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New airline security proceedures - travelling with our cameras and film...


jackflesher

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A thought crossed my mind earlier today, as I considered my next vacation, and the future of air travel with my camera gear and film. We've all been dealing with film and x-ray machine problems for some time now, but generally an earnest smile was enough to be granted an x-rayless hand-check of my film. Given the recent events, I believe those days are (and probably should be) over. I also heard that the FAA is considering a new regulation prohibiting ANY carry-on items of any type, including a woman's purse, being brought on-board. This will likely mean checking our precious camera gear in some type of protective case that screams "VALUABLE STUFF INSIDE!".

 

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So I am curious as to what others of you think... With film being subjected to X-ray machines being turned up higher, likely multiple passes, and prohibitions from keeping our gear secure and in close proximity, where does the future of travel photography now lie? Digital may solve the x-ray-zapped film problem, but not the security issue - and I'm not real sure I want to travel with a Nikon D1X-sized camera anyway. I like my Leica, and I feel like it may now become an extinct travel species...

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That's absurd. Where did you "hear" the FAA was going to ban carry-on

luggage--in a chat room?

 

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You're entitled to a hand-check of your film at any U.S. airport, and

that's on the basis of the FAA's regs, not your personality. Until

they change or suspend that reg, politely point it out to the

security inspector. Expect a more thorough and time-consuming hand

chack under the new security regime (even before 9/11, at SeaTac they

ran my Tupperware tubs full of film through an explosives sniffer),

and budget more time for it before your flight.

 

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And if all else fails (or you're traveling overseas, where you don't

usually have a right to a hand check), putting your film through a

carry-on scanner isn't a big deal anymore. On my last trip in July, I

had several rolls of Delta 3200 survive multiple passes through carry-

on x-rays machines without any damage. Whatever you do, don't put

film in your checked baggage---the CAT scanners they are increasingly

using for checked bags *will* fry your film.

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<i>I also heard that the FAA is considering a new regulation

prohibiting ANY carry-on items of any type</i><p>

 

I saw this on another photo bulletin board but as far as I can tell,

it is just another rumour. I have found numerous articles about

changes in FAA regulations and the <i>only</i> place this is

referenced is on that photo site. <b>Before spreading more

rumours</b>, find a source. A good article on what will happen can

be found here:<p>

 

<a

href="http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/200

10912/us/attacks_airlines_23.html">Yahoo article.</a><p>

 

I hope everyone and their family and friends are ok.

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I too am concerned about what the new regulations and procedures will

mean for air travel. To be fair to each other, we should wait to see

what the new rules will be but I have heard several times in the past

(following the Pan Am 103 incident, following the TWA 800 incident

which appears to be an accident etc.) when FAA officials SUGGESTED

such a ban on hand-carry items.

 

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How about the hardware - how do the lenses fair with repeated trips

through the X-ray machine?

 

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Only time will tell.

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FYI:

 

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I heard the report about carry-on lugage on CBS news earlier today...

 

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Chuck: I understand your comments -- All I am suggesting is that what

you describe is the way it USED to be. I feel certain that the system

and proceedures we have grown used to will be have changed

dramatically the next time any of us get on a flight.

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I'd say the only changes so far are that you can't carry any knives

on board--not of any kind, even a Swiss Army knife. I imagine we can

still put them in our checked baggage. The other change is, no more

curbside checkin. Fine. small prices to pay. I wouldn't like it if

we couldn't carry on anything, but I'd respect it, in view of the

much higher price the country has recently had to pay. If I have to

settle for putting something expendable in the checked baggage, like

an 8008, I'll gladly do it.

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No more electronic tickets, no more curbside check-in, no more knives

of any size even plastic ones--these were just confirmed. There is

talk of requiring photo ID's to actually board the plane, not just to

get a boarding pass. (Funny if you think of it, as before they would

check your ID diligently before giving you a boarding pass, but then

you could give the pass to anybody and they could enter the plane).

I did not come accross any info about "no carry on" but that the

checking of it will be more intense. I would hate to have a job that

required extensive air travel right now, as the all to common delays

are going to become worse. The increase in security always comes at a

cost, time and convenience go out the window.

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I can't imaging a total ban on carry-ons...For one thing, that would

virtually prohibit travelling with children, as they require LOTS of

carry-on stuff (snacks and drinks, diapers, toys, etc.).

 

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As far as film goes, you are entitled to hand inspection of ANYTHING

you request at U.S. airports, but make it easy for them: remove film

from cardboard and from the plastic cannisters and put it in

ziplock bags (I've had security personnel remove each of two dozen

film rolls from the plastic cannisters -- no fun for me nor for them).

With the film in ziplocks and a bit of polite persistence, I've

managed to always get film hand-inspected, not run through x-ray

machines, even at London's Heathrow, which is notorious for NOT giving

hand inspections, and also in Istanbul, which has military personnel

doing airport security.

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I just happen to be preparing the page for tomorrow's Rocky Mountain

News (Denver) ON THIS SUBJECT: Here is verbatim quote from our story.

It does not address film/cameras per se, but as Jack said, Tuesday

morning (9/11/01) the world turned upside down, and you don't have ANY

rights that aren't in the Constitution.

 

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A. A ban on knives � even plastic � in terminals. This will force food

vendors within the airport to prepare items that need cutting �

lettuce, meat, fruit and vegetables � at another location.

B. Armed U.S. marshals aboard planes.

C. No parking for ��profile vehicles,�� such as an SUV or RV with

tinted windows, or unattended vehicles within 300 feet of the

terminal. Regular passenger vehicles will be kept back 75 feet.

D. Elimination of curbside check-ins.

E. Requiring a boarding pass to get through security checkpoints, so

only passengers will be able to get to gates.

F. A possible ban on carry-on baggage. [note "POSSIBLE" - A.P.]

G. Requiring passengers to check in for their flights up to two hours

ahead of time.

 

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It may be crazy, it may be insupportable, it may be draconian - but it

IS!

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<i>As far as film goes, you are entitled to hand inspection of

ANYTHING you request at U.S. airports, but make it easy for

them</i><p>

 

Have you actually <b>read</b> the appropriate documents? FAR Part

107 allows emergency changes at the discretion of the govenment. You

are not entitled to hand inspection if the FAA deems it so in case of

an emergency.<p>

 

It would really help to read the regulations so that you

<b>understand</b> them rather than just repeating what you may have

seen on the net. Five minutes with the FAR and you could find the

appropriate sections. Click <a

href="http://www.aircraftmarketplace.com/data/fars/far-

107.txt">here</a> and go to section 107.11. Note section (f) in

particular.

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Some more from our story:

 

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"Denver International Airport will gradually return to life beginning

today, but travelers may be shocked at the security changes that two

days have brought.

 

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"The way we will open the airport, when it reopens, will be different

than it ever has been before," Mayor Wellington Webb said Wednesday."

 

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I.E. - "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

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I don't dispute that the FAA can change their security requirements

if necessary, and I don't have any problems with most of the changes

that have been bruted about. I wouldn't particularly care if they

insisted on x-raying the film in my carry-on bag. I can re-learn

eating with my fingers, if they're serious about banning silverware,

plastic or otherwise.

 

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But the notion that they will ban all carry-on luggage doesn't even

bear cursory analysis---it's simply not practical. Business travelers

aren't about to check their notebooks, and in my line of work only

The Doomed would consign client documents to the baggage hold. I

don't know who is floating this idea to the wire services (or

whomever), but it falls into the category of that howler I heard on

one news show tonight---"Sky marshalls for every commercial flight in

the United States!" Sounds neat, but try doing the numbers of how

many people the guv would have to hire and train to cover 40,000

flights a day. They don't crunch.

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Let's not jump to conclusions about whether this or that may or

may not happen. Obviously, this is a rapidly developing situation

and a national emergency, so we'll just have to wait and see. We

still getting bits and pieces of information. Only time will tell how

we will all be affected.

 

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And I know everyone means well (and this is not meant as a

personal attack to any members of this fantastic forum), but in

the face of this disaster, worrying about whether or not I can get

a hand inspection of my film or whether or not I can have a

carry-on bag seems a trivial matter. I work at a building adjacent

to the north tower of the WTC and after seeing the kind of

carnage and destruction that occured on Tuesday, I know that

things must change. What that means to me as a photographer

and how I accomplish my assignments, I don't know yet. And

frankly, part of me really doesn't care right now. I apologize for

souring the mood -- this forum has always been a great

resource for information.

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Chuck: Ummm.... As of tonight, there are ZERO flights and ZERO

passengers per day. Midway Airlines just went out of business - gone,

like the WTC.

 

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There is not going to be 'business as usual' in the American air

travel industry for a long, long time. I will bet you that it will be

3 years - at least - before we are anywhere close to 40,000 flights a

day again.

 

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That list wasn't from a wire service - it was our reporter talking to

Denver International officials about the restrictions they will be

operating under this (Thursday) morning in order to get FAA permission

to reopen.

 

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The FAA is going to run a 'safe' air industry. If that means 500

flights a day NATIONWIDE (with air marshals), that's what will be

available, until they can ratchet up the number while maintaining

safety. A business traveler who "isn't about to check his notebook" is

likely to get a visit to the little room labeled "Security" - and

catch a later flight (if (s)hes lucky.)

 

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It may not be that bad. There may be no carry-on ban if the FAA

figures they can avoid it and maintain safety. It may be possible to

get hand inspections as the shock wears off, especially if we help out

with the plastic baggie trick. But whether business or other

travellers "like" it or not will cut very little ice with the FAA.

 

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The paradigm shifted when that fireball blew out the side of the South

Tower. In the old 1940's phrase, "S'matter? Don't you know there's a

war on?"

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Off the cuff...

 

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Unless you have small children or a baby, what's the big deal with no

carry-on luggage? Just pack to check everything in.

 

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Worried about the safety of a briefcase or cameras etc? I'm sure

luggage choices will develop to make that convenient as well. No

laptop? Use a notebook-yes the paper kind. No cutlery? Think you are

at McDonalds and eat with your hands-the food is usually worse

anyway :-)

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Some of us without children need to be distracted also.

 

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Having no carry on baggage will significantly increase the ammount of

booze sold on plane flights. One carry one bag is my camera gear (I

don't want to have to check it, but if I have to, so be it) and the

other is a few necessities, laptop, and the rest is stuff to keep me

occupied on cross country flights. Six hours of reading the inflight

magazines is going to be pretty boring.

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I could live with CTX5000 scans of carry-on luggage if necessary,

although it's the end of silver-based photography. But the prohibition

of <i>any</i> carry-on luggage? Well, people in Germany use to

think of civil rights as something that is granted by a generous

government which may revoke them at any time, and is obliged to do so

under certain circumstances. So don't give any ideas to my

paranoid representatives :-(</p>What about a book, carried in the

hand, to be taken aboard, Josh? I'm ready to set a precedent by

refusing to check my breviary: if I must not take it aboard, freedom

of religion is violated IMHO as I insist on my right to pray the

liturgy of the hours...</p>Mani, your suggestion that "luggage choices

will develop to make that [checking cameras etc.] convenient" sounds

nice, but what can stop thieves from taking an entire gym bag or

suitcase?

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Good grief - as if there was no life before laptop computers! As

well, to the comment about more booze on the airlines. It's already

been announced a month ago (more to do with air rage) that in the

future liquor sales will be limited on flights.

I too agree that considering the tradgedy that has just happened, and

the attendent loss in life - that worrying about whether you'll be

able to carry on your precious laptop is just a wee bit selfish.

There will be lots of time to figure this stuff out. Right now

instead of worrying about trivials - do something usefull such as

donate blood.

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Andy: I must take exception to your characterization of the failure

of Midway Airlines. You stated that "Midway Airlines just went out of

business - gone, like the WTC." As someone who watched the Pentagon

burn before it was broadcast on television, I cannot see the parallel

between a foreseen business failure, where people lost their

replaceable jobs, and the unforeseen terrorist attacks against the WTC

and the Pentagon, where thousands lost their lives.

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Like I mentioned in a previous thread--whenever security measures are

increased, personal freedom gets sacrificed, and whether all these

things being implemented (that will make air travel more unpleasant

than ever) will actually prevent something like what just happened is

still doubtful in my mind. To come up with a system that will locate

and stop all of the few potential high jackers out of several million

regular air travelers is a near impossible task. I also know they

have to try. How the airline business is going to stay IN business

is a question I have. Like it or not, we are going to have to come to

grips with the fact that we are vulnerable here in the US, and there

may be little we can do about it.

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If I ever get to take my Leica M on board again, I certainly hope that

the security "professionals" will do more than insist that I take my

lens cap off so they can look through the "viewfinder!" Training for

security personnel ought to include some technical information about

some of the things we bring aboard, like cameras.

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