not so funny story about TSA and a photographer

[ellis_vener_photography]

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1833

[garydem]

my question is: thanks to 9/11 why would you expect anything different? those airport security people are not photogs and wouldn't know what the wires and other electric gear was.i am supprised that the security people didnot put the bag owner in a locked room and get the bomb squad to that room. that way if it explodes you go up with it.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Well that would make the TSA people judge jury and executioner, and despite the fear mongers in the White House ( and the Afghanistan based Taliban and Al Queda leaders they let escape) best efforts that isn't goignto happen in the USA.

 

I've flown several times with simialr gear as have hundreds of other professional photogrpahers and journalists and not had this happen. I put it down to a rookie TSA inspector (OooHHWEE! Lookie here! A bunch of wires! must be a bomb!)

[warrenlewis]

Without getting into right or wrong, there is a sensible solution. Give TSA a heads up as to what you are carrying, and ask for a hand search. I've been doing this for years without a hitch.

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

Too bad so sad. Frustrating.

 

Fortunately it hasn't happened to me but perhaps I don't fly as frequently as these folks.

 

They have choices. Fed X overnight if you have to. It beats what they went through.

 

One thing I do, and I know I could lose my stuff, but any equipment I check I mark on the

outside of the bag "photography equipment inside." I leave the bag unlocked, although

TSA approved locks can be purchased. If the bag is inspected I have business cards taped

so as the inspector can see that has my cell #. If need be they can call me. I've put my

lighting gear into a golf bag and you'd be surprised what can be stuffed into one. I'd

probably do just as well on a golf course with my lighting gear as I would with clubs!

 

Valuable stuff such as cameras I get into one carry on, a pelican 1510. It fits nicely in the

overhead. I get quite a bit of stuff in the bag. It's unlocked. And I've never had it

inspected since going 100% digital. When I was film the film would always ring bells and

get tested.

 

Maybe I'm lucky. Maybe it's my ugly looks. But these are people and I treat them like any

of my clients.

[Mary Doo]

This year TSA opened my checked-in bag every time even when there was no tripod. As mentioned in the linked article, I think it's because of the wirings for the photo gadgets such as card reader, external drives, chargers for batteries, cell phone, and GPS. Perhaps I should consider hand-carrying most of these wires. This is crazy but has become part of the hassles of life.

 

Mary

[danielleetaylor]

My brother no longer takes any bags with him when he is flying. He uses FedEx or UPS exclusively for his luggage.

 

I don't blame him.

[danielleetaylor]

You know what? Maybe a partial solution to this whole mess is to have airlines ship luggage separately on purpose. It would dramatically reduce the risk of bombs getting on a passenger plane. And shipping companies have a far better record of getting packages delivered on time.

 

Your luggage would probably be at your hotel before you were.

[frank_skomial]

Mess of wires will always be a suspect, like one in Eileen's photo.

 

Always place cables neatly packed and will be less chance of suspicion.

[matt_mccarthy3]

Could take Amtrak....you can also get away from the screaming baby and head for the lounge

car when you're stuck sitting somewhere, and can't get out.

[bob_flood1]

Those TSA workers are between a rock and a hard place. The current crop of inspectors aren't knowledgable about specialzized hardware like modern lighting hardware and lots of other technical stuff people need to travel with these days, and they're never going to be. But you can bet that every news agency, civic group, politician, and average citizen will want the ones at the airport that let a bomb on board crucified in public. There job is to be careful in defense of all the people who get onto airplanes at their airport.

 

And the staffer at the check-in x-ray machine absolutely can never tell you why they are really taking so long with your bag - others with earshot, on hearing a truthful "there's someone thing in there that's suspicious" will initiate what could become wholesale panic by a large crowd.

 

TSA hurts their credibility with their inconsistencies, where they tell you that this thing they're doing and that you've never seen before is not standard procedure, but you didn't see it for yesterday's flight and won't tomorrow. I have to be hand-frisked every time I fly because my artificial joints always set off the metal detectors, and the variety of "standard" procedures I encounter can't help but make me wonder why they've not been able to get a handle on this.

 

Nevertheless, not one of those TSA agents is doing those inpections or keeping things safe for themselves - they are protecting the travelers and no one else. They may be a headache, but there's no one more on your side.

 

A contract service tech who is also a friend flies 125-150k miles a year and always tells the people at check-in what's in the equipment case, and says that goes a long way to smooth things.

[mendel_leisk]

What's TSA?

[phyrpowr]

I'd just like to say I've flown a decent amount since 9/11, and am very pleased with TSA.

 

I just say "photo gear" and they seem to know what's what, unlike the "private sector" security most airports formerly had, who did NOT, and who often had a hard time with English

[jonathan_walker]

I tend to cut the TSA people a break. They're not PhDs in electrical engineering -- and at the amount they pay them they're never going to be. They have a vital job and they have to deal with a lot of snotty people and I would not want to be in their shoes if they miss something.

[leopoldstotch]

<p><i>"What's TSA?"</i></p>

<p>This <a href="http://www.google.com">link</a> will easily answer that for you.</p>

[ted_marcus1]

If you have to travel with equipment that has a lot of wiring, spending the (substantial) money to FedEx it each and every time might be the wisest investment you can make. Come to think of it, if you have to fly with or without equipment that has a lot of wiring, spending the money to FedEx it each and every time might be the wisest investment you can make. It certainly seems like a better idea than conspicuously marking an unlocked checked bag with "PHOTO EQUIPMENT-- FEEL FREE TO HELP YOURSELF!"

[ted_marcus1]

<i>TSA hurts their credibility with their inconsistencies, where they tell you that this thing they're doing and that you've never seen before is not standard procedure, but you didn't see it for yesterday's flight and won't tomorrow.</i>

 

<p>The TSA seems to have recognized that the traveling public has not merely noticed the inconsistency but insists on calling undue attention to it. So the head of the TSA called in a marketing consultant who advised him to re-brand the inconsistency as a "Security Strategy." What looks to the uninformed passenger like arbitrary and capricious implementation that varies considerably between screeners is actually a deliberate policy of "unpredictability" designed to make it much more difficult for terrorists to exploit weakenesses in the system. Of course, this "Security Strategy" also makes it much more difficult for the overwhelming majority of non-terrorist passengers to know which of their belongings will be allowed at any particular moment, but that's a minor price well worth paying for significant protection from the terrorist threat.

 

<p>You might think I'm making that up, but unfortunately I'm not. While the remark about the marketing consultant spinning highly visible incompetence into highly effective protection is mere speculation, the TSA has indeed announced that "unpredictability" is an essential element of their "Security Strategy." If this "Security Strategy" ever does accomplish anything beyond annoying millions of people, it will be due to dumb luck rather than smart design.

 

<p>The best strategy for travelers, of course, is to choose destinations that don't require flying. Airlines seem to be doing their best to outdo the TSA in making flying an ordeal. Instead of a foreign trip, why not consider the photographic opportunities in your home town.

[bert_f]

Learn the "rules of the road" guys.

 

A recent survey found that people fear the TSA and the US officials more than the people they collectively call "terrorists".

 

Stay away from the US. Peace of mind.

[jonathan_walker]

A recent survey? Bert, I think you can do better than that.

 

Whose survey, and where was it published?

[thomas_hardy1]

Flying in the US is a heck of a lot better, than say out of Charles de Gaulle which I did this

past June. What a nightmare.

[tony bell]

Either accept the way things are or stop traveling. It really isn't that difficult.

[matthew_newton]

I will have to agree that traveling through Europe has more headaches then in the US. US airport security seems to vary depending on the airport and time of day which can be annoying, but in Europe it is uniformly strict and intolerant. To a degree that can be a good thing, but just once I would love to find a screener that will just hand inspect my film instead of insisting to pass it through the Xray machine (sometimes more then once, had that happen in Genoa).

[thomas_hardy1]

Inspect or X-ray film.

 

I had film x-rayed so much on my trip to Europe I'm surprised it wasn't fogged to

death. Now I either go digital or just don't worry about the film being scanned.