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Re: [OM] A Soft Answer Turneth Away Rays

Subject: Re: [OM] A Soft Answer Turneth Away Rays
From: John Hudson <jahudson@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 09:03:01 -0700
At 09:25 AM 17-08-99 -0500, you wrote:

>My brother returned from Europe with a *happy* story about evading the
>scanners.  After some of the tales of woe I've heard about this on list, I
>thought many of you might be interested in his narrative. Good Iowa boy. 
>
>Joel Wilcox
>Iowa City, Iowa USA
>
>--------------- Text of forwarded message ---------------
>Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 19:50:37 -0500
>From: Mark Wilcox 
>To: jowilcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Tales of the Film Scanners
>
>Joel,
>
>        Returned home Friday at 7:30 PM, local time, but 2:30 AM, body time. 
>I think the trip home was worse than driving a 1000 miles in a day.
>
>       Here's what happened with the film.  Of course, I left the US with a
>visual inspection.  On the return trip we left Munich for Heathrow at
>12:05 PM.  The inspector honored my visual inspection request but
>required me to open up all 60 film canisters.  I gladly obliged and
>thanked her.  At Heathrow--the moment of truth--the sign over the
>carry-on scanner said something like:  "All items will be scanned.  The
>X-rays will not damage film."   I handed my baggy of 60 rolls and was
>told the scanner would not hurt the film.  I was nice but showed
>concern, and a supervisor came over to reassure me.  He stated that
>testing has shown that film can be scanned multiple times without
>problems.  He further stated that it would have to be so, as they would
>be open to lawsuits.  I said little, but my face still registered

>concern and worry.  I then offered to personally open all 60 canisters
>if they would accommodate me.  I was then sent over to a nice female
>inspector, and I helped her open all the cartridges.  I thanked her
>enthusiastically.  I had escaped Heathrow--unscanned! 

I think you hit a lucky unbusy day with an uncharacteristically pleasent
individual. My experiences through Heathrow immigration and security has
generally been with people who are paid minimum wage and have absolutely no
option for exercising any discretion whatsoever. What's more some of these
people's command of English has not always been good enough to make me at
all confident that they would understand what I was asking for if I
requested a hand inspection!

jh  


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