Thank goodness I'm not stopping over in the US this time...

So I'm off to Taipei tomorrow with a stopover in Japan, and then to Hong Kong and into China, before returning Saturday from Hong Kong direct to Toronto. Even though I'm not stopping in the States, I went to the TSA website for packing tips since I'm trying to do this all as carry-on. Two things I've found so far that bug me:

Carry-on baggage is limited to one carry-on bag plus one personal item. Personal items include laptops, purses, small backpacks, briefcases, or camera cases. Remember, 1+1.

Remember, 1+1 what? 1+1 = 3? 1+1 is what's allowed? Huh? But that's just confusing to me. This is scary:

If you bring a prohibited item to the checkpoint, you may be criminally and/or civilly prosecuted or, at the least, asked to rid yourself of the item. ... This is because bringing a prohibited item to a security checkpoint—even accidentally—is illegal.

I like how it threatens first, and then adds "at the least..." to calm you down. So if I forget to leave a little portable screwdriver or multi-tool at home, I could be prosecuted no matter what? Thanks! Anyways, I'll try to report in from the trip. Have a good week!