Airport Security Help

[bmartin1206]

Hey it's me again...your friendly neighborhood TSA employee with my quarterly ( or close to that ) offer to answer any of your questions with regards to travel through airports security check points and checked baggage.
The biggest issue I continue to see is unexposed film in the checked luggage. This will ruin the film regardless of film speed and all of those memories lost. You may put film through the security check point x-ray if it's less than 800 speed but I recommend requesting it be hand checked by a security screener.
Feel free to email me with any other questions with respects to security screening.

Brian

 

[jamsmom]

Thank you

 

[Grog]

You may put film through the security check point x-ray if it's less than 800 speed but I recommend requesting it be hand checked by a security screener

What can happen to the 800 speed film? I just shot four rolls of 800 speed at DLR and I would hate to think that they might be ruined (I haven't had them developed yet). The person at check-in told us about not sending them in checked baggage but never said anything regarding having 800 speed go through the security check point x-ray.

 

[CarolA]

I can tell you I bought 6 rolls of 800 back from DC last month. It went thru the carryon scanner both going to DC and returning home. No problem all the pictures turned out fine.

 

[bmartin1206]

While some may escape and not have their film affected, others have not been as lucky. X-Rays have a cumlitive affect. The more times it's exposed the more damage it may cause. You may notice everything from a foggy picture to no picture at all. It's not worth risking just because you may have made it at other times. It will also depend on how long the screener is X-Raying your bag.
Good luck I hope they turn out.

 

[Grog]

Thanks both of you. They were only scanned twice, coming and going. The Security Agents never stopped the belt while my bag was on it so hopefully they went through with a minimal amount of x-rays hitting them. I'll probably get them developed this weekend and will keep my fingers crossed

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the tip, Brian, very nice of you.

Dan