Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Post-Lockerbie, a lot of airline security went over the top. I can also recall around the same time being forced to disgorge the batts from my Sony short-wave radio at the gate; the batts rode up in the front with the pilots, and I got them back on arrival. I believe the Pakistani plane that had "just blown up" was the army C-130 carrying General/President Zia, a crash that hasn't been solved to this date. They weren't being paranoid---someone really was out to get them! And, as a general rule, most governments (including the US) frown on photography in customs and other "sensitive" areas. Chuck Albertson Seattle, Wash. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anders Nygren" <anygren@attglobal.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 7:37 PM Subject: RE: Re:[Leica] Film & Airport Security X-Ray Machines & Munich Warning, there is no Leica content in this message. But it does contain a little photography and airport security. In 1990 I went on a climbing expedition to Pakistan. When we arrived in Islamabad after a long, 15 hours or so, flight and got of the plane at 6 AM, (dressed in downjackets and climbing boots, to avoid to much overweight on the checked in luggage). One in our party took a picture of the rest of us next to the plane. It took only 30 seconds before a jeep came screeching to a halt next to us with 5 military police with M16īs. Oh s***t, we all thought, we are all going direct to jail without passing immigration. Luckily they only wanted the film, and we didnīt think that it was a good idea to argue. Later we were taking a flight from Islamabad to Skardu and the security at the Islamabad airport was a real adventure. Apparently a Pakistani plane had recently been blown up in midflight so they were a bit nervous. But the funny thing was that they were really paranoid about batteries in the carry-on luggage. (Normally, airlines seem to dislike electrical equipment in the checked in luggage, and prefer it to be carried in the carry-on luggage, but here it was the opposite.) So they confiscated batteries from cameras and portable stereos. They did a really thorough search, we even had to take of our boots. Then, again, disaster struck. They found Olaīs pocketknife, a big Clip-it with 10cm sawtooth blade. Immediately we were again surrounded by 6 security types that were passing the knife around and inspecting it carefully. Finally the commander folded the knife handed it back to Ola and wished us a nice flight. Go figure. /Anders Nygren