Page 1 of 6 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 54

Thread: Airport X-Rays, Part II

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    633

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    Hello all, thanks for your suggestions and comments to my wife's posting about airport x-rays. I had a terrible experience at Seattle's airport, leaving for a 4-day shooting trip with $500 worth of 8x10 Provia-- the nazi security guard said my two choices were to open the film and show it to him, or put it through the x-ray machine. So after a lot of shouting my film all went through the x-ray machine, prompting distressed phone calls to various labs around the country and my wife's posting here. After receiving encouragement from lots of people who have had film x-rayed without problems, I went and used the film on my shoot, and some of it was x-rayed a second time on the way back home (ten sheets that were still in the holders).

    As a side note, with only one exception (which is Dublin), every other airport I have been through in the world has used the swabbing machines to inspect boxes of sheet film, but for some reason the Seattle TSA nazis think they need to actually see the film. In Dublin they opened the boxes and felt the film inside the unopened paper sleeve; other airports have opened the sleeve inside a changing bag and felt it manually; the loser in Seattle would not even allow that-- he said he had to SEE the film, to ensure against "bodily injury to your fellow passengers". The longest string of expletives I could think of would pale in comparison to how angry and violated I felt getting that kind of treatment in my own hometown airport.

    But, the good news is that none of the x-raying caused any damage to the film. The exposures are fine, with no visible fogging or other defects. In the future my plan is to FedEx the film to the shooting location, if possible, and then FedEx it back home again, but in a pinch at least the x-ray machines in Seattle and New Orleans don't damage 100 speed film.

    I have also just been told that if you join the ASMP ($350 per year), they give you a press-pass kind of certificate that gets you through airport security more easily. I don't know if this is true, or if it would work with the Seattle TSA subhumans, but I'm going to do some research and will report back.

    Regards,

    ~cj

    www.chrisjordan.com

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    184

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    Sorry it was such a headache - but I'm glad everything came out fine. I don't recall from your wife's post...was this a pro job, or personal? Do we get to see the images?

  3. #3

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    This is what happens when you give a person making $7.00 an hour power without the knowledge of how to wield it.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Luxembourg
    Posts
    319

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    I can't help it, but I feel I have to write this:

    No matter how bad you were treated and how humiliating it is not to be allowed to get a proper handcheck, I think you should neither call a person "nazi (twice), loser or subhuman" nor write it in a public forum. Honestly, I was shocked about that.

    And, remember, your film was ok!

  5. #5

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    Chris, I'm very surprised that you didn't know that the x ray machine doesn't dammage the film. So much was written about it. Your reaction was that of a beginner traveler or a beginner photographer. I agree with Aender about the obscenity of your outburts.

  6. #6

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    Purposefully leaving the adjectives alone, there are conclusions to this saga:

    1) Each airport has the latitude to screen passengers as they please. There is no standard for reasonableness as it can get even worse any time.
    2) X rays and film do not mix irrespective of the ASA. Fortunately, the delivered strength is modest enough many (so far) do not detect the negative affects.
    3) Fed Ex and overnight carriers are the only viable insurance against a catostrophic event with your film.
    4) Invest in a lead shipping shield because it is only a metter of time for when you might need it.

    Carry on!

  7. #7

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    Michael,
    a lead-lined bag is the worse solution to the problem - the machine will then increase the dose to penetrate it & one cannot be certain whether the larger exposure will damage the film.

    I can't speak for travellers in the USA , but in Europe carry-on xray machines will not damage film unless it's particulary fast (which Provia isn't). However, if the private courier companies like FedEx guarantee not to subject your packages to X-rays, they would seem to be the safer option & if you took US$500 worth of film on a four day shoot I can only assume it was a commercial job so the carriage costs would be borne by the client.

  8. #8

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    George,

    I've had 100ISO film ruined by xrays......so please, keep the newbie comments to yourself. If I was travelling with $500 of sheets, I'd be concerned too. And remember, in the USA, it is your RIGHT to DEMAND a hand inspection. The fool of security guard should be fired for not following FAA regulations.

    I have no pitty for their lack of understanding of the law. They should know it before being placed on the front lineup as a security official. Sorry, this goon, or whatever you want to call him, should be fired and replaced with another trained chimp who can follow simple rules.

    Thanks for vent. And better luck on your next trip Chris.

  9. #9
    Louie Powell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Saratoga Springs, NY
    Posts
    865

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    This is a very emotional subject, and unfortunately, when emotion gets involved, reason, common sense, and ordinary human courtesies go out the window.

    There are legitimate concerns about explosives being smuggled onboard airplanes. I have had the terrifying experience of having to evacuate an airplane (down the escape chutes - in the rain, no less) becaue of a threat of explosives - and I don't care to repeat that experience. I was also traveling at the time of the 9/11 attacks and ended up forceably separated from my family for several weeks as a result. So I appreciate the efforts of our government to assure that nothing inappropriate gets on board the aircraft.

    On the other hand, there are rules that the TSA is supposed to follow regarding hand-inspection of photosensitive materials, and it appears that the inspector was either ignorant of those rules, or else he chose make up the crazy story about not doing hand inspections in order to save himself the hassle. In either instance, the appropriate action is to request that a supervisor get involved.

    Hand inspection takes time - and it is essential that a traveler who wants hand inspection allow enough time for that to take place.

    But I suspect that there was another issue involved in this situation. Seattle is notorious for having extremely long lines at its security checkpoints. The unfortunate design of the terminal (which predates inspection) forces all passengers to go through one of two check points - and since that airport handles a lot of traffic, the lines at security are unusually long. So it is possible that the inspector saw the hoards of people who were waiting for inspection, and chose to simply fabricate a story in order to avoid having to take longer to do a hand inspection. If so, he ought to be fired. Again, the appropriate action is to request that a supervisor get involved.

    Finally, about lead bags. Lead bags will reduce the intensity of the x-ray exposure on the contents of the bag, and they will also cause the x-ray operator to be unable to see the contents. However, the notion that the operator can then increase the strength of the x-ray field to be able to see through the bag is totally wrong - the strength of the x-ray field is fixed both by federal regulation and as a safety consideration. The operator has only three choices - he can increase the contrast of the image on his screen to try to perceive what is in the bag, he can require that the luggage be sent through the machine for a second (or third, or fourth) look, or he can divert the bag for hand inspection. But he cannot increase the strength of the x-rays!

  10. #10

    Airport X-Rays, Part II

    My comment about the lead bag was intended to use it in an overnight shipment (ie Fed Ex) as insurance against then telling me that they will NOT X Ray these packages particularly when going to Europe or other overseas locations. My point is that you really do not know and finding out over a light table after much hard work has been expended is completely unacceptable.

    I have had 100 ASA film adversely damaged by X Rays in only one pass. I remember the screener was getting a second opinion from a supervisor as the conveyor belt went back and forth with my bag on the screen for an extended period. I could tell the difference in the subtle qualities of viewing the negative and how it subsequently printed. Never again as I learned my lesson. Can you absolutely guarantee that your film will be run through the machine quickly on one pass? The longer they keep it in the energy field, the more likely it will reach unacceptable levels of artificially induced fog.

    Many continue to feel that there is a certain amount of exposure to this energy field that is acceptable to lower ASA photographic emulsions through screenings at airports and my opinion is still that the process is damaging to any film. The degree and the perception of the final product is highly subjective. If you are a risk taker in life, then by all means go for it. But do so fully cognizant of the adverse consequences.

    I think that Chris learned his lesson on this one and we should all adhere to his conclusions.

    Cheers and Safe Travels!

Similar Threads

  1. More Airport - new TSA regs?
    By Donal Taylor in forum Location & Travel
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 26-Apr-2005, 18:43
  2. X-Rays and Sheet Film
    By scambug in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 6-Apr-2002, 00:30
  3. LF film through airport
    By David Gardner in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 10-Jun-2001, 10:42
  4. quickloads at airport
    By tao in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 7-Jun-2001, 12:28
  5. Airport X-Rays and precious film!
    By Kevin V. Blasi in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 29-Jun-2000, 11:15

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •