[Leica] The Green Line. :-)

[nickbroberts at yahoo.co.uk (Nick Roberts)]

Ted, you MUST write a book - don't give us all this great stuff for free! :)
 
Nick

----- Original Message ----
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Thursday, 20 July, 2006 7:28:07 PM
Subject: [Leica] The Green Line. :-)


The Green Line

Munich, Germany.1972 Summer Olympics:



The security guard had Graham Bezant's accreditation card in one hand and a 
colour ID code book in the

other.  He was yelling in German and Graham was yelling back in his 
Australian-accented English, neither understanding the other.



It scared the hell out of me as I knew what was going on. Although several

positions back in the security line I figured they'd have me next. Graham, a 
staff

photographer for the Toronto Star, had just been caught with a forged "Green 
Line"

on his Media accreditation card .



I had initiated the forging, in fact the card hanging around my

neck was also a faked photographer's pass.  It wasn't that we didn't have

accreditation, we did, but it was for the sport reporter seats, but didn't

allow access to the photo positions.  The difference was a thin

"Green Line" diagonally across the face of the card indicating you were a

photographer.



After a few days frustration attempting to shoot the Games with Reporter 
Accreditation

I wondered if I could fake a photo accreditation? After all it was only a 
thin Green line.



I examined a couple of photographer passes very carefully then hit on the 
idea of using a felt tip

marker to draw a "Green Line" on my pass.  Searching all over Munich for a 
pen of the right colour,

just any green wouldn't work, the security staff had colour ID code books

with official colour keys. They rarely used them in any event. Until?



After a few days searching I found one right under my nose in the Main Press 
Center boutique,

exactly the perfect colour match.



Do you remember the war movie "The Great Escape" when documents were

forged to get out?  We now started our plan "The Great Entry" to get in.



Very carefully a single strip of scotch tape was placed diagonally across

the card.  The "Green Line" drawn on it rather than on the actual

card surface, in the event of possible discovery it could be peeled

off leaving a legitimate reporter's card.  Two more strips placed on the

first to give the correct width to the line, these were peeled off after

the marker was used leaving clean edges to appear actually printed.



Now for the colour, with one quick stroke of the marker it was done.

Peeling off the two extra strips of tape I found myself holding a

"Photographers Accreditation".   I checked it against several legal cards, 
it matched beautifully.

But it had yet to pass the big test, getting past the guards 20/20 vision.



Here we were entering the Main Stadium with a couple of photographers as 
some

cover and Graham ahead of us in a shouting match with a security guy! Damn!

My first re-action was to peel off the plastic strip with the green line.

However, what the hell give it a try, live dangerously!



I passed the guards, my accreditation boldly hanging on a chain around

my neck, I was in.  It was so easy I couldn't believe it.



Graham on the other hand was caught! As in "The Great Escape" if you were 
caught

you were on your own.  I just walked on by without a glance.



Some time you just gotta do what you gotta do to get your pictures.




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