Re: [Leica] airport security kinda long. ;-)

["Steve Barbour" <kididdoc@cox.net>]

Hi Ted...Here in Phoenix they are on high alert for mischievous looking people...    ;-)
Steve



> 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."
>

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



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