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[OM] Warning: flying into (and out of) the UK

Subject: [OM] Warning: flying into (and out of) the UK
From: Thomas Heide Clausen <T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 12 May 2003 11:56:23 +0200
Guys,

Just a warning for those of you flying in and out of the UK.....don't
:) !

I recently had an urgent (and time-wise pressed) visit to London - of
course on a day when the Eurostar train connection was not running
due to scheduled maintenance. Thus, I picked a British Airways flight
from Paris to London Gatwick. I believe I was leaving a wednesday
from Paris, returning (also by air) sunday.

I brought a minimal photo setup along, including some "fast" film
which I knew that I would get to use on this particular occation. In
Charles de Gaule Airport, there were no problems: requesting a
hand-check was accomodated with a smile (I was at the gate well in
advance, of course and I had a reasonable 5 films to have
hand-checked) and once clear of security it went into the led
bags for protection while flying to the UK. All fine and good.

Return was a different matter, though. I did not have time to have
the films processed while in London, so I had to carry them home.
Again, I went early and asked to have a hand-check. This was bluntly
refused with "the machine is film safe". I refused, quoting previous
experiences with fogged film and asked again for a hand-check. 

This time, the security guy thought it appropriate to state that
"passengers like you are really annoying me, our machines do not fog
film, I do not know where you have that information 'cause it is not
true". Again, quoting past experiences caused this particular
individual to utter further unpleasanties about my person - at which
point I gave up and accepted to have the film xrayed. Well, almost
all of them. I had one roll in my pant pocket (one with important
shots on), which I hoped would not set off the metal detector. It
didn't :)

Once clear of the checkpoint, I asked to see a security supervisor,
who basically backed up what his front-line-man had said, adding that
"while in the air, your film will receive more xray than our machines
will give it" and "Kodak certifies this machine to be safe" - as well
as "we are not allowed to hand-check films, all has to go through
xray" !!!

Sighs....

In the lounge, I did the usual "repack into led bags" and marked the
film that had not been through X-rays. Then flew home. 

Now, having had the films processed, let's play "guess the outcome":

Of the 5 "fast" films I was carrying, 4 were fogged to a point where
they are effectively wasted. One is perfect.....that being the one I
had in my pocket while clearing security.

Time to write a letter of complaint to the british airport authority,
I think.

So in summary: do not fly out of the UK with sensitive material. The
security people are anal, apparently enforcing rules which are not
corresponding with those of other european countries (and even in the
US, I have no big issues getting hand-checks when I ask politely).
One would assume that the UK would allign itself with either iths
European peers or with the US - but no :(

Ohh...the famous "fast" film, you ask? Provia 400 pushed to 1600 ISO.
Yep, that's right, nothing exotic and well within what "they" usually
claim is safe. Yet it is not the first time that I have had this film
fogged by airport xrays, hence my reluctanse.

Of course, I did lug OMs along too, but they were cause for no alarm
:)

-- 

-------------------------------------------
  Thomas Heide Clausen
  Civilingeniør i Datateknik (cand.polyt)
  M.Sc in Computer Engineering

  E-Mail: T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
  WWW:    http://www.cs.auc.dk/~voop
-------------------------------------------

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