yyt

it is not their fault. the tsa guards at mitchell were quite nice. it is the fault of trying to second guess what people are going to say.

getting different advice every time i pass through security, i am tending to put more and more things in the basket so that they can see what i have – the film. usually at mitchell someone yells out as my bag passes – film in those, i say yes and i am on my way. but this time my bag is packed with lead bags and i wanted to cause the least amount of hassle as possible – some people would say it is simply my hyperactivity acting up when one takes 350 rolls of film for a month’s outing.

i get up put most of my stuff on the tray then pull out a bag and say it is film
-what type is it
-black and white 400 iso
-give us the bag
- but there are six of them
- give us all of them. inspection and you are going to need help.

as i head through the check point the video monitor yells out who has the hasselblad.

-the hasselblad is fine but you should take out the liquids.
-what liquids?
he searches, finds none and apologises.

get my stuff and meet up with buddy on the other end who informs me that he will have to slice open all the wrapping around the 120 rolls.

-actually no you don’t i have checked and in fact got someone fired for doing that.

he check with his supervisors who agrees with me but they have to handle all 350 rolls.

this gives us a lot of time to chat, he asks what i do, i pull out the book and show it to him. mention that i should go digital but don’t trust it, no i am not a professional. i teach and yes the students all have digital cameras, i am some sort of living fossil who sticks to film and causes all these problems.

15 minutes later i am packing when one guard comes over and asks how old the lead line bags are.

-oh 10 at least.
-they are no good
-but i only put them in as a safe guard you could have run these through the machine. i only told you what i had so you would know what was coming.
-we’d have to look anyway and you want to be safe not sorry the bags won’t work.
-usually you don’t i wanted to be helpful.

no matter unlike the surliness of the guards at the wgas they were pleasant realised the humanity on both sides and besides i was on my way.