mat123. .. you make a very valid point.

I ALWAYS travel with about 30 rolls of film, and carry them and small camera in those double thickness lead lined bags, "X Ray Proof" sold in all camera stores.

Firstly, if it goes thru the X Ray the operator sees ZIPPO. 100% ZIPPO. Just a large solid black object about the size of a Macdonalds takeaway bag.

Bag could contain, 3 or 4 grenades, or couple handguns, 20-40 or so sizeable knives, a couple of anti-personnell mines etc.

About one in 4 agents wants to actually LOOK inside the bag, which I'm real pleased they do ... the other 3 out of 4 agents terrify me at HOW slack they are.

Worse still, I always use fast 400 or 800 ASA film, so where I can I try, to have bag hand inspected and not passed thru X Ray machine to avoid residual deterioration, which is a real issue. Especially in less developed countries. "Film Safe" in Laos, Cuba, Romania, Vietnam, Guatemala, Cambodia -oh yeah sure, who's kidding who!?

Anyway, most times I place bag in the plastic basket at side of archway, walk thru, and casually and nonchalently pick up bag on way to fetch my X-Rayed carry on. About 10% of the time someone asks to look inside that bag. 90% of the time - ZIPPO. No-one npotices, cares or bothers. Airport security is frankly a joke at most airports. (I exclude here El Al flights - they are 'famous'!)

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~ Glen ~

[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 02-04-2001).]