Airports Again

[Joseph Tainter]

<< I've heard that in many cases, if they see a lead-lined bag, they
 just turn up the power of the (new and more powerful) x-ray scanner
 to see through it, which then subjects the film to more radiation
 than it would have seen if it had gone through without a bag. Is this
 true?
  >>
Joe, I have no idea but can envisage a number of the airport security plods
going " ha! caught you, you crafty little so & so. I'll teach you to 
upset the
apple cart" - and turning it up to 11 (because it's 1 more than ten....)
 It's something I've always wanted to ask them but that might be 
misconstrued
and I end up in a cell for a few hours with some laughing amateur
proctologist plod.

New stuff:

Last fall I "enjoyed" my 36th trans-Atlantic flight. So I've had much 
anguish over film and airport security, and much experience with it.

It is my understanding that the x-ray machines that we all encounter 
cannot be "turned up." There is a facility to switch the display colors, 
which the operators use when they cannot see something clearly.

What I have found over the past couple of years is that a lead-lined 
film bag will now trigger a hand search of your carry-on, your shoes, 
and intimate parts of your person. This is because they cannot see 
inside the bag. The x-ray machine cannot be turned up.

I used to use a lead-lined bag. Last fall I went to France with 2 or 3 
dozen rolls of film up to ISO 800 but without the bag. Results: no 
problems with or without the lead-lined bag.

Joe