Airport Security

[Jerome Cain]

Neat! It will be solving for deaf culture. haha! I am favor for Europe Union. I have not been to europe since two years. Change to EU dollars yet? Less coin? Because I am tired of a lot of coins even in swiss 5 dollars for one coin. wow! Looked forward go to europe again soon. Hope it will solve between airline security and moviemaker. Jerome

[TA 152]

Apart from the practical credit cards I think you can pay with EURO Dollars in almost every European Country these days, at least inside EU but possibly in other "E" countries as well. Need a checkout.

R

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 11, 2003 06:28 PM: Message edited by: S8 Booster ]</font>

[lightfeat]

What really pisses me off is that the USA has it's hand up the arse of my glove puppet of a country. I don't know how it happened that the country that stood alone against Hitler is now subserviant to an America which seems to be out of control, taking a moral high ground whilst ignoring several International treaties and laws, flagrantly disregarding the UN, wrecklessly stumbling around as though still believing itself to be invincible, whilst holding half of the world under the illusion of it's protective wing, whilst acquiring enemies at an exponential rate. These are scary times, and I for one have a horrible sense of forboding for America and it's allies. Remember the Titanic?

Lucas Lightfeat
Rather scary Al-qaidaville (London)

[lightfeat]

In England and the UK, GB and NI, whatever, Socialist Democrats are refered to as Socialists.
Marxists and communists are called just that.
Republicans are Tories or Conservatives.

In UK, we can't accept Euros most places, and have a referendum due soon, in which the press and the government will be at war to get votes, the government being for monetary union, the press clinging to the pound. The UK is a strong link between the US and EU, culturaly, historicaly and economicaly. We have little trade with US, but much with Europe. Like all Anglophone nations, we're awful at foreign languages and need to decide who are our principal allies, because we have to choose. If we were fully in Europe, for example, we would not be at liberty to fight wars with USA without UN approval, because this is quite rightly considered abhorrent in Europe (and indeed the rest of the world.)

Sorry if this is (and it is) off topic, but I've tried the political forums and they're rubbish. Only the Super8ers' political opinions interest me...

Lucas

[Nigel]

I love the political discussion I spwaned.

However, back to the question. If you are no longer allowed to lock your cases then who is responsible for the theft or destruction of your gear.

No, I haven't bought an A-Minima. Do you want to buy my LTR??

Thanks

[Greg Crawford]

Nigel,

Maybe the reason we drifted off your question is that no one actually knows the answer.

You might try calling Panavision and some of the other rental houses and posing your question, I bet they could tell you lot more than we could.

Back in the 80's I remember an instructor tell of filmmakers that American Airlines was more Photographer / filmmaker friendly. You might trying calling A/A the business office and asking for advice.

Good Luck, let us know what you find out.

[lightfeat]

This seems to be a terrorism issue, and not something that a particular airline is likely to be at liberty to make individual policy on.

I live in London, where Osama Bin Laden lived for many a year. He was a keen supporter of Arsenal football team, currently above Man Utd in the Premiership. I find it quite amusing to see noted in the paper that he has officially been given a lifetime ban to the stadium.

Possesion of a firearm in the UK now brings a 5 year automatic prison sentence! Cool...

No-one ever dicusses Super8 scripts and stories on here - why is that?

Lucas

[tfunch24]

Lucas Lightfeat wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No-one ever dicusses Super8 scripts and stories on here - why is that?
</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe people are worried about having their ideas stolen?

Tom

[calgodot]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> How do you travel with 25,000 dollars in camera gear?? </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

I contacted a few people (airline & airport people) and here's the consensus: Your best bet when travelling with expensive photo gear and/or film is to make arrangements 24-48 hrs ahead of time with your airline. Not your travel agent or corporate travel officer - the ticketed passenger needs to call the airlines directly, preferably their agents at the airport of departure (one guy said do it on both ends of the trip). You should personally inventory the equipment and be able to provide a copies of this inventory on demand.

Depending on the amount of gear, you may have to arrange for a detailed pre-flight inspection to keep your bags from being opened by those allegedly highly-trained but apparently sleep-deficient baggage screeners. Each airline may have different policies and procedures on this (and they are NOT required to allow for it at all). You may also need to call airport security yourself, unless your airline will take care of everything for you.

One suggestion, from an airline employee: if you want to make sure you have the best airline service, join their frequent flyer or similar program or fly first class. The feds are allowing those passengers fastre security screenings, etc.

All that said, I was given this warning repeatedly: rules change overnight, and even when they don't, the agents have enormous flexibility in interpreting those rules. Make sure you check and double-check everything before showing up with 1000 pounds of camera gear. And insure your equipment if it is worth more than the minimum the airline is required to cover in cases of lost luggage.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> If you are no longer allowed to lock your cases then who is responsible for the theft or destruction of your gear.</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

No one is responsible. Not the airline, not the airport, not the screeners. Read the fine print on your ticket: I guarantee it absolves the airline of responsibility for lost or damaged luggage, and provides a minimum for whichthey are responisble (usually around $100-200 per bag).

Insure your gear. Plan way way ahead. Plod along each step, however absurd or redundant, the bureacracy requires of you. Keep duplicates of all paperwork. If something goes wrong, keep your cool because losing your cool at an airport is now a crime.

Welcome to Bush Country!!!

[tfunch24]

On a less professional and more tourist-y note, how have people fared getting the security guards to hand-inspect your film? Some people reported last year that at some airports (LaGuardia? Kennedy? O'Hare? I can't remember) they were refused a hand-inspection of their film. I'm thinking of going to Europe this summer (I'm just starting to make my plans.)

I'm planning on taking my Keystone Double 8mm camera and a couple spools of Cinechrome 25. Why Double 8mm? I want the "1950s European vacation look."

Tom