Re: [Leica] Security in U.K.

["Bryan Caldwell" <bcaldwell@softcom.net>]

Bill,

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a security video tape of you filed away
somewhere.

Remember, the visible security at airports, government buildings, etc. is
just that . . .  the "visible" security.


Bryan



- ----- Original Message -----
From: wvl <wvl@marinternet.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 1999 4:12 PM
Subject: [Leica] Security in U.K.


> > > Despite the horror stories presented here, I have experienced some
> > amazing lack of vigilance. In 1985 (one year after the Brighton Bomb) I
> > was allowed past the barriers and into Downing street without being
> > searched where I then stood about 15 feet from the Prime Minister and
> > took pictures, often digging around inside a rather large camera bag
> > that really could have held anything (even a Leica).
>
>
> In1996 I was walking along the Thames in London at night and looking for
> a public toilet. As matters got more urgent I approached a side door of
> the Houses of Parliment and asked the bobby if I could use the toilet.
> He said nobody could enter the door because it was a police passage and
> Nelson Mandela was speaking to Parliment within. However, he made an
> exception and let me use the police toilet which was down the hall. I
> was allowed unsupervised entry and my backpack was ignored. I wandered
> around  a while without encountering anybody in the passages. I could
> have been Guy Fawkes!
>
> At Heathrow, however, I have always encountered serious security and
> once had to submit to checked luggage search because a stainless steel
> developing tank tooked a lot like a land mine on the scanner.
>
> Bill Lawlor
>