[Leica] Re: Airport security

["Doug Richardson" <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk>]

Joe Stephenson <joeleica@email.msn.com> wrote:

>If these folks who are charged with keeping dangerous devices off
airplanes (among other things) are as ignorant as your--and other
stories suggest--they are hardly competent to do their jobs. They do
not appear to have the knowledge (training) or experience to outwit
international terrorists who may be supported by governments or
organizations with substantial resources.

Exactly! The problem of outwitting the terrorist requires knowledge
and the intelligence to use that knowledge. In practice however,
routine security duties are boring are often assigned to the real
"blockheads" who slavishly enforce a set of rules, what they interpret
to be the rules, or even their own whims.

My worst experience was several decades ago during a trip to Israel.
In order to reduce the weight of my hand luggage for the journey out
from London I'd heavily padded a couple of my M lenses, and packed
them deep within my clothing inside my suitcase. The El Al security
guard at London airport insisted that all my photo gear had to travel
in the cabin with me.  Anticipating the same demand on the return trip
I arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Israel, with my pockets bulging
with Leica lenses. To my amusement, here the security officer took
exactly the opposite view and ruled that my entire M2 outfit had to
travel in my checked baggage. I could take the camera onto the
aircraft, but everything else had to go into my suitcase.

I started wrapping each item in clothing and distributing these around
the other clothing in the suitcase so they'd be protected. I was told
to stop what I was doing. A cardboard box was produced, and I was told
to place all my camera gear (except the camera with its 5cm lens) into
the box, then put the box in my suitcase. Needless to say, the box was
far too big, so its contents had plenty of space to rattle around and
damage each other. I was not allowed to put clothing into the box to
provide padding - I suppose I should have been grateful that I was
allowed to leave the lenses in their plastic storage boxes. While the
guard was temporarily distracted, I managed to place socks around some
of the gear to provide a degree of protection. I'm glad to say that
what was then a mint-condition M outfit survived the trip without
damage, though I hate to think what would have happened had I not been
able to add the forbidden socks. Somewhere around the house I still
have what is now a fine collection of cracked lens storage boxes!

I've often wondered if the guard at Ben Gurion was simply stupid, the
sort of individual who enjoys bullying people, or simply wanted to
inflict damage on obviously-expensive equipment engaved "Made In
Germany".

Regards,

Doug Richardson