Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/11/16

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Subject: Re: Airport Security?
From: Kari Eloranta <eloranta@lammio.hut.fi>
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 97 17:12:12 +0200

It's been really interesting to hear the different experiences on  
this matter. I haven't had any notable disasters with airport scan  
machines but then again I rarely use anything higher than ASA400.  
Only recently started carrying TMZ.

I think that the bottom line is that the modern machines in  
industrialized countries in the east and west work as they claim
(i.e. fogging during long flights is a bigger factor). Simply  
because they are fairly new and regularly maintained. The problem is  
that western countries among other things dump scan machines into  
third world. Machines that used to be good at the time when ASA100  
was a standard. I'm sure many of them are not well maintained  
anymore simply because that's difficult and parts are  
expensive/nonexistent.

On the other hand my experience is that it is just so much easier  
to wiggle through there. Just a polite greeting and the expression  
for sensitive/film in the local language. Brings amazing amount of  
good will forward. Lots of places are very lax. Often the metal in  
my boots does not trip the alarm in the gate which it definitely  
should. So first try just walking through with everything in the  
pockets. If not successful stack the film bags in the coin/keys  
tray, smile and walk again...

Kari