Fun story: Flying to EVO 2K3 my friend (a white guy) and I (an arab) both had sticks with lexan boxes. Basically completely clear sticks. They let my friend though security without trouble. Me, on the other hand, they stopped and told I would not be allowed to fly with it.
I asked them why and they said it had too many wires and electronics, it could be a bomb. I told them my cell phone has twice the electronics in it and no one was taking my phone. The security guard said, “Oh, you think you’re funny huh? Will you be laughing when I get the FBI over here t look at it?”
I said, “I will when they tell you you’re an idiot for wasting their time.”
They eventually let me through, but forced me to REMOVE THE STICK from the rest of the case and send it in the checked baggage. Yeah, they didn’t care about the electronics in the end… the metal JOYSTICK portion is what reeeeeally scared them. Thankfully I used quick-disconnects.
i got thru last year no problem with my big box stick… but they made me double back and run my 360 thru the checkpoint separately from the rest of my stuff… because apparently they have a problem with microsoft
When we came from Seattle via SeaTac with MAS sticks, they removed the screws from the joysticks. People then played their matches on the carpet and the sticks would slip.
THIS MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU. If so, awesome. My point is that this did happen last year pre-crotch-bomber, and that you should be extra aware if you have a non-MadCatz non-“pretty” stick.
If you check it as regular luggage you’ll probably be OK. If you carry it on, you may be unscrewed.
For San Francisco and Oakland airports, every time I take my stick through an airport as carry-on, I have been stopped so they can examine it to make sure it’s not an explosive or something. Gets really annoying, too.
I took some of my sticks up to Norcal Regionals and didn’t have an issue carrying it on the plane. They just wondered what it was and I told them that I make them/it’s part of my job etc.
for my trip to evo2k5 and also to canada, i got my stick thru carry on fine but they did question what was i carrying though. they eventually let me passed.
however, since i got a few freebies (xbox controller, sfae strategy guide, some subwoofer stuff) at the end of evo2k5, i put most of it in the luggage. since they were mainly, they went thru my shit and completely bent the cover of the street fighter anniversary strategy guide in half!: :mad: :mad:
I just traveled yesterday(sunday morning) with my SE stick, didn’t even get a glance. Sounds like some areas are more anal about it than others, so it probably depends where you travel from. I’ve yet to even get a strange glance for it though.
For those traveling from outside the US, I strongly suggest going to the post office, buying some bubble wrap and putting your stick in your check-in bags.
If you carry that shit through customs you might get searched. I haven’t had a problem yet, aside from explaining what it is but my friend had his stick taken apart by the security officers and then handed back to him in pieces when they were done with it. Granted it wasn’t broken or anything but who the hell wants to leave home with a stick, and arrive at a tournament with an empty case, a pcb, loose wiring and a whole lot of buttons.
Joysticks sometimes get attention but nothing more than a what is this for? However, if your a little more old skool and travel with soldering equipment or any kind of tools for your stick they will be taken off you.
It seems that packing it into the checked luggage (with a lot of bubble wrap of course) is the most painless option you could ask for.
I really don’t feel like explaining to the people working at Philly International what an arcade stick is and why it isn’t a bomb. Those scanners get hardons for pulling you over and acting tough.
That happened to me coming home from Boston. I was running late too, and the guy stopped his friend from doing a detailed bag check, I probably would’ve missed my flight otherwise :tup:
But yeah I bring my stick home from school over breaks since there are always events going on around here so I bring it in my backpack all the time (I don’t check bags when I’m just flying Boston <-> DC). I’ve only been stopped once about it and they just did a quick 30 second check and sent me on my way.
Hate seeing it pass through and then they stop the conveyor belt and go “HEY WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO EXAMINE THIS TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT BLOWING THINGS UP OK” and spend like 10+ minutes looking completely dumbfounded at it.
So if you try to go through and they decide you can’t take your sticks for whatever reason, what do they do with them? Do they hold them till you get back or something?
