X-Ray mail

[Actor]

The word I have is that the Post Office is planning to start irradiating all mail before the end of 2002. The idea is to kill Anthrax with X-Rays. Maybe they are already doing it. I think anything strong enough to kill Anthrax will probably erase film and video tape as well. Does anyone know of any labs that have addressed this issue? Has anyone had a problem?


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[supa_ate_sixteen]

I'm sure if it involves exposing unprocessed film, Kodak will actually take some action. At least I hope.

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[Actor]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
As far as travelling goes, the short advice is, carry your film with you and have it hand-inspected.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I asked for hand inspection of my film and was flat out refused. This was last Saturday.

My solution to this problem has been to buy my film after I get there and have it processed locally before I return. This is not possible with movie film. Kodak has always shipped it to me by UPS and I've always mailed it to the lab. But if FedEx, UPS and the USPS all start irradiating everything, what can be done?




[This message has been edited by Actor (edited March 20, 2002).]

[blackangus1]

Last time I was in a photo store there was a flyer, I think it may have been from Kodak, warning about this very thing and recommending a lead-shielded pouch for transporting film in. There's a link to a technical bulletin from Kodak right on the front of their website. The actual bulletin is at: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/servi.../tib5201.shtml

As far as travelling goes, the short advice is, carry your film with you and have it hand-inspected. If you must check it in baggage, use a lead-lined pouch -- but that's still no guarantee. They are advising us to take this issue quite seriously.

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[This message has been edited by blackangus1 (edited March 20, 2002).]

[Matt Pacini]

Yeah, well I just got this from Kodak.
The really bad thing is, this also ruins PROCESSED FILM, and FILM OF ANY SPEED.

Bad, bad news. I don't know what we're supposed to do.
Maybe this whole World Trade Center attack is just a conspiracy from all the digital video camera companies, to finally kill film once and for all!

Matt Pacini
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Dear Matt:

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY

AIRPORT X-RAY SECURITY and MOTION PICTURE FILM

Please be aware that high-security x-ray machines (such as the CTX 5500)
will fog and ruin all unprocessed film of any speed whether exposed or not.

Travelers should politely insist on hand-inspection of their film. Carry
a changing bag for use by the inspector and demonstrate how it is used
with a can of fogged film as an example. However, there is no guarantee
that your request will be granted by local inspectors who may insist on
x-ray inspection. Hand inspection may not be permitted in some airports
outside the U.S.

'DO NOT X-RAY' LABELS
Click below for a template of "Do Not X-Ray" labels that can be
downloaded for printing and viewing using Adobe Acrobat(r) Reader.
click or browse to --> http://www.kodak.com/go/xraylabel


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[MovieStuff]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Matt Pacini:
Yeah, well I just got this from Kodak.
The really bad thing is, this also ruins PROCESSED FILM, and FILM OF ANY SPEED.
Matt Pacini<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi, Matt!

I agree that this is a bad thing but you need to re-read their letter to you. It says it will affect UNprocessed film, not processed film. Radiation will not do a thing to processed film unless it is enough to heat it up, like a microwave does.

For what it's worth, the whole airport security is either a joke or it works too well. I remember working on a big animation project during Desert Storm and (supposedly) airport security was at a "heightened" state.

Right.

I would show up at Soutwest Airlines with several sealed cans of 16mm film and the baggage inspectors would want to x-ray the cans and I would tell them it was unprocessed raw film and they couldn't. The they would start to open the cans and I would tell them the same thing and they would just look at each other like, "What the ____ are we supposed to do, now?" Eventually (EVERY time) they would just wave me on through.

Man, I could have had cans of plastic explosives for all they knew or cared. I don't know what else they could have done, actually, considering that they couldn't open the cans and I refused to let them x-ray. So, as things stand now, what if you DO have unprocessed film in a bag and they want to open the cans or x-ray them?

What a mess. Damn Osama anyway....

Roger

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Roger Evans
MovieStuff
http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/moviestuff.html

[gaspode]

yeah i would advise against using sarcasm on aiport security people either. I was once foolish enough to suggest, after showing the security bloke my film and camera and having him go on for almost 15 mins about how, if he couldnt open it to check, the film could be a bomb or weapon, that the film cartridges were ammo magazines and the camera was a gun. The worst thing about that was that i dont have a sarcastic sounding voice, so he seemed to think i was serious. It was at the point when he got this paniced expression when I started to worry that he thought i meant it. Luckily his coworker started laughing and though it was a great joke.

Remember never use sarcasm in a situation that could get you arrested

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'Cause of death... at this time, unknown...'
'Unknown? What the..? He's had his fuckin' head sliced off!'

[BolexPlusx]

I haven't flown since the 9/11, so I may be way off on this, but I generally carried my film in my jacket pockets so that all it was exposed to was the metal detector. I realize that this is only good for a few rolls of 35mm still or S-8 cartridges, but would there be trouble?

I agree that this is a problem for us, but it's an even bigger problem for our good friends at Eastman Kodak, and I'll bet they'll find a way (either legal, political or technological) around it. It's not just people why shoot motion pictures either, it's everybody who ever shoots a snap shot or takes an X-ray or flies a spy plane. Everybody uses film one way or the other.

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[Matt Pacini]

Roger, here is the second part of that info I pasted in above that did not get included for some reason.

This says it may fog ALL FILM, UNPROCESSED AND PROCESSED!!!!

Here it is...

2. US MAIL STERILIZATION
The United States Postal Service is installing new equipment to sterilize items sent through the mail. For security reasons, they are not disclosing whether this process will be limited to letters, or if parcels and other packages will also be included.

Until further tests are conducted, it would be wise to assume that the high energy beams used in the sterilization equipment will fog or damage all film - processed or unprocessed, exposed or unexposed, negative or print. In addition, photographic prints, slides, DVDs, picture CDs, CD-ROMs, video tapes and even the CCD sensors in video cameras and other products may be affected. Because those materials often contain valuable - and sometimes, irreplaceable, images - Kodak recommends that you err on the side of caution until more information is available.

All imaging materials should be sent via a courier or an express air shipping company that does not use the US postal system. Local laboratories may have additional information and/or offer alternative shipping arrangements.


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[MovieStuff]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cranium:
Just did a trip to NYC last week. SFO-Dallas-Laguardia and back. I smoke, so every fag was accompanied by another trip through the security.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

"Every fag?" Mikel, your British roots are showing....

Roger

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Roger Evans
MovieStuff
http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/moviestuff.html