P3D X-Ray Horror Story

[Ron Fredrickson <RLF@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I am waiting to see if my pictures came out.  (I really was shooting ASA 
>1600 and 3200).  My conclusion is forget about hand inspections.  We better 
>carry the lead pouches.

When I first went to Europe I carried my own shielding (I am retired as
Corporate
Radiation Protection Officer for Abbott Laboratories) in the form of 1/16th
inch lead sheet (which we used for shielding the comparatively low energy of
iodine-125). It's very pliable, and I could wrap the film up in it. In
Amsterdam they obviously couldn't see a thing because their x-rays wouldn't
get through the shielding, and they made me open my camera bag. They thought
it was hilarious, but there wasn't any way they could possibly damage my
film. And I have no objection to a  hand check at all. Sometimes I think
that they will eventually get to the ultimate with airport security--- strip
searches including body cavities. That's when I go back to trains and boats! 

Ron Fredrickson


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