Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Seem to me that all that is being accomplished is that normal citizens who have had their nail clippers and knitting needles take from them are having any useful, although pitiful, means of resisting terrorist in the air. Repeated testing has shown, time after time that various weapons can routinely get past security checkpoints. Law abiding citizens are the only ones that can't have weapons. I hope I don't sound like a half crazed conseritive. I'm a life-long liberal who is fed up with "security" measures that really only LOOK like they might be effective. It is very easy to sympathize with people in my position, effectively grounded, when you are not one of them. Ken Wilcox At 9:04 AM -0400 5/21/02, B. D. Colen wrote: >Ken - I understand your frustrations and sympathize - but as much as they >are a total pain in the butt, I want them to remain in place. I want someone >carrying syringes to have to prove they are medical equipment in the >original packaging. I want someone to have to prove that their "diabetic >cookies" are just that and not plastique. And I want the security people to >check my zip lock bag containing 70 rolls of "film," to say nothing of going >through my camera case with equipment on different levels. I don't know if >doing this will prevent another 9/11, but I know that NOT doing it will >guarantee one. (And, yes, I KNOW there will be another deadly terrorists >disaster... because Dick Chaney told me so!) ;-) > >B. D. > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Ken Wilcox <klw.51@comcast.net> >To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> >Cc: Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.com> >Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 8:50 AM >Subject: [Leica] Re: Peter goes abroad, returns to tell about it! > > >> Peter, >> >> An interesting story. I, for one, do not feel any safer for the >> Draconian procedures and civil liberty violations being undertaken in >> the US and elsewhere. >> >> As a photographer with serious health problems I would not even try >> to fly anymore. Medications all must be in original packaging. (I buy >> large quantities that would be onerous to carry along.) I am >> diabetic and must bring testing equipment and syringes along. I also >> must take along a large electronic piece of equipment, a dialysis >> machine and supplies of liquid dialyte. Any special food that I need >> to bring I MUST PROVE are actually foods. >> >> All the foolish and useless restrictions simply make air travel for >> me, and those like me, impossibly difficult. >> >> Ken Wilcox >> >> At 9:52 PM -0700 5/20/02, Peter Klein wrote: >> >I'm back, having unsubscribed for a couple of weeks while traveling >> >in Switzerland and Provence. Film is at the processor, should be >> >back in a couple of days, so I may scan a pic or two this week, >> >obligations permitting. >> > >> >First off, I would like to thank Nathan Wajsman for meeting Katya >> >and me and taking us on a delightful walking tour of Zurich. It's >> >always great to meet other LUGgers, and Nathan was a delightful >> >guide and conversationalist. >> > >> >Second, let me add a couple of data points to the airport X-ray >> >arena. As I've always done in recent years, I took all my film out >> >of the plastic canisters and put it in zip-lock plastic bags. >> > >> >* Seattle-Tacoma International: My request for a hand inspection of >> >my film was politely honored after I noted that X-ray exposure is >> >cumulative, and I would be going through several airports. They not > > >only looked at my film, but swabbed the outside of one or two > > >canisters with a chemical test. My film was checked both departing > > >Seattle, and after clearing Customs on my return. Yes, they X-ray >> >the hand baggage when you leave the International arrival area. >> >International arrivals are already within the secure area of the >> >airport (and some go on to connections). Plus, they want to look >> >for the dreaded fresh fruit they wish to keep out of the U.S. > > > >> >* Geneva: I asked for a hand scan, it was curtly refused. When I >> >gave my "cumulative" speil, the woman asked her supervisor, who said >> >(without even looking at me) it would be fine and I had to let her >> >scan it. So I did. The fact that I asked in French did me no good. >> > >> >* Amsterdam: Again I asked for a hand scan, again it was refused. >> >This time the woman at the scanner was very polite and apologetic, >> >and said that she was sorry, but it was policy. When I arrived >> >there from Seattle, there was no X-ray to transfer to my Geneva >> >flight. Arriving from Geneva to go to Seattle, there was a fairly >> >heavy-duty security check, including interviews, hand luggage X-ray >> >and the occasional pat-down and "remove-yer-shoes please." >> > >> >There seems to be a case of "ISO inflation" going around airports. >> >Last February, the Sea-Tac people said that ISO 1000 film would be >> >fine, but all it took was one roll of 800 film among my mostly 400 >> >rolls to get a hand inspection at both Sea-Tac and Los Angeles >> >(LAX). This time, I was told that up to 1600 film would be >> >perfectly safe. I'm not sure if someone has done some testing or >> >that they've simply upped the numbers to cut down the number of hand >> >inspection requests. >> > >> >I'm not upset about this. My goal was simply to minimize the X-ray >> >exposure, just in case. If I didn't have a good lab here in >> >Seattle, I might have taken my chances with on-site film purchase >> >and processing. But for the moment, I followed Ted Grant's rules: >> >Ask politely for a hand inspection, and if they say no, let 'em >> >X-ray and don't worry. >> > >> >More to come... >> >--Peter >> > >> >-- >> >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html >> >> >> -- >> _____________________ >> Ken Wilcox >> klw.51 at comcast.net >> -- >> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- _____________________ Ken Wilcox klw.51 at comcast.net - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html