TSA and film

At 5am on 9/4/06 in the Reno airport I was at the security checkpoint and I loaded my stuff in the grey plastic tub. I have an artificial knee so I have very few items in carry on to make it easier because I set off the alarm every time. I handed 2 rolls of professional film to the TSA person and asked, "could I please have this hand searched?" she replied, "Is it high speed film?". I responded, "No but it's professional film and I would feel better if it was hand searched". She put my film in a round plastic tray and said, "we don't have to search any film under 800 speed if we don't want to" and put it on the conveyor belt to X-Ray it. I picked up the plastic tray and asked for a supervisor. The TSA person manning the metal detector leaned over to me and said, "I know what you're going through, I'm a photographer also".

The woman took the plastic tray from me and walked off and I went though the metal detector and set it off with my knee. No supervisor showed up nor did I know where my film went. As I was being hand scanned and then frisked I asked again for a supervisor. The TSA person searching me called for a supervisor.

A woman showed up and said, "What is your problem?" I told her what happened and she said, "So what's the problem, we're hand searching it aren't we?" I said I don't know, a woman just walked off with it after refusing to hand search it. The person manning the X-Ray screening machine then stood up and started yelling over the plexi-glass barrier at me saying, "She's doing it!!". I told the supervisor I should not have to beg for such a simple request that is outlined on the TSA website. I mentioned the other TSA employee who was also a photographer and knew the proper procedure. She responded with, "I am their supervisor and they don't know anything unless I tell them".

At this point I got mad and said, "maybe there is a problem when your crew knows the rules better than you". I knew when I said it that it was wrong to say but my anger got the better of me. The whole time the supervisor was yelling at me and the X-Ray man was standing and yelling at me over the plexi-glass screen. I ended my discussion with, "We are not cattle and should not have to beg for a simple request is covered on the TSA website." I asked her if she had seen it and she said, "NO, I know the rules and we don't have to search film under 800 speed." I asked her name and ID# and walked off.

When I arrived in Seattle and then in Spokane I asked the TSA supervisors about my encounter and both told me to file a complaint because TSA personnel should not treat people that way.

From the TSA website:
At the passenger security checkpoint, you should remove the following types of film from your carry-on baggage and ask for a hand inspection:

* Film with an ASA/ISO 800 or higher * Highly sensitive X-ray or scientific films
* Film of any speed which is subjected to X-ray surveillance more than 5 times (the effect of X-ray screening is cumulative)
* Film that is or will be underexposed
* Film that you intend to 'push process'
* Sheet film * Large format film
* Medical film
* Scientific film
* Motion picture film
* Professional grade film

If the same roll of film is exposed to X-ray inspections more than 5 times before it is developed, it is possible that damage may occur. Protect your film by requesting a hand-inspection for your film if it has already passed through the carry-on baggage X-ray screening equipment more than five times. Are you traveling with undeveloped film? Pack undeveloped film in your carry-on bag, not your checked baggage; the equipment used to screen checked baggage will damage undeveloped film. You may request that high-speed and specialty film be inspected by hand at the security checkpoint. To facilitate hand-inspection, remove your undeveloped film from the canister and pack it in a clear plastic bag.



No one asked if the film was "Professional", push or pulled development, or has it been exposed 5 times to X-Ray. They just refused to inspect it until I asked for a supervisor. We should not have to beg when their own guidelines spell out the procedure. I understand the real and the Fox News threat of terror. I know that traveling is entirely different now since 9/11. I've been pulled every time and hand searched even before 9/11 because of my knee. I have no complaints about that but I will not be treated like cattle and denied such a simple request. The supervisor's name was Diane and refused to give an ID#.

I won't be treated like cattle. Perhaps they only want me to stop doing this:





If I was a vindictive person I would organize an international "Bring Your Film to the Airport Day".


Michael Harris

I also keep a printout of the rules with me. Only had to use them once.

even get a chance to say that.

I have a friend that does that. It also works.

But they had the courtesy to return the empty case.

Does that make sense, or am I being paranoid?

Actually, we're going to start copying all our masters immediately with a deck and fedexing a copy. If you put $20K of someone else's money into a project, you can't subject it to airport nonsense.

You are being paranoid. Xrays will not affect tapestock, just filmstock. However it is best to pack tapes in your carryon luggage, request a hand search. The metal detectors produce a magnetic field which can affect tapes, so don't try to bring those through security on your person.
So I think you are being paranoid, but you should be. Because if you have to tell a client "In theory Xrays cannot harm tapestock", you've already lost your job.

If they were in the right, then that supervisor would have had no problem telling you her ID. Unfortunaltly for Diane, I'll bet she was the only supervisor named Diane working at that checkpoint during that shift, so they'll find out who it was.

There are a lot of TSA folks doing a great job, but I fly a lot and notice more than a few TSA folks sporting the shitty attitude. It's the level of professionalism I'd expect from an eighteen year old working retail.