Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tina Manley wrote: >>When I finally got to Honduras and unpacked my bags, I discovered > that the bag with my prescription medicines that was in my carry-on had > been taken out somewhere and not put back in. I did without hormone pills, > allergy pills, sleeping pills, and arthritis medicine until doctors came > the next week bringing replacement medicines. My bag has never turned up > anywhere.<<<< Hi Tina, Not as serious as yours by any means, but I pass this along as a word of caution. In the Victoria airport... after the camera equipment bag went through the carry on scanner a security person said, "You have a cork screw in that bag may I see it and there were shadows I would like to look at" "OK no problem, the cork screw has been traveling with me for about forty years in various camera bags all over the world." Guy opens bag, lifts out a couple of cameras and makes their usual pointless look through viewfinder and asks to uncap a couple of lenses and looks through them. Then goes big time after the cork screw. Finds it, a very small in plastic case that has opened many a fine distillation. ;-) Points out they are a weapon and puts it back in the case. But at that moment I look to see where my wife Irene is and my bag is pushed back to me closed up. "OK sir, you can go." I assumed .... one should never ever assume anything .... the puller had been returned to the bag. When I arrived in Seattle to go through the second check of the day ....... "No cork puller!" I wasn't told it had been taken, nor any comment about keeping it nor sending to my home or pick it up on your return... nada! So as Tina lost her medications and I, my sentimental cork puller with many assignment memories attached, I think in the future I wont trust the security people to be honest with me, nor will I take my eyes off them for fear they're ripping me off without any consideration of returning what they take. Heck I want to comply as much as anyone, but I don't feel the security people have the right to take items and then not arrange to return them by whatever means is necessary. And certainly they should inform the traveler they are confiscating any item. I thought of going back to the airport on my return, but figured it would be the "security run a round" on National Security grounds "we can't divulge what we do with confiscated items" bull! Now I've sworn never to take my eyes of those guys, as you never know how they'll rip you off on the pretext of National Security. So Tina, you know what to do the next time you fly south. Don't take your eyes off the bags and the guys handling them. Like, if you can't trust the security guys for your safety in the air, who the hell can you trust? ted. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html