[Leica] What would you do if this happened to you?

[gwpics at aol.com (Gerry Walden)]

Ted

Distressed to hear that, but I think that the Leica Passport covers all 
kinds of damage however caused, so hopefully you should be OK. Otherwise 
I guess it is an insurance claim and/or sue the TSA.

Not that it is a lot of use now, but I have forwarded you an email 
saying that photographers are now allowed to take cameras on board as 
additional hand luggage. It just may help in the future.

Regards

Gerry

-- 
Gerry Walden LRPS
www.gwpics.com
+44 23 8046 3076

Ted Grant wrote:

 > What would you do under these circumstances?
 >
 > You use a black heavy duty plastic foam filled Halliburton case to
 > carry 3
 > M7's and a half dozen M lenses.
 >
 > You are not allowed to lock the case because the TSA security staff
 > may want
 > to look inside. And if you do use locks they'll cut them off anyway!
 > So to
 > make life easy you I didn't lock the case, but run black duct tape around
 > the edges as I kind of feel good safety thing. Very easy to open by
 > pulling
 > the tape off, flipping two catches, that's it into the case and
 > equipment.
 >
 > You cross your fingers & wave the case good bye as it's checked along
 > with
 > your other bag. Landing in Seattle from Victoria bags were claimed,
 > through
 > customs, then turned over to baggage handlers for the connecting
 > flight at
 > which time the black tape was intact.
 >
 > Arrival in Phoenix we pick-up case and bags, black tape is gone and
 > silver
 > duct tape replacing it. Obviously the case was opened for TSA inspection.
 > That's cool I'd rather have them check things as I'm a million air
 > miler and
 > I'd like to make it two million.
 >
 > However, upon opening the case and attempting to load the cameras, two of
 > the M7's were damaged beyond use with the shutter releases jammed
 > right into
 > the body of the camera. Nothing could be done at all. Those of you who
 > use
 > M7's know there's a shutter release lock to avoid accidental release
 > and the
 > camera shutter can't be tripped until the switch is moved to release it.
 >
 > So OK lets think about what happened here as all three cameras were in
 > perfect working order when packed in their foam solid cut out positions
 > where they'd traveled more than a few air miles previously without any
 > damage.
 >
 > One of the cameras didn't have the lock on the release and it was OK and
 > functioned perfectly. The other two ? Well lets put it this way I
 > screwed-in
 > a soft release and tried to pry the shutter release up out of the
 > body, it
 > wouldn't budge. I mean it's just hammered right in there. The other
 > body I
 > managed a slight lift up, and that's it! Solid jammed in the camera body.
 >
 > Now those of us who've flown with our carry on bag have seen air security
 > officers look through an SLR, trip the shutter and as it goes click
 > that's
 > cool for them and  makes it a real camera. However, we're talking
 > about M7's
 > with shutter release lock and there's no way you can make it go click
 > without releasing the lock out.
 >
 > By the same token I've seen them hold up M7's and M6's sort of look
 > through
 > the view finder releasing the shutter to go click because the lock out
 > wasn't on. So what do you think they did with the two cameras they
 > couldn't
 > make go click?
 >
 > I mean these two cameras are really done and on their way for hopefully
 > repair and not replacement. Yep they're covered by warranty, I hope under
 > these conditions. But that's not the point because if they aren't, I'm in
 > for a big-time repair bill.
 >
 > You might also be interested in the wording on a neatly printed card
 > left in
 > your bag explaining the opening of your bag and what responsibility they
 > have if any damage is done. :-(
 >
 > Quote from "NOTIFICATION OF BAGGAGE INSPECTION":
 >
 > "If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for inspection
 > because it
 > was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your
 > bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to
 > reseal
 > your bag upon completion of the inspection. However, TSA is not liable
 > for
 > damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution."
 >
 > This of course means they would not be responsible for any internal
 > damage
 > to the contents in the case. Because how could one prove they were in
 > perfect working order when packed?
 >
 > Let me make it very clear, the case was not locked and quite easy to
 > open by
 > pulling off the tape. They did this and replaced it, as I said
 > previously,
 > so it was a piece of cake to open it.
 >
 > But what happened to the cameras during their inspection handling?
 >
 > ted
 >
 >
 > _______________________________________________
 > Leica Users Group.
 > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


-- 
Gerry Walden LRPS
www.gwpics.com
+44 23 8046 3076