Film Cameras in Checked Luggage

On 2006-08-14 08:35:25 -0400, sechumlib <sechumlib@liberal.net> said:

> On 2006-08-13 12:30:15 -0400, "Larry in Berkeley" <seaotter6@********> said:
>
>> On my last trip, I had some instant coffee in a plastic container with
>> a small silver-plated spoon. One of the x-ray machines was so strong
>> that it melted and solidified all the coffee!
>
> "Melted" coffee? It's already a liquid!
>
> "Solidified" it? After it had been "melted"? NOT LIKELY!
>
> X-rays don't do that.

Oops, I didn't see that the coffee was initially solid. But X-rays
still don't do that.

"SD" <westie97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1155603419.037863.262320@m73g2000cwd.******** o********...

> I happened to be flying when this whole thing blew apart. They were in
> hysteria mode. I flew out of Houston with a one pound container of
> homemade raspberry jam in my carry on and no one even asked me about
> it. I had gotten on in Seattle, never left the security area, and all
> they did was make people dump their Starbucks and Evian in the trash
> cans. People coming though the security checkpoint had to repack their
> checked luggage with the prohibited items.

Even in normal times the TSA people can show signs of serious mental
illness. On one recent trip several different TSA people were herding people
back and forth in opposite directions like crazed sheep dogs, until people
rebelled and told them to either make up their mind or leave them alone. At
that point they wandered off to annoy someone else, which was really the
best solution for everyone. On another trip every airport had a different
way they wanted me to send my laptop through the x-ray machine and acted
like I should somehow know the "proper" way.

I'll be flying again soon myself. Fortunately I'm not flying to
Britain. Unfortunately I'm not flying to Latin America. I've been keeping an
eye on the rules so I'll have some idea of how to pack myself. If it was
practical I'd dispense with luggage entirely and fly naked.

TB

Technobarbarian wrote:
> "SD" <westie97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1155603419.037863.262320@m73g2000cwd.******** o********...
>
> > I happened to be flying when this whole thing blew apart. They were in
> > hysteria mode. I flew out of Houston with a one pound container of
> > homemade raspberry jam in my carry on and no one even asked me about
> > it. I had gotten on in Seattle, never left the security area, and all
> > they did was make people dump their Starbucks and Evian in the trash
> > cans. People coming though the security checkpoint had to repack their
> > checked luggage with the prohibited items.
>
> Even in normal times the TSA people can show signs of serious mental
> illness. On one recent trip several different TSA people were herding people
> back and forth in opposite directions like crazed sheep dogs, until people
> rebelled and told them to either make up their mind or leave them alone. At
> that point they wandered off to annoy someone else, which was really the
> best solution for everyone. On another trip every airport had a different
> way they wanted me to send my laptop through the x-ray machine and acted
> like I should somehow know the "proper" way.

I've flown twice in the past 5 weeks into and back out of the US,
including after this stuff started. I flew once to Huntsville, AL and
once to Seattle, WA with a return to San Pedro Sula in both cases. In
all airports (San Pedro Sula, Atlanta, Huntsville, Houston, and
Seattle), laptops were out of the cases and in a container, the case
went through separately, my shoes, watch, small stuff all went in
another container. Seattle actually provides plastic baggies at the
entrance to the screening area for you to put all the loose stuff like
keys, change, watches, rings, etc. before you put it into the bin. The
TSA people were actually quite "normal" these two times - even after
the mass hysteria started early Thursday morning. I was anticipating
the runaround BS that people normally get but I was actually through US
immigration and customs in less than 30 minutes going into both Atlanta
and Houston. No hassles at either place.

SD

Brian K wrote:
> On 8/14/2006 6:35 AM ant wrote:
> > tucsondiver@************ wrote:
> >
> > > Only a couple of
> > > times have i found a note from the TSA saying they'd opened my
> > > bag.
> >
> > I come into the US from overseas, with a ski bag, and they seem to
> > always open my stuff (and make a bloody mess of my careful packing
> > and stuff gets broken). I get the little sheet announcing they've
> > been in there.
> Here's a tip. Pack your stuff in clear plastic zip-lock bags. It
> makes it easier for TSA agents searching your bag...and it keeps
> items like toiletries together. That way if one of them accidentally
> opens, it's not all over your clothes or luggage.

I had a lot of lipsticks (sale!) in a clear plastic case, they'd opened that
and scattered them all through the luggage (with everything else) and many
had cracked casings. On the trip back, I used those "suck all the air out"
bags as I'd gone a bit overboard with the shopping. They didn't pad the
other stuff as well as they go hard in those airless bags, but the security
people at least didn't open them.

--
ant

So far, that's not been a problem. I've taken this bag, and the locks,
to Mexico, Turks and Caicos, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Maggie

sally wrote:
> tucsondiver@************ wrote in
> news:1155498312.446439.93330@i42g2000cwa.********* ********:
> > I've been using the TSA-approved locks on my dive bag and have been
> > quite happy with them. They're pretty heavy and seem impervious
> > even to rough baggage-handling. The TSA is supposed to be the only
> > agency with the device that will open the lock, but I suspect that
> > will change when crooks manage to get their hands on one or figure
> > out how to bypass it.
>
> What happens if you travel to an airport not associated with the TSA?

Larry in Berkeley wrote:
> If you are travelling by air with a film camera, don't forget that now
> all airlines require cameras to be in checked luggage, not carried on
> board. It is absolutely essential to have the film (and the camera
> containing film) in a lead pouch. Otherwise, many strong x-rays used
> for checked luggage will fry all your film.
>
> Camera stores have or can get the lead pouches.

I just flew from La Paz to Miami to Paris on AA. No particular problem :
carried-on luggage as usual, including cameras and films. Only thing is all
liquids and gells were to be removed from carry-ons. Consequence : screening
took a bit longer than usual... We spent two and a half hours in Miami to
change planes : one hour and a half to clear immigration, and the rest to go
through security to get on the other flight...

Why on hearth don't the US airports have a secure area for transit
passengers, to avoid having to go through immigration and security ?

Daniel Masse wrote:

> Larry in Berkeley wrote:
>
>>If you are travelling by air with a film camera, don't forget that now
>>all airlines require cameras to be in checked luggage, not carried on
>>board. It is absolutely essential to have the film (and the camera
>>containing film) in a lead pouch. Otherwise, many strong x-rays used
>>for checked luggage will fry all your film.
>>
>>Camera stores have or can get the lead pouches.
>
>
> I just flew from La Paz to Miami to Paris on AA. No particular problem :
> carried-on luggage as usual, including cameras and films. Only thing is all
> liquids and gells were to be removed from carry-ons. Consequence : screening
> took a bit longer than usual... We spent two and a half hours in Miami to
> change planes : one hour and a half to clear immigration, and the rest to go
> through security to get on the other flight...
>
> Why on hearth don't the US airports have a secure area for transit
> passengers, to avoid having to go through immigration and security ?
>
>

Immigration -- Because they do not see the inconvenience as a
significant problem. Most transiting passengers have little choice.

Security -- Because they do not trust the security level of a fair
number of incoming flights. Even if the immigration reason was not
sufficient.