Re: [Leica] Airport Security?

[Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com>]

Just some notes from recent travel experiences:

1) you have to pull your computer out of whatever you are carrying it in -
it's looked at separately

2) going through security 4 times I didn't have so much as a hand-inspection
of my camera bag - it just went through the x-ray machine and that was that.
They went through my Halliburton briefcase thoroughly.

3) be prepared to be pulled out for a detailed "wand-ing" where you stand
with your arms extended and they go over you in detail. Also be prepared to
have a thorough search of all your carry-on materials. This didn't happen to
us but we observed it happening to maybe 1 of 3 or 1 of 5 passengers in the
gate area

In general we had mixed problems with lines. There was a 15 minute line for
South West in Phoenix. Virtually no line in Sacramento. Flying NorthWest we
had a long line in Sacramento - two hours before the flight, but a very
short line through security. In Green Bay, which had the best security
inspections of any airport I've been through, almost no wait.

It's hard to stand there being "wanded" and watch your carry-on spilling out
of the x-ray machine. I figure it's unlikely at this time that anyone is
going to be lurking to snatch your bag and run off but I was uncomfortable
as $12,000 worth of gear sat there out of my control. It was just too easy
to pick up.

I was listening to a guy on the radio who said that the particle-beam
mechanism being contemplated for the US Mail would be fairly benign for
film. I was driving and merging at the time and didn't fully follow what he
said but the basic thrust was that while the particles are energetic they
are not dense. So you'd have a few events on a frame of film but it wouldn't
be a general fogging.

I found travel to be pretty decent. I have to think that outside of the
White House an airport within the security perimeter is one of the safest
places to be in America.

Also, all of my flights were jammed save one, from Green Bay to Minneapolis.
Maybe Sacramento is a popular destination.

Thanks

Adam

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