[Leica] airport security kinda long. ;-)

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

 A note in the changing airport security saga. One must keep relaxed and
roll with it.

I walked through the metal detector frame.   beeeep! "excuse me sir would
you come over here and lift your foot?"  the polite security guard in the
Phoenix airport asked.

"Sure thing."  Sat down wand went over shoes, "Please take your shoes off
sir." Did so, they went through another scanner.  Meanwhile my white
stockinged feet were swept with the wand. Shoes returned and had to walk
through metal detector again.

"Beeeeeep!"  "Sir would you take your belt off, please. And walk through
again".  "Beeeeeeep again! Meanwhile I'm trying to hold my pants up and walk
at the same time. "Sir would you step over here please."   Two more guys
enter the scene, one with my bionic ear control and little pack of 4
batteries that went through the scanner in a tray along with gear shoulder
bag.

"would you tell us what this is for , sir?" "My bionic ears."  They look
puzzled, "my hearing aids."  They look at my ears.
 "Oh." Can you turn them on with this control please?"  "Aahhhh they're on
or I wouldn't really be able to hear you." I smiled, they didn't!

"Oh ." says he. And takes the wand sweeping it on each side of my head.
"Beeeeeep....beeeeep!"  then hands me the aid control and batteries."OK sir,
would you please step over here."  Now new guy has all my exposed film which
I asked could they please do a hand check and if that was a problem, then
just put it through the scanner and I'll be on my way to plane. The original
guy had indicated it wasn't a problem and passed the clear plastic bag with
about 80 to another.

Now with my belt returned to pants I could at least pick-up my M7 to
shoulder. My wife was guarding gear bag.

So young guy and I walk behind a screened area where there are a couple of
scanner type machines. He takes large tweezers, grips piece of cloth and
swabs it inside the plastic bag of film.  Place cloth in machine... all
looks good.

Now he reaches into the bag, takes a handful of film and begins to examine
each roll, carefully examining the end caps of the cassette to see if they'd
been pried off.  I'm beginning to think I may get the plane the next day, my
wife is looking concerned and at her watch.... we still have lots of time...
that is, unless he looks at 80 rolls of film one at a time.

Finally halfway through the bag he does another swab with cloth inside the
bag, finds nothing and says, "Thank you sir, have a nice flight." Smiles and
walks away. I smile and say, "thanks."

Well OK life's like that. However, we land in Seattle and somehow got off
course going through the "intransit" routing to our connecting flight and
damned if I didn't have to go through the whole thing all over again,
fortunately without the ear thing.

Even though I threw the film bag along with gear shoulder bag on the scanner
belt expecting to pick it up and walk on. I don't feel bad as I wasn't
alone! But it sure looked like a bunch of peed off people standing around
waiting to take off their shoes etc.

A note for members concerned about film going through carry on scanners.
During the trip the film went through a combined 7 times through carry on
scanners, so when processed not one indication of damage effects. Those of
you faint of heart in film through the scanners, relax and enjoy your flight
if the film is as carry on.

There were both 100 colour and 400 B&W in the same bag... the B&W rated at
800 and processed for same. No marking or fogging. Not that I expected to
see any.

Oh well that's life in the new world. ;-)
ted
Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant




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