada
Tuesday, Jan. 05, 2010
Canadian publishers are dumbfounded by new airport security measures that seem to forbid passengers from bringing books and magazines purchased pre-flight onto airplanes bound for the U.S.
The measures, announced Dec. 28 by Transport Canada, permit Canadian passengers en route to the U.S. to carry on board “one or more” of 13 specified items. They include canes, cameras, laptop computers, musical instruments and “medical devices.”
However, books and magazines are not included among the permitted items. The situation has left Carolyn Wood, executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers, “speechless, really. We're used to governments fearing books for their content. But what is it here? Is it their explosive capability?”
Ms. Wood's dismay was echoed by Jacqueline Hushion, executive director, external relations, for the Canadian Publishers' Council. The council represents some of the country's biggest foreign-owned publishers, including Random House and Penguin. (The ACP represents Canadian-owned firms.) “There's no common-sense in this,” Ms. Hushion said. “I can't believe they're not going to retract it. … And if they don't, I know thousands of people they'll be hearing from.”
An earlier news report indicated that while security personnel could exercise “some discretion” in what is permitted to go through security, only books and magazines purchased after the security check would be allowed into the cabin.
Globe and Mail
So for anyone travelling to USA - you cannot take any books with you (from outside the airport) through the security line. You have to purchase your books AFTER you have gone through the security line.
Well, now there is ONE MORE reason for me to NOT travel to USA.
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2 comments:
It just doesn't make any sense at all. I travelled to Chicago with Porter last week, and brought my book with me (it fit inside my purse, so I figured it was OK), and they were fine with me taking it through. When we got the final pat down just before boarding the plane the guard opened my purse to check it, took out the book, and flicked through it. Interestingly, the plane was full of people using Kindles / ereaders, and the people I spoke to had no trouble bringing them through security.
So who knows?
This is unbelievable! I know plenty of folks who take books and mags onboard but I wouldn't put it past Homeland Security to create such a stupid rule. What do they expect you to do on the plane? Look for terrorists?
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