Film exposed in hand inspection

[Greg Blank]

In 1998 I went to New Mexico via plane with the 4x5, I took the unexposed boxed film and it was x-rayed. I loaded the holders, in darkbag, or in the hotel room bath room taping the door frame to ommit stray light.

BW was fine, some of the color negative stuff had wierd color and was denser than normal- I attributed to unfamiliar lighting- I shot slide film also and some was more blue, some was dead on- my guess was it was just the higher elevations- my roll film 35mm slides were good.

I was careful regarding leaving film in the sun. I had all my color film processed at Carl's Darkroom in Albuquerque. I Fedex' my B&W back to me on the East coast.

In 2005 I flew to Monterey, I bought my film This time readyloads locally think I called ahead and reserved the film, then Fedex'd it back. If I had had more time that trip probably would have had it processed in California.

With the amount of labs in the US, you really should have it processed before traveling home IMOP. Many places overseas have good labs and film suppliers you just need investigate. If no labs or stores exist, consider shipping separate from your travel.

Sounds like knowledge gained through a graduate course at the School of Hard Knocks.

Also perhaps the best advice yet offered.

[Frank Doering]

Thanks for the sympathy and the kind advice about what to do next time I fly with film. What I need is advice about how to go after the TSA efficiently and effectively.

Re. developing abroad: Last time I tried that was at a well-reputed lab in Berlin in March. They botched 30 sheets by ludicrously uneven development.

Re. sending film to myself: My 25-year experience sending any number of things across the Atlantic is not encouraging.

Re. implications that I am a fool having asked for hand inspection in the first place: (a) I wouldn't have if it hadn't been offered; (b) my foolishness doesn't excuse the TSA one iota.

[GPS]

Thanks for the sympathy and the kind advice about what to do next time I fly with film. What I need is advice about how to go after the TSA efficiently and effectively.

Re. developing abroad: Last time I tried that was at a well-reputed lab in Berlin in March. They botched 30 sheets by ludicrously uneven development.

Re. sending film to myself: My 25-year experience sending any number of things across the Atlantic is not encouraging.

Re. implications that I am a fool having asked for hand inspection in the first place: (a) I wouldn't have if it hadn't been offered; (b) my foolishness doesn't excuse the TSA one iota.

You seem to have certain impatience about getting your wanted advice. What I find strange and dumb is the fact that you didn't even care to answer the most logical question (bad enough you didn't even care to mention it in your first post) about how the film in your box was packaged (see the post n.8)...

[Daniel Stone]

duct tape the boxes before flying. give the TSA something to "chew" on before you can let them open it.

-Dan

[rdenney]

Thanks for the sympathy and the kind advice about what to do next time I fly with film. What I need is advice about how to go after the TSA efficiently and effectively.

Re. developing abroad: Last time I tried that was at a well-reputed lab in Berlin in March. They botched 30 sheets by ludicrously uneven development.

Re. sending film to myself: My 25-year experience sending any number of things across the Atlantic is not encouraging.

Re. implications that I am a fool having asked for hand inspection in the first place: (a) I wouldn't have if it hadn't been offered; (b) my foolishness doesn't excuse the TSA one iota.

The TSA is a government agency. Those who work for the TSA do not know a thing about sheet film, and many no nothing about film at all beyond what the TSA public-affairs office publishes. You can stick to your thesis and go to war, but I would suggest that many waves have crashed on that rocky shore. Or, you can realize that the TSA inspectors know nothing about sheet film and do what it takes to work within their ignorance instead of kicking the dirt about it.

That's why you've gotten the responses you've gotten.

Maybe you believe government is too big and powerful, and you would find lots of people who would agree with that thesis. But that is a philosophical argument to be addressed at a higher level than film damaged by one TSA inspector.

I am a government employee and I know what it takes for a government agency to be responsible and to provide compensation. Do you want to make that your full-time occupation? How much money do you have to spend? There is no constitutional guarantee against what was very likely accidental damage to exposed sheet film. I'm not even sure the government can be held responsible for its torts unless personal injury (versus property damage) was involved. If you sued, that fact might result in a summary judgment against you before the civil trial even started. And I do know that the government has to show gross negligence in order to be held liable for their torts, meaning that they had to have actual or constructive knowledge of a defect that caused the injury. It is reasonable to expect an unsealed box to contain light-sensitive materials, even if you present it for hand inspection? Is it reasonable for a TSA agent to know what it means for something to be light-sensitive? Did you tell the agent, "You MUST NOT open this box, or you will RUIN exposed film"? Was the box clearly sealed? Did you assume that the agent would know this through common sense? You have a tough proposition to prove, it seems to me.

Even labs offer no more guarantee against film-handling mishaps than replacement of the film, and they are trained in this particular issue.

These are challenging times for air travel, and it is likely that there is no really good solution. Like I said, I know musicians who risk their $20,000 instruments, with a very high likelihood of damage and at very high cost for both the excess baggage fee and for the insurance they buy to allow recovery. And they are not traveling for fun and getting a check from an insurance company doesn't solve the main problem caused by the damage. Be glad that you have at least some alternatives, and that there may be ways to avoid the problem in the future.

But if you must carry on the battle, knock yourself out.

Rick "who has done a bit of dirt-kicking of his own at times" Denney

[Frank Doering]

Thanks Rick. Yes, I did explain that the boxes contained exposed sheets of film and could absolutely not be opened.

GPS, the film was between two Kodak cardboard sheets, held together by a rubber band, inside standard three-piece Kodak film boxes. Kodak boxes, unlike Ilford's, don't come with reusable light-proof plastic bags inside.

[GPS]

Thanks Rick. Yes, I did explain that the boxes contained exposed sheets of film and could absolutely not be opened.

GPS, the film was between two Kodak cardboard sheets, held together by a rubber band, inside standard three-piece Kodak film boxes. Kodak boxes, unlike Ilford's, don't come with reusable light-proof plastic bags inside.

Frank, hold your axe of war until you get the film back from the lab. Who knows...

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for the sympathy and the kind advice about what to do next time I fly with film. What I need is advice about how to go after the TSA efficiently and effectively.

Re. developing abroad: Last time I tried that was at a well-reputed lab in Berlin in March. They botched 30 sheets by ludicrously uneven development.

Re. sending film to myself: My 25-year experience sending any number of things across the Atlantic is not encouraging.

Re. implications that I am a fool having asked for hand inspection in the first place: (a) I wouldn't have if it hadn't been offered; (b) my foolishness doesn't excuse the TSA one iota.

If you really want advice about "how to go after the TSA efficiently and effectively," you should be talking to a lawyer, not asking for on-line advice from a bunch of photographers.

[David Luttmann]

Hmmm, you have to ask what the average intelligence level is of these people. Let's see....."DON'T OPEN THE BOX".....so they open the box.

I don't know about you, but if they can't follow a simple instruction like that, I don't feel any safety at all in the hands of those people.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

TSA is the best reason yet for an all-digital workflow for commercial photography pros, and Quickloads for those of us still into LF who must occasionally fly.