Re: [Leica] OT: Film at the Airport

[Byron Rakitzis <rakitzis@best.com>]

Gerry, I think things may have changed in the UK since Attenborough
had a documentary destroyed by the in-baggage X-ray scanning system.
I believe it was at Manchester. I've heard you can now get your
film hand-checked on request. I hope I'm not making this up.

In any case, I was able to get my film hand checked this summer
and last, though I did have to put up with a little bit of ridicule
(this reminds me of how teachers belittle schoolboys in British
schools -- and it must be why Monty Python can play on those
stereotypes so successfuly!)

I played dumb, acted like a stupid tourist and eventually my request
was honored. It didn't take much pleading. Just agree with them:
"yes, I know the machine probably won't damage my film, but there
are some important pictures on here, and I don't want to take the
chance..."

I had all my film in plastic bags, too, and I remember specifically
when I pulled out about 100 rolls on my last trip through Heathrow,
the guy seemed to get a little more serious about my request and
said "just a minute, I'll call a supervisor".

Anyway, I thought I'd let you know what happened to me in English
airports.

Byron.

PS another trick is to put the film in your pockets if you only
have a few rolls. It will set off the metal detector but then you
can put it in the same little basket with your keys and change.
Film will often go through a checkpoint that way.

Whenever I put a film canister into the little basket it reminds
me of that scene in the Clint Eastwood movie about the Secret
Service: John Malkovich passes a single bullet through security in
his keychain.