# Can I do small electronics projects on a plane flight like a woman does knitting? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603 "2007-12-19T19:00:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/1 "2007-12-19T19:00:03Z")
I’m into electronics, and I get into building circuits as a sort of hand/brain busywork in a similar manner to the way that many women knit. I have a long plane flight coming up this week, and I’d like nothing more than to bring a few little components to build stuff on the plane. I’d be using a breadboard and a few components, which looks something like [this](http://seniordesign.engr.uidaho.edu/2004_2005/mekelektroniks/Project%20Pictures/Breadboard%20Test%20Circuits.jpg), and is pretty small - probably about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I realize in a post-9/11 world, this is asking for trouble. I can see the headlines now; “Plane Diverted…“It looked like he was building a bomb”…etc.” Questions: 1. Factual - am I allowed to bring this stuff on board and play with it? 2. Opinion - what are the chances of someone seeing that and freaking out? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/2 "2007-12-19T19:05:41Z")
You know damn well it would be asking for trouble, technically legal or not. Don’t you need to solder those things anyway? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/3 "2007-12-19T19:05:57Z")
1. Yes. 2. 100% ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/4 "2007-12-19T19:06:42Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] 2. Opinion - what are the chances of someone seeing that and freaking out? [/QUOTE] Extremely high. I don’t think there is a specific rule saying you cannot bring wires and breadboards onto a plane but when you pull that out on the airplane people will freak. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/5 "2007-12-19T19:17:10Z")
My ex-girlfriend had her knitting needles taken away from her at the airport when she was nine years old. So I would venture to guess “no.” ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/6 "2007-12-19T19:18:45Z")
[QUOTE=Dorjän] You know damn well it would be asking for trouble, technically legal or not. Don’t you need to solder those things anyway? [/QUOTE] Nope. Breadboards are made to pop components and wires into to design and test things out before you solder. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/7 "2007-12-19T19:20:07Z")
Do you think that there’s any way I could let the flight attendants know ahead of time, in case any other passengers have reservations? I’d also tell the people sitting next to me what I’m doing. I’d REALLY like to work on some of these projects while I have hours to kill. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/8 "2007-12-19T19:25:46Z")
Not gonna happen. A girl got held by airport security for having a little breadboard LED star on her sweatshirt, she wasn’t even getting on a plane. Someone is 100% guaranteed to freak out if you’re fiddling with one in the air. Find a new hobby for air travel. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/9 "2007-12-19T19:27:05Z")
[QUOTE=Cheesesteak] Not gonna happen. A girl got held by airport security for having a little breadboard LED star on her sweatshirt, she wasn’t even getting on a plane. Someone is 100% guaranteed to freak out if you’re fiddling with one in the air. Find a new hobby for air travel. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but she then got belligerent and wouldn’t tell people what it was. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/10 "2007-12-19T19:28:41Z")
You could try, but since telling them that a person is bipolar doesn’t stop that person from being shot to death, I wouldn’t rely on this strategy. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/11 "2007-12-19T19:33:34Z")
I remember seeing a 50-ish guy with a boombox that had wires dangling out of th back (in 1993) on a flight from Toronto to New York. It freaked me out back then, and I’d imagine today it would create all sorts of commotion. ---
**Author:** ![masterofnone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/12 "2007-12-19T19:38:24Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] Do you think that there’s any way I could let the flight attendants know ahead of time, in case any other passengers have reservations? I’d also tell the people sitting next to me what I’m doing. I’d REALLY like to work on some of these projects while I have hours to kill. [/QUOTE] You could tell them what you were building, but why would they believe you? What if you were building a device that could interfere with something on the plane? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/13 "2007-12-19T19:51:41Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] Do you think that there’s any way I could let the flight attendants know ahead of time, in case any other passengers have reservations? I’d also tell the people sitting next to me what I’m doing. I’d REALLY like to work on some of these projects while I have hours to kill. [/QUOTE] Nope, check it and move on. It’s just not going to happen. You’d get arrested if they caught you taking your camera flash apart, do you really think this is going to go over well. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/14 "2007-12-19T19:56:15Z")
Got a laptop? Get a circuit simulator and have at it. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/15 "2007-12-19T19:58:09Z")
Maybe you could strap it to your body in a harness, and distract people from worrying about it by waving a Koran and shouting. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/16 "2007-12-19T20:00:36Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Got a laptop? Get a circuit simulator and have at it. [/QUOTE] I was going to say that. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/17 "2007-12-19T20:02:03Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Got a laptop? Get a circuit simulator and have at it. [/QUOTE] And if not, just work on circuit design using a paper and pencil. You can go as far as designing the component layout for breadboarding, which IMHO is more time-consuming and interesting than the actual assembly. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/18 "2007-12-19T20:11:21Z")
Hahaha! You cannot be serious here. Sure you could bring along your electronics kit to play with but you know full well that you could not pull this off without freaking out a large group of passengers. Wires and blinky things that people don’t understand on a plane will make them panic. Get a sketchbook and call it a day. (Shouldn’t this be in IMHO?) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/19 "2007-12-19T20:12:29Z")
People have had their MintyBoost Altoids things taken away from them because “I don’t know, it looks suspicious.” Think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603/20 "2007-12-19T20:23:20Z")
The thing is, if you went up to security and explained it, if they took the time to sit down, understand what you had and what you were going to do, then there shouldn’t be a problem. But they _aren’t_ going to take time out for one passenger, so don’t bother trying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-do-small-electronics-projects-on-a-plane-flight-like-a-woman-does-knitting/430603.md?page=2)