Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/18

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Subject: [Leica] M8 battery airport adventure
From: glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer)
Date: Tue Sep 18 18:37:34 2007
References: <D089DA8A57A2F1FBB0FEA7B4@Rutabook.local> <46EFB812.9070401@hemenway.com>

Jim,

No, traveling for work has always been part of the fun. How else could I 
have experienced places such as Japan, the UK,
Israel, South Africa,France, Taiwan etc.?

Jerry


Jim Hemenway wrote:
> I'm not happy to be old enough to not work, but I AM happy to not have 
> to travel all over for work... post 9/11.
>
> jim
>
> Brian Reid wrote:
>> I'm traveling with an M8 kit that includes 4 Leica brand M8 batteries.
>> A few minutes ago I was pulled aside from the airport security check 
>> in the Frankfurt airport and taken downstairs in the B Wing of 
>> Terminal 1 to a little room where they do serious explosives checks.
>>
>> It took them at least 20 minutes to convince themselves that (a) the 
>> batteries were genuine Leica merchandise, and (b) it was not packed 
>> with explosives. They had no interest in the camera or the lenses, 
>> but the batteries worried them to death. They didn't know enough 
>> about M8s to know there was another battery inside it, so they didn't 
>> check that one. I think the security manager was not aware that Leica 
>> made digital cameras and so the idea that a Leica would need 3 extra 
>> batteries was very puzzling to him. They wouldn't let me touch it 
>> while they were examining it, and my German isn't good enough for me 
>> to succeed in explaining exotic details like "If you take off the 
>> baseplate you will see that it is not a film camera".
>>
>> Right now I'm in the United Red Carpet lounge, having given up trying 
>> to get Deutsche Telekom to accept my US T-Mobile wireless account and 
>> been forced to buy a 1-hour access pass to read my email.
>>
>> I suspect that if I'd tried to take a picture of any of the worried 
>> security people I'd be in jail right now.
>>
>> Brian Reid
>
> _


Replies: Reply from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] M8 battery airport adventure)
In reply to: Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] M8 battery airport adventure)
Message from Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway) ([Leica] M8 battery airport adventure)