Marc,
I have, just as you, had the experience that they wanted every piece
individually scanned at a security checkpoint. That was in a major EU
city, which shall remain nameless, from which I was going to the US,
and this was before the airline security paranoia of the recent
couple of years.
However the scanner operator would not let me empty the bag myself,
nono, none of that. She took the bag, unzipped, flipped upside down
and gave it a good shake over a blue plastic tray. Out tumbled
lenses, camera bodies, PDAs, films. Lens-caps flew all over the place
(actually, when repacking, I noticed the value of permanently
mounting skylight filters, since one lens had had a close encounter
with something scratchy).
I comented, rather agitated, on the somewhat undesireable treatment
of my valueables, and was snarred at that "there are many people, and
you could just carry fewer and less sensitive items" Well well
well...
It's not the first time that I have had similar things happen, just
the most extreme :(
I did complain to the security supervisor, and did complain later to
the airport authorities -- both of which apologized. However noone
offered to refund me my damaged skylight-filter, and I wonder if they
had picked up the tap for a CLA or new front elements for any lenses
which might have been trashed.
Lesson from all this: there is a very good reason why I actually use
the Olympus hard cases for the camera lenses when I travel. Yes, it
does take up more space, but it also protects the lenses better
against such situations. Also, I always pack lenses with a skylight
filter mounted -- after all, it's easier and probably cheaper to
replace than the front element. And a front element may not be
available on my destination, leaving me unable to photograph when
there :(
Sometimes I wish that the job-description for airport security
personel would include requirements for "interpersonel relations and
common sense". However apparantly, it doesn't :(
--thomas
On Sat, 2 Aug 2003 19:10:28 +1000
Marc Lawrence <mlawrence@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> (just a camera/aireport/x-ray story)
>
> Recently I flew with a load of equipment and film interstate,
> city-to-city. No problems with all my equipment. On the way
> back, but from a regional city (smaller airport), they asked
> me to remove all of my equipment from my backpack, and then
> sent it through individually (me smiling and "no worries" all
> the way of course) them apologising for the inconvenience
> *after* they'd finished rescanning - courtesy for courtesy
> I guess. There was a sign at the scanning point saying
> "We take all jokes about security SERIOUSLY" (nice little
> warning for those galahs that like to tell them they've
> got plastic explosive in their carry-on). Odd, to rescan
> though, as nothing was in lead bags, and everything was
> definitely "camera-shaped". Security definitely seemed
> tighter at the regionals than the major cities.
>
> We can't take even nail-clippers on carry-on, but just before
> the Bali bomb I inadvertantly went to Bali and back with a
> Swiss Army "credit card" knife in the front of my bag, and
> they were doing double-scans at Denpasar. I count myself lucky
> I didn't get caught up with security at either end.
>
> Now I just want a belt that doesn't trigger the walkthrough.
>
> Cheers
> Marc
> Sydney, Oz
>
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