A note for travellers

Tony Mayne

It has come to my notice that, in the fight against terrorism a new type high powered X-ray aircraft baggage scanner is becoming the norm throughout the world. This scanner will ruin film (exposed or unexposed) but not audio/video tape. This system is not only used in some of the baggage scanners that you see, but behind the scenes in many others that you don't.. Common sense should help you to guess at the airlines, countries and circumstances where these practices might be relevant. There is no overall authority responsible for the use of all these scanners - airports, for instance, can operate these scanners without consulting other agencies, such as airlines or government security services.

So what can you do about it? Always assume that your films might be ruined if you lose sight of them, and do not believe any official who tries to reassure you that the film will be safe (they might not even know what procedures are being employed elsewhere in the building). Always hand-carry onto the plane all your films - exposed, unexposed, still in the cameras, etc. If you have more film than you can hand-carry (with a cabin-baggage allowance of six kilos, this is usually only a problem for professionals) there is an alternative technique. Anyone wishing to know this can contact me via the editor.

Hand-carrying means that you should still have to put the films through a scanner that you can see. Whether or not these scanners will ruin your film is often a function of whether the operator has turned the X-rays up to full power or not. I always try to politely persuade the operators to hand-check the film but, in the last resort, they can insist on scanning the film or refuse to take it on the plane. You will help your case by (a) allowing plenty of time for inspection, and (b) carrying a changing-bag.

An alternative (but usually more expensive) solution is to buy your film abroad and have, at least the negatives, processed abroad.

A system which has always been a bit of a worry now has the potential of turning into a nightmare. Take all the care that you can.
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