Airport security and such ...

[dmr]

Two semi-interesting factoids here ...

Before this weekend, when I requested a hand inspection of film, the inspector would usually look at the bag (I carry film in a ziplock bag) and maybe feel it from outside, then maybe take 1 roll out and swab it off and test it with the Nasty Stuff Detect-O-Matic machine.

This time coming back (Sunday, right after the incident at Detroit Metro) he took each and every roll (I had 12 or so), eyeballed them good, then swabbed and tested each one. This was at John Wayne (SNA) so YMMV of course.

He also said that the newer scanner machines which some airports now have are proven safe for film up to 1200 ISO. He called them the "new low dose" or something like that, but was not sure which airports currently have them.

 

[newspaperguy]

Ah yes. Thanks for the heads up.

Looks like we're in for another rash of 'high security.'

 

[Nikon Bob]

Yea, there are new security measures in place. On the news today they said Air Canada has had to cancel some flights and consolidate others bound for US destinations from Toronto Pearson. There were reports of 4 to 6 hour delays checking in. Seems they are getting serious about one carry on rule too.

Bob

 

[splitimageview]

Indeed. Homeland insecurity led by political correctness.

 

[bmattock]

Amtrak awaits. I for one prefer it (and private car travel) and no longer fly commercially at all - haven't in several years. There is nowhere I need to go quickly, and I have no intention of ever again leaving the North American continent. I try to never say never, but that's the plan currently.

 

[btgc]

Where's problem? They have to look for powder bag on leg and syringe marked "caution!" with chemicals, not film!

 

[Steve M.]

They've taken the fun out of flying for sure, but the event of a few days shows there's reason for all the security. I take the train whenever I can and don't envision flying again unless it's to move back to the Big Island. Maybe we could take a ship there. Haven't researched it as we're still kicking the idea around. Living in Hawaii has quite a few downsides, and having to fly to get anywhere from there is one of the bigger ones.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

For international flights headed to the US, carriers are enforcing the "one carry-on" rule, simply to cut down on the time it takes to screen passengers and baggage. If you're carrying a bunch of gear on one of those flights, keep it to a minimum, unless you're willing to chuck some of it into the baggage hold at the last minute.

The "no moving about for the last hour of flight" rule likely won't survive a couple of incidents caused by grannies with erupting bowels, and should be gone within a week. You heard it here first.

 

[wgerrard]

My guess, and it is only a guess, is that the inspector who checked each roll of film was going by the book. Not checking each individual roll is likely letting some slack sneak in.

When I fly, I have a habit of forgetting to take the little plastic bag of liquids out of my carryon before I send it through the scanner. Although I know it's visible to the scanner, I've only once been asked to remove it. I would prefer that every inspector caught it.

As for carryon limits: I use bags within the airlines' size limitations and I'm tired of seeing my flight delayed while people with oversized bags roam the aisle trying to find a place to put a bag that the airline shouldn't have allowed onboard in the first place.

 

[nikon_sam]

My plan is working...soon we'll be standing in line only in our underwear with laptops in hand...Ha!!! You heard it here first!!!

Bill...I carry on my briefcase and laptop or camera bag and laptop when I travel and one of them will fit under the seat...anything with wheels should be under the plane...I hate when passengers want to move my stuff to get their oversized bag in the overhead...HATE IT!!!

Thank God I don't fly like I used to a few years ago...

 

[David Murphy]

The airlines love the no or limited carry-on rules - they will make a fortune on baggage fees now.

 

[wgerrard]

I'm as concerned about having a bag stolen by someone hanging around baggage claim as I am about losing it to airport employees.

Luggage is such a hassle and a time-eater even when nothing goes wrong. I haven't checked a bag in several years. I usually take one carryon and a camera case. If airlines continue to enforce a one-and-only-one bag onboard rule, I'll likely leave the camera case behind and go with a pocketable digital.

 

[KenR]

Back to the future

Back to the future

Years & years ago, I requested a hand inspection of my film at Rome Int. Airport (where there had been a terrorist incident the prior year). The guard was not pleased, pointed a small machine pistol (Uzi?) at me and said "show me." I had to stand there and show him that each roll of film indeed was a roll of film. The few that didn't have a leader were looked at closely.

As I don't like it when people point guns at me, I had never again requested a hand inspection and have taken my chances with x-rays and have never had a fogging problem. This may be prudent for the foreseeable future.

 

[bean_counter]

I used to have film still in the boxes inside a ziploc bag, no problem, passed right through. Usually had to educate the screeners if carrying 120 film, showed them my TLR. Even asked for slow film to be hand checked.

Starting this October, they pulled it all out of the boxes, opened the canisters, and swabbed each roll. I started hand checking fast (or pushable) film only. 120 - not worth the hassle.

Same treatment last week, including Saturday (domestic US flights). Seems they had not ramped up new secuity quite yet, but I did get a pat-down - I'm a big guy, they must have been looking for contraband in the fat rolls 😱

 

[bmattock]

I'm as concerned about having a bag stolen by someone hanging around baggage claim as I am about losing it to airport employees.

Luggage is such a hassle and a time-eater even when nothing goes wrong. I haven't checked a bag in several years. I usually take one carryon and a camera case. If airlines continue to enforce a one-and-only-one bag onboard rule, I'll likely leave the camera case behind and go with a pocketable digital.

The last year I was flying for a living, not a month went by when something expensive wasn't stolen from my luggage. I never had a bag stolen outright.

 

[coelacanth]

This is why I don't even own a suitcase for travels. Even when I moved to the US a decade ago, a carry-on backpack (and a Bass guitar) was the only thing I brought.

I'm planning to bring a backpack wrapped in a messenger bag (will be used as walk-around bag) only to France next month.

As for the films, I'll push all film to 1600 so I'll ask them to hand inspect all. Hopefully keeping the rolls packed and factory plastic wrapped help a bit, but I'm willing to let them open the packages one by one rather than putting them through X-ray.

 

[MartinP]

The alternate is to take a developing tank with you, and a measure, then get film and chemicals (small liquid-concentrate dev and fix) shipped to your hotel and just take developed negs back on the 'plane. This will work fine in Europe at least, as there are plenty of shippers who will do that for you from inside the EU.

 

[coelacanth]

The alternate is to take a developing tank with you, and a measure, then get film and chemicals (small liquid-concentrate dev and fix) shipped to your hotel and just take developed negs back on the 'plane. This will work fine in Europe at least, as there are plenty of shippers who will do that for you from inside the EU.

Hehe. Yeah that might be less-hustle compared to huge headaches at the airport. (And thanks for the advice on my france trip thread)

But I'll be staying at my friend's guest room this time so I don't want to use their bathroom for developing. 😛 I might bring only a dozen rolls from the US and buy the rest in Paris though.

 

[peter_n]

Sug fogging from x-rays is cumulative. I've never had a problem from having film scanned at check-in, including ISO1600. In my last trip out of Madrid the scanner there had a label on it that it was safe up to that speed. I had NP1600 scanned - no problems. I've had film scanned by a checked baggage scanner going into a country. Once again no problems. However, if you have high ISO film scanned multiple times (=>10) then you might have problems, but my experience has been that even 6-8 scans on high ISO film hasn't caused a problem. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[dmr]

I was VERY surprised at SNA the other day. No major delay. They didn't even look twice at the bag with 10 days worth of hotel shampoo and such, did not say boo about a full-size toothpaste tube (ran out and the convenience shop did not have any travel size), didn't look at my netbook or anything. They did give the film a very thorough hand inspection.

You can push that "one carry on" rule. They allow one "purse or personal item" in addition to a carry on bag. If you carry a purse (I suspect that most here do not) 🙂 then place it and about anything else into a larger tote bag and consider that your personal item. I've even carried a fairly large shopping bag filled with all kinds of {stuff} as my personal item. I think it helps if it's obvious that it can't be checked. 🙂