UKtravelbear

do you mean a STEB or an ordinary plastic bag?

HighwayToHEL

A STEB (sorry, didn't know they had a name). Looks like I can buy a box of 200 from Amazon for £179.

buy from Amazon. fill a champagne bottle with dodgy liquid, rock up at T5A and go to security, merging into the same queue that comes from fasttrack immigration escalator.

No?

KARFA

These bags are only at duty free shops airside behind the till counter or onboard planes for duty free purchase. Also they are supposed to include the receipt which shows the purchase was made within the last 24 hours.

where are you seeing them available to take at will?

HighwayToHEL

I recall it being one of the Scandinavian airports but I don't recall which one. But they seem to be freely available:


My bag did contain the receipt but it was poorly printed and barely legible.

Banana4321

How are you still using film for stills?

Can really only see this as an issue for runners with rushes dashing back from location...

corporate-wage-slave

A small proportion of the photos I upload to FT are taken on Agfa's Vista Plus film.

thebigben

Film is fun! Film cameras are relatively cheap... and shooting medium format I can print out gigantic 150x100cm posters with my vacation snaps on them

wilsnunn

I use a 1980 Nikon EM film camera for some of my photos these days. With new lenses on it is rather fun!

corporate-wage-slave

Just following on from a somewhat random post elsewhere by HighwayToHEL that EDI is also now trialling the new CT scanner. It's only on one of the two fast track lines and you are most likely to encounter it in the mornings.

HighwayToHEL

Yeah sorry, was typing on my phone from the restaurant in Bangalore

The layout has all changed and it's a brand new room that has the "jet shaped" security scanner. I was there for the 07:45 QR to DOH on Monday morning, which is when the normal secondary (fast track) security zone is open. I'm not sure if this was in lieu of that zone.

I was quite pleased to try it, but there does seem to be a bit of improvement needed, I think the staff were still finding their feet as there seemed to be a lot of bags going for validation. Hopefully it'll be proven to be a success as it does have a lot of potential.

corporate-wage-slave

That side room area is over a year old now, it's not brand new, but the CT scanner arrived a few weeks ago. This is in fact the crew scanning area but also used by fast track passengers too at peak times. They sometimes run both fast tracks, in which case it's only those that use the external fast track stair case by the tram stop or MS carpark bridge that get to use it. The room is also opened on (e.g.) Fridays on school holiday peaks.

It's quite normal that it's a bit slower to begin with, the staff are still getting used to it. It was similar for the AMS rollout too. As noted upthread, the CT scanner doesn't necessarily save time on the scan process, every item of interest still needs to be identified, it is just that by the time you factor in tray sorting, liquid errors and "trying it on", the CT scanner is supposed to be quicker overall. It's certainly more convenient, but it's interesting they haven't put into the First Wing yet, most people there are competent and so it wouldn't add much there.

leaveamessage

Sort of related....does anybody here happen to know the max width of items that will fit through the scanners at T5 / T3?

Have some artwork I need to bring back to the US and checking in is not an option for various reasons. Did the same maybe seven or eight years ago from T1 and it fitted fine, but obviously things change.

crazyarmadillo

Assuming they are the same ones as have been trialled in some US airports, they appear the same size, but longer than the regular old ones.
Edit Just realised you are talking about the existing ones. Ignore that then

HighwayToHEL

I just used the new scanner at EDI again, and yes, it’s the same room as the old FT but it’s all been rejigged with new walls and a totally different layout, and that’s what threw me last week.

Apparently they have had two software updates since last week.

Much better today. In my single tray (the trays are a good size, especially compared with places like IAD) I had a laptop bag on one side (laptop inside) and on the other side a coat with a small rucksack on top; rucksack has toiletries - small tube toothpaste and a spray deodorant. My phone was also in the
tray.

The tray went straight down the normal belt and wasn’t singled out for inspection - although I was given a pat-down. There were also less people waiting around, although being a Tuesday not a Monday that will have made quite an impact.

But overall it worked very well.

nldogbert

I asked last week when passing through the First security about when they plan to roll this out and he said that it'll most probably not be this year as they are not satisfied with it....which I was surprised as some airports in Europe have adopted this especially AMS. He said that UK is different and they take security very seriously which I was left with my mouth open...
not sure to take his info with a pinch of salt or....but indeed I do find lots of things in the UK are different compared to Continent Europe...some good some tedious... Especially on these procedural items....

Cheers