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Airport X ray

> WHATEVER YOU DO ....DO NOT USE A "FILM SAFE" X-RAY PROOF BAG! The X-ray scanner operator sees an opague bag and has a switch to flip that increases the X radiation so it will pass through anything. Does a nice job of showing each cassette with the film wrapped around a plastic cylinder.
 
Just adding my experience with travel through airport machines in the last 3 years. I have not had any problems with x-ray damage to my films (to date!).
When I travel to the US & Europe (from Australia), I flip through these machines usually 12 to 16 times before returning home. My films are Delta 400 and I have had no (visible)problems. As insurance, I usually carry 10 films in a lead film bag and 10 films free, but after reading comments on this posting I will in the future just carry free film in my back pack and toss out the lead lined film container. William.
 
I always use the leaden bag during the flight because the radiation at 10km= /35,000 feet is worse than the radiation used on the passengers at check-in= . So I have been informed. I assume that the length of a flight would play = a major role in this equation.=20

I have travelled a lot over the last 15 years; some film has been through t= he machines many times and I have never registered any problems. My most us= ed films have been chrome iso 200 and Tri-X.=20

I have always been much more concerned about the heat, and for that reason = I have not liked the idea of mailing/posting undeveloped film, although I h= ave done this with Kodachrome; again without any problems ever.

The Kodak link was good - shows that it is not a major problem for most of = us.=20

Lars M. Jakobsen (Copenhagen)
 
But that section only says that passengers may request a hand search. = It doesn't say that it will be granted!
 
>My experience as a lawyer with those kinds of regulations that involve safety or security is that they always have a saving provision that allows personnel to exercise discretion, and these days, it would not take much for a screener to justify a search. Try accidently putting an expired license in your wallet and handing it to the attendant (ask me how i know). Result: full body search, then worst remaining seat on the shuttle. My feeling is, push it so far, then back off, unless you want some serious inconveneince. Also, the Post office has some pretty serious screening machinery for some kinds of parcels. I would not assume that to be the safe route
 
> But that section only says that passengers may request a hand search. > = It doesn't say that it will be granted!

and...conversely, it doesn't say that it may be refused. The implication is it, under reasonable circumstances, will be granted.
 
> The point is raised that the post office has some pretty serious screening devices. My question is this- just how safe is it to send film through the mail? Also, what is risk to developed film or slides when sent through the mail?
 
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