[Leica] Where is Dr. Blacktape when you need him?

[glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer)]

Ted,

Unfortunately, the nearest airport to me is San Diego's Lindbergh Field, 
and it is NOT a large airport.  I have never had trouble
there with my M6 and Rapidwinder. Also I don't live near the airport, La 
Jolla is 15 minutes away.

Ted what do you think would happen if one of us Leica types was to show 
up at an airport with the Leica Gun codenamed
"RIFLE "?  The TSA boffin would do his nut!

Jerry


Ted Grant wrote:
> Jerry Lehrer once again has a problem with the rapid winder advance 
> leaver.
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Where is Dr. Blacktape when you need him?
>
>
>> Damn you all!  What makes the TSA boffins get the erection over Tom's 
>> Rapidwinder or Leica's Leicavit?  Is it the stilleto aspect, or the 
>> trigger aspect?  If you Leica experts can't get it together, HTF can 
>> the TSA guys do it?<<<<
>
> Jerry mon ami,
> We all get it together simply because ...... "We know what it is!"
>
> The problem is, many of them are not the brightest bulbs in a lamp 
> stand to start with, nor the people running the "security forces!" And 
> the "gate guards" aren't trained as well as the public are led to 
> beleive.
>
> Actually if they were so bright at protecting us from air bad guys, 
> one would think given the number of photographers travelling and 
> carrying leicavit's or Tom A's Rapid Winder, one would think by now 
> one of us would have assumed the positon hands on wall, legs spread 
> and a winder history.
>
> How about watching an 85 year old woman made to take her shoes off and 
> walk through the metal detector a couple of times. Then none of the 
> security people at this particular station assistng her to put them 
> back on? What level of intelligence is applied here?
>
> And you wonder why they get ranty over a rapid winder leaver on a 
> camera? Heavan help us at something very serious!
>
> I see no need for this topic to go on, certainly for those of us 
> who've put up with the securty Bull every time we've boarded a plane 
> in the past half dozen years! I never question being run through the 
> system. As I'd much rather do the routine and have some sense of 
> secure person than blown out of teh ky at 40,000 feet! But when you 
> see so much crap that is meaningless it's a wonder there's an airplane 
> in the sky!
>
> Jerry a suggestion if you don't mind and have the time and live near a 
> big airport. Take your M camera and Rapid Winder there, ask to see the 
> "Head Honcho" of security and bring the matter to his attention 
> explaining what it really is. If he's a bright lad, he may initiate a 
> memo to all "Gate Guards" and then we'd not ever have to worry about 
> loosing a rapid winder. And not likely have this topic again.
>