Huss
Veteran
So tonite I am flying out of Los Angeles. I have Fuji C200 with me and
saw that the xray machines are the old type, not the new death ray ones.
Because of this I decide not to handcheck my film, not really sure why.
A TSA agent sees my kamera and asks if it is a film kamera! I say yes - he says do I want it hand checked?! I say no as there is no film in it. He asks if I have any film with me and so I let them hand check that!
Seriously what a nice, courteous and thoughtful experience!
saw that the xray machines are the old type, not the new death ray ones.
Because of this I decide not to handcheck my film, not really sure why.
A TSA agent sees my kamera and asks if it is a film kamera! I say yes - he says do I want it hand checked?! I say no as there is no film in it. He asks if I have any film with me and so I let them hand check that!
Seriously what a nice, courteous and thoughtful experience!
Archiver
Veteran
His supervisor probably saw and he's now out of a job, replaced by some brainless fool who will steal from your suitcase when you're out of sight.
pyeh
Member of good standing
I wonder if this is a worldwide trend. For the first time ever in my life, at Tokyo Haneda airport two weeks ago I got asked if I would like my film hand checked. The security chap saw my sealed duty free film, offered the hand check, and asked if I had more film I wanted check.
Could have knocked me over with a feather.
Could have knocked me over with a feather.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
Oh, dear. You must be having a bad day.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Is this a fake news thread? I hope it is true.
MJ Buckpitt
Well-known
I'm beginning to think that a TSA exec uses film. Here at Boston-Logan, there are signs explaining what film is safe to go through the machines and what is not. The sign concludes with the friendly "if in doubt we will happily hand check it for you".
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
Must be the Twilight Zone. When you got off the plane, were you in 1979?
Huss
Veteran
People were smoking on the plane.
valdas
Veteran
Did you sleep on the flight? And when woke up, were there any pilots left on the plane?
Glenn2
Well-known
On the way back from my last trip to India, everything got scanned at Heathrow.
They must have thought I looked suspicious as I then got my bag swabbed and checked for bomb residue with a GC-mass spectrometer. I’m a retired research chemist so found it quite interesting. Of course they found nothing, but wonder if all the cassettes of exposed film loose in a zip lock bag looked unusual to them?
I’ve always been taking film out of the box to make inspection easier, not sure this helps.
Glenn
They must have thought I looked suspicious as I then got my bag swabbed and checked for bomb residue with a GC-mass spectrometer. I’m a retired research chemist so found it quite interesting. Of course they found nothing, but wonder if all the cassettes of exposed film loose in a zip lock bag looked unusual to them?
I’ve always been taking film out of the box to make inspection easier, not sure this helps.
Glenn
Shac
Well-known
As far as I know (& in my experience) Heathrow always scans film and refused hand inspection
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
Yes that was my experience.
IIIg
Member
I'm also a retired research chemist and spent end September/early October in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia with a pair of Leica M's and a Rolleiflex.
No problem with TSA leaving the US with the cameras and 60 rolls of film (equally divided between 35mm and 120 in transparent plastic food storage boxes); didn't draw comment or a need for further inspection. If it should matter to anyone, I shot all of the film while my wife made oodles of exposures on a Fuji X100F; her work puts mine to shame.
In Zagreb, leaving Croatia, the local TSA did a wipe and analysis on one of the film container boxes; two minute courteous delay. Back in the US, at Newark, same thing. The Newark TSA guy did express some admiration for the Rollei. Another two minute delay and scarcely worth mentioning.
The film was all B&W, TriX and FP4/120. No evidence at all for fogging by TSA.
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newst
Well-known
Ah yes, but what were they smoking one asks?
james.liam
Well-known
It's 1979, for Heaven's sake, unfiltered Camels for he-men. Benson & Hedges for the less vigorous men. Virginia Slims for the Ladies.
Richard G
Veteran
Hand inspection of film.
Two retired research chemists.
And two prize wits.
Gotta love RFF.
Two retired research chemists.
And two prize wits.
Gotta love RFF.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
The only fake news is “new death scans».
IIIg
Member
You must be trying to say something, what ever that might be.
Please explain so that others can appreciate your insight.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
They're going to love me when I roll up with a few thousand feet of motion picture film in cans which will be fed into two Bell and Howell Filmos. Maybe I should take the big 400ft magazines as well...
Phil Forrest
Phil Forrest
Bob Michaels
nobody special
The Orlando Airport Authority considered replacing ALL TSA employees with employees under their direct control several years ago. As tourism is an important element in the Orlando economy (Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World) the Airport Authority determined the negative attitudes of TSA employees was a detriment. Faced with total unemployment the attitudes of all TSA employees changed dramatically to being very customer friendly while still executing their responsibilities. Now if you ask a TSA agent in Orlando for hand inspection of your film the response is now typically "no problem, be happy to". Apparently word spread as when I complimented a TSA agent in Tampa for being so helpful he replied that they know what almost happened in Orlando.