TSA Scratched my MacBook Air. What now?

[yaro1]

Like a nice airport traveller, I put my fairly pristine MBA into its own bin alongside my carry-on and shoes and leave it in the hands of the apathetic TSA screeners. It comes out the other end with my shoes on top of the lid and a deep 3cm scratch marring the top (I can feel it with my finger) and a few other visible abrasions around the spot.

What can I do? Is there a way to polish out the scratches from the aluminum case? And how much is TSA responsible for this?

GRRRRR. I just bought the new Belkin neoprene case to keep it in pristine condition, as I baby it perhaps more than a sane person should, and then this happens. I'm just a little bit disgruntled.... lol.

Thanks!
-Yaro

 

[bryphotoguy]

Unless you could provide photos of your MBA just before the scratch you could have something but it's not like them to do anything though.

I'd skip the hassle and not deal with them. The MBA is aluminum? I don't know how to repair such a scratch. Rubbing compound???

 

[Zoolook]

Don't get me started on the TSA... just use them as a way to motivate your kids to get to college, because that's what happens if you don't.

Anyway, sooner or later the machine is going to get a scratch. After the 1st one, you'll become less obsessive about it, but it is a real shame it was someone elses carelessness and not yours that cause it.

 

[yaro1]

Is there any way to polish out the scratch? I'm fairly certain the case is the same as the MacBook Pro, so anyone with an MBP: any advice?

Thanks!
-Yaro

 

[Dysfunction]

any polishing would simply make the case shiny.

 

[JohnTheMacGeek]

I would have filed a complaint then and there. It's going to be awfully difficult to prove their guilt now. I haven't actually seen a MBA yet. I believe it is in an aluminum case, right? You're not going to be able to polish a scratch out of brushed aluminum.

 

[slashd0t]

This thread reminds me of a funny TSA video I saw today... Warning on language..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7AWw7t5zj0

 

[fleurya]

Sorry to hear about your MBA. Probably the only way to get them to hold any liability would be to have confronted them immediately. If they force you to take it out of the bag, they should be liable for it while in their possession. But, they kind of have you over a barrel because most likely you need to get to your gate very soon, and if routine security takes as long as it does, filing a report probably takes hours.

This thread reminds me of a funny TSA video I saw today... Warning on language..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7AWw7t5zj0

That is too funny!!

 

[bjkearns]

that tsa video is great
ya there pretty low people protecting our country

 

[fotosynthetic]

Man, sorry to hear that. I was just in that same situation with my 2 week old MBP at O'hare Chicago.