Re: [Leica] airport security kinda long. ;-)

[Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com>]

Ted,

My Provia 400f was zapped several times, but did not seem the worse for 
wear. The nice folks in Seattle did to me what the AZ folks did to you, but 
I had to sit on the dirty floor with my wool slacks, and their primary 
concern was over the two stainless steel wire loops in my sternum for the 
past 25 years.

Jeffery

At 07:36 AM 7/4/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>  A note in the changing airport security saga. One must keep relaxed and
>roll with it.
>
>I walked through the metal detector frame.   beeeep! "excuse me sir would
>you come over here and lift your foot?"  the polite security guard in the
>Phoenix airport asked.
>
>"Sure thing."  Sat down wand went over shoes, "Please take your shoes off
>sir." Did so, they went through another scanner.  Meanwhile my white
>stockinged feet were swept with the wand. Shoes returned and had to walk
>through metal detector again.
>
>"Beeeeeep!"  "Sir would you take your belt off, please. And walk through
>again".  "Beeeeeeep again! Meanwhile I'm trying to hold my pants up and walk
>at the same time. "Sir would you step over here please."   Two more guys
>enter the scene, one with my bionic ear control and little pack of 4
>batteries that went through the scanner in a tray along with gear shoulder
>bag.
>
>"would you tell us what this is for , sir?" "My bionic ears."  They look
>puzzled, "my hearing aids."  They look at my ears.
>  "Oh." Can you turn them on with this control please?"  "Aahhhh they're on
>or I wouldn't really be able to hear you." I smiled, they didn't!
>
>"Oh ." says he. And takes the wand sweeping it on each side of my head.
>"Beeeeeep....beeeeep!"  then hands me the aid control and batteries."OK sir,
>would you please step over here."  Now new guy has all my exposed film which
>I asked could they please do a hand check and if that was a problem, then
>just put it through the scanner and I'll be on my way to plane. The original
>guy had indicated it wasn't a problem and passed the clear plastic bag with
>about 80 to another.
>
>Now with my belt returned to pants I could at least pick-up my M7 to
>shoulder. My wife was guarding gear bag.
>
>So young guy and I walk behind a screened area where there are a couple of
>scanner type machines. He takes large tweezers, grips piece of cloth and
>swabs it inside the plastic bag of film.  Place cloth in machine... all
>looks good.
>
>Now he reaches into the bag, takes a handful of film and begins to examine
>each roll, carefully examining the end caps of the cassette to see if they'd
>been pried off.  I'm beginning to think I may get the plane the next day, my
>wife is looking concerned and at her watch.... we still have lots of time...
>that is, unless he looks at 80 rolls of film one at a time.
>
>Finally halfway through the bag he does another swab with cloth inside the
>bag, finds nothing and says, "Thank you sir, have a nice flight." Smiles and
>walks away. I smile and say, "thanks."
>
>Well OK life's like that. However, we land in Seattle and somehow got off
>course going through the "intransit" routing to our connecting flight and
>damned if I didn't have to go through the whole thing all over again,
>fortunately without the ear thing.
>
>Even though I threw the film bag along with gear shoulder bag on the scanner
>belt expecting to pick it up and walk on. I don't feel bad as I wasn't
>alone! But it sure looked like a bunch of peed off people standing around
>waiting to take off their shoes etc.
>
>A note for members concerned about film going through carry on scanners.
>During the trip the film went through a combined 7 times through carry on
>scanners, so when processed not one indication of damage effects. Those of
>you faint of heart in film through the scanners, relax and enjoy your flight
>if the film is as carry on.
>
>There were both 100 colour and 400 B&W in the same bag... the B&W rated at
>800 and processed for same. No marking or fogging. Not that I expected to
>see any.
>
>Oh well that's life in the new world. ;-)
>ted
>Ted Grant Photography Limited
>www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant
>
>
>
>
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