On Fri, 18 Jan 2002, Olaf Greve wrote:
<SNIP>
> Well still one has to pass through the Dutch airport security as well.
> Either way, a thing I forgot to mention in the original message is that
> since you're travelling between two EU countries, there is hardly any hassle
> at all at the airport. I don't think you'll be getting a hard time when
> asking for hand inspection, unless the security personel is THAT bored that
> they decide to spend some extra time on searching you ;)
Olaf, I respectfully beg to differ. As someone who travels (waaay too)
frequently and who's based in Europe, I'd say that the airport security
staff in european airports are just as "detail oriented" (see, that
seminar in "political correct speach" paid off nicely...) as their
american counterparts.
The most annoying example (and the only where I had film at stake) was
about a month ago...
I was travelling out of Paris with some 3200ISO film, pushed waay off, and
asked (politely) to have those few hand-checked. "No, the machine does not
damage films". I mentioned, that these were rather sensitive, and would -
indeed - be damaged by the machine (which actually carried a sign saying
that "films under 1000ISO are safe"). Apparently that upset her to the
point where the statement of "everything that goes on board the aircraft
goes through the xray" was nessecary - as was summoning a fellow, mean
looking, security officer, probably to scare me. I resigned in order to
get on the aircraft and accepted the waste of a couple of rolls of film
(which were - as expected - completely damaged by the xray)....
I should add that through that security scan I observed how not only
pocket knifes, but also manecure sets and simple (and very un-harmful)
'nail cutters' (what's the real word? I'm sure you all know them) were
taken away and refused on board the aircraft. This, as well as rulers
(even plastic ones) and what must have been particularly dangerously
looking pens (you know: for writing). Everything was neatly bagged, tagged
with the owners name and flight-information and sent as a gazillion pieces
of checked-in luggage - which people were then to pick up at the
destination ........Oddly, I actually was questioned about my Zuiko's, but
nothing said to my maglite (which would, actually, be much more usefull as
a weapon).....
This was in Paris Charles de Gaulle - a large and normally rather busy
airport. And the lines were long, so I expect that it was not because the
security staff was bored.
Of course, one could hope that things are different in other parts of
Europe, although I've seen similar in Denmark and the UK recently.
Maybe the dutch are more kicked-back, though....that's the way the rest of
Europe percieves them anyways...;)
--thomas
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