Go check out Penn Jillettes account of dealing with airport security.
Itd be funny if it wasnt for the fact that his celebrity status is what finally pulled the bureaucracy into check.
Somehow, I dont think Id be treated quite so well.
And aside from the overall question of whether x-raying my Bass Weejuns makes the flight any safer (it appears that in spite of the fact that Richard Ried was wearing Semtex hightops, people with sneakers are exempt from the shoe x-ray, but people with loafers arent), and of the overall rationality of the way we’re trying to do security…
the bigger problem with this is the fact that for the average person, hiring a private jet in case they miss their flight, or taking two days out of their busy schedule to go to a court hearing that will probably end inconclusively isnt an option. So you swallow your annoyance and just file on board.
Penns trying to figure out what to do. Go tell him
[Update: DOOOH… a friend sent this over and I engaged in premature bloggage; didn’t check the date and see if there were followups, and haven’t been out on the blogs so didn’t realize the whole freakin’ world had dealt with this. The point is useful, but I still wasted bandwith and your time…sorry…]
3 thoughts on “EVERY ONE A VIP”
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Oh, I’ve had my issues with McCarran too. FAA regulations specifically allow passengers to have security hand check rolls of film so that they don’t have to go through x-ray. Most rolls of 400 speed or less can go through the x-rays fine. I separated out my >400 speed rolls and asked to have those 4 rolls hand checked. They wouldn’t do it.
I supervisored my way up the chain telling them that FAA regulations specifically permitted hand checking of film and they wouldn’t listen. I gave up and let them x-ray the film when one of the guys in fatigues with an AK-47 across his back started to walk over.
And you know what? It would have been faster for them to pop open the four containers and hand check the film.
I’m still pissed about it.
Other side note, I don’t know if the FAA has changed the regulation or not, but now that they’re super-x-raying your checked luggage, if they won’t hand check the film you carry on, bye-bye high speed or infrared film on vacation.
Yeah, I know, buy a digital camera and get over it.
He has a follow-up on the site regarding this; he ended up wussing out, on the advice of a lawyer friend of his. I don’t blame him, either, given the situation.
Ann,
Yesterday at LAX there was a big sign at the x-ray machines for suitcases to make sure to take out any undeveloped film so I am guessing the regulations still stand..