Hmmm.  If I'm following the scanner vs. xray technical discussion
correctly, it sort of sounds like the reason the lead photo bag has
protected tapes and floppy discs is not because of it stopping (or
reducing) xrays (or unshielded conveyor motors) but rather because by being
in the bag and going through the xray machine they don't go through the
walk-thru scanner, don't get placed in the bowl on the narrow shelf two
inches from the walk-thru scanner, and don't get the hand-held "wand"
scanner passed over them at close range.  Instead, the security people see
the black image (shadow of the lead photobag) on the xray, then open the
carry-on, see the lead photobag, open the photobag (usually five or more
feet from the walk-thru scanner) and manually check the contents of the
lead photobag.

Does this sound correct?

John


At 1/21/99 05:11 PM , Gavin Scott wrote:
>Buz writes:
>> I have flown in and out of domestic airports of
>> various sizes.  I have had more problems with the
>> smaller airports.  They don't have to pass 20,000
>> passengers a day through the gates, so they have their
>> metal detectors turned up higher, and will quibble
>> over fillings in teeth (well, not really, but it
>> feels like it).
>
>Smaller airports, and airports in less technically advanced
>parts of the world, also appear to be more likely to have
>older X-RAY equipment, which may use higher power and thus be
>more likely to cause film fogging.  This older equipment may
>also be more likely to cause problems with magnetic media due
>to poorly shielded motors driving the conveyer belts.
>
>The most gung-ho airport security I've ever encountered was
>in Victoria BC, where some genius decided that if they turned
>up the sensitivity on their metal detectors all the way then
>they would have the highest possible security.  This resulted
>in individually scanning every passenger with the "wand" type
>detector.  They would wave it next to the head of someone
>wearing earrings, which would set the wand off, then make the
>person remove each earring to verify that they didn't have a
>gun hidden in their ear.  I lost count of how many people came
>into the waiting area muttering to themselves and clutching a
>pair of earrings, or trying to juggle the complete contents of
>all of their pockets along with their carry on baggage.
>
>Fortunately the only computer I generally take traveling with
>me is the HP200LX, which gets noticed in my luggage during only
>about 1 out of 25 trips through security, and which spends the
>rest of the time in a pocket, limiting the theft danger.
>
>G.


--------------------------------------------------------------
John Korb                            email: [log in to unmask]
Innovative Software Solutions, Inc.

The thoughts, comments, and opinions expressed herein are mine
and do not reflect those of my employer(s), or anyone else.