Topic: Question on going through airports

[stevetoney]

I fly overseas alot with my recording gear in carry on.  You don't have anything to worry about regarding hard drives, SD cards and that. 

Terry suggested mailing stuff.  I'd NEVER EVER do that if I had a choice.  First, if it has value, it's might get stolen and I've never made an insurance claim even if I had an item insured, but good luck if you do.  Europe is generally safe from felons, but it's notorious for light fingered thieves. 

Also, mailing overseas takes FOR----EEEEVER.  Third, if it has any size, it costs a minor mint.

One major consideration is to ALWAYS carry on your gear.  Never check it.  It will get ripped off.  Airports supposedly have security to prevent baggage from being ripped off, but it's happened to me twice in the last year.  Believe it or not, I was treated like the theif when I callled to let them know that my bag had a digital camera stolen...never recovered the cost because I didn't realize that the camera was gone until after 24 hours and the airline wouldn't honor a claim after 24 hours had passed...assholes.  They employ f***ing theives and I can't get my stuff replaced simply because I didn't realize that my bag had been hit until 2 days later.  The second time I had some meds lifted from my bag, so I didn't bother reporting that.  Seriously, they gave ME shit. 

[gratefulphish]

I fly with my gear all the time.  They used to flag the bag for a secondary search, sometimes just swabbing, sometimes everything out, into the gray plastic bins and back through the machine.  The last several trips last month, they never even checked the bag.   Just went through on the belt with everything inside.  Maybe they are finally seeing enough tapers to recognize what gear looks like.

[H₂O]

I have flow 40-50 times with recording gear and never had a problem with X-Ray machines with DAT or hard disk recorders.

FWIW - I did on one occasion have a thumb drive possibly ruined by an X-Ray machine in Miami.

[greppson]

I fly with my gear all the time.  They used to flag the bag for a secondary search, sometimes just swabbing, sometimes everything out, into the gray plastic bins and back through the machine.  The last several trips last month, they never even checked the bag.   Just went through on the belt with everything inside.  Maybe they are finally seeing enough tapers to recognize what gear looks like.

Same for me. I never even have to take it out. I keep everything in my bag except power cables which I put in my checked luggage. I do though make sure that everything is unplugged.

[jackmf]

Flew last week and was told of a recent change that states all electronics over a certain size must go through just like  laptop. Even before this it was about 50/50 that my HDP2 would be pulled out and swabbed.

I wonder what would happen if you recorded at a 4th of July show and messed with fireworks and then handled your gear - would this cause it to be positive for explosives during the swabbing. That sounded funny, didn't it?

[philR]

I fly with my gear all the time.  They used to flag the bag for a secondary search, sometimes just swabbing, sometimes everything out, into the gray plastic bins and back through the machine.  The last several trips last month, they never even checked the bag.   Just went through on the belt with everything inside.  Maybe they are finally seeing enough tapers to recognize what gear looks like.

yeah, i flew last weekend and they didn't even check my stuff once.  while i like not having to wait and have them rumage through my stuff, it's a bit disheartening considering what our gear must look like to them.