Re: Airport Security?

[ted grant <75501.3002@compuserve.com>]

Kari wrote:

<<<<<I was thinking of those airport guys who in hand check actually want
to feel the leader in each roll  (like here in Helsinki). Then clear bag is
no better >>>>>>

Hi Kari,

I've experienced your airport on the way back from a 6 week shoot in
Russia. After finally escaping from that Russian mad house of spies,
counter spies, security nerds and super mental midgets in airports, I
missed my flight to New York in Helsinki and had to overnight there.

At the time it felt like a disaster, but inreality it allowed me to
somewhat return to some kind of real world compared to Russia.

On departure I found your airport security people are really maniacs when
it comes to checking carry on baggage. :)

I had a camera bag and another with about three hundred rolls of B&W
exposed film in another. Film was in clear freezer bags and marked  which
parts of the assignment they represented.

When I went to board, the security guys wanted to run all this exposed film
through the scanner and I had a fit as if anything happend to it, there
wsan't anyway I could  re-shoot it.

So I got a tad upset and refused to put the clear bags onto the belt.

All of a sudden there was a female in uniform who I should have known
better not to mess with, but we gently locked horns and away we went to a
"quiet room" :) to discuss the situation. 

I explained about the Russians screwing-up my departure the day before and
my feelings of finally escaping to civilization (Finland) only to be
confronted by a similar form of bureaucratic suspicion by the the Finns
whom I had thought were a pretty civilized bunch of folks.

We discused security measures and my fears of loosing my film due to a
malfunction of the scanner and every other whimpy near crying thing I could
come up with. I guess I did a good job as she inspected my clear film bags
and smilingly sent me on my way.  Actually was a quite decent human being
after all. But I know what you mean about your airport security folks being
very strict.

On the other hand I have sent film through scanners many times and have
never seen any "fogging" or other indications the film has been affected by
the scanner. In some cases the same film has been through half dozen times
on the same trip.

I think these days it is a pretty safe bet that film isn't affected, even
Tmax 3200 which I have seen go through half dozen times (but with my
fingers crossed)!  :)

I guess there is always the possibility of some machine frying your film,
but I still believe in the freezer bag carrying method. Helsinki is the
only airport where I've had a situation as I explained above, but most
others I get, "That's a smart way to carry your film so we can see it!" :)

ted