ronaldc Posted May 28 Share #1 Posted May 28 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi guys, has anyone had their cameras swabbed ? I went through security at Stansted airport and the wanted to check my bag after it went through security. I said no problem, he pulled my camera bag out aggressive and then took my camera out and was about to chuck it down hard onto the table I said heyyyu wayyy that’s fragile I put my hand under it to catch it fall. He then swabbed it all over loads and it sounded like sandpaper, I was crying in my mind. I couldn’t look at it till I got home and I noticed scratches all over the BP… Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/421623-airport-security-swabbed/?do=findComment&comment=5808598'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 28 Posted May 28 Hi ronaldc, Take a look here Airport security swabbed. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
IMAGEPOWER Posted May 28 Share #2 Posted May 28 I often had to take out my gear and put it separately into the box. Equally often I stopped the security officers from touching my gear and said I would make them responsible for any damage. That's why I put my gear out of the bag in advance (before it runs through the X-ray machine. This is not necessary in southern parts of Europe (Thessaloniki or Palma de Mallorca or Canary Islands), however. They never swabbed my camera gear, only my laptop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpower Posted May 28 Share #3 Posted May 28 I started noticing getting more security checks when I switched to Leica, even posted about it here at the time. But it's not every time, and it's so far never been as aggressive as you made your experience sound. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
justj Posted May 28 Share #4 Posted May 28 It's quite normal, and the swaps are definitely not sand paper. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbyshire Man Posted May 28 Share #5 Posted May 28 (edited) 37 minutes ago, ronaldc said: Hi guys, has anyone had their cameras swabbed ? I went through security at Stansted airport and the wanted to check my bag after it went through security. I said no problem, he pulled my camera bag out aggressive and then took my camera out and was about to chuck it down hard onto the table I said heyyyu wayyy that’s fragile I put my hand under it to catch it fall. He then swabbed it all over loads and it sounded like sandpaper, I was crying in my mind. I couldn’t look at it till I got home and I noticed scratches all over the BP… Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Have you got a pre photo? My local airports have now got the new scanners where equipment doesn’t need to come out of the bag. Not had them swabbed for far. Coming back from Chambery this year I caused a bit of a stir when the guy post scanner had a look inside and said to his mate ‘Leica!’ Followed by ‘merde trois Leica!’ or something along those lines! Edited May 28 by Derbyshire Man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted May 28 Share #6 Posted May 28 I have had camera bag swabbed several times. They just ran swab around opened top of bag. Never had camera removed and swabbed. I think it depends how well 'security' staff were trained or remember what they were taught, so pot luck features. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted May 28 Share #7 Posted May 28 Advertisement (gone after registration) The brass take-up spool in a 0-series Leica got me pulled aside and questioned about firearms at LHR - the scanner/operator flagged it as a concealed bullet. Hand check and swab of camera followed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry40 Posted May 28 Share #8 Posted May 28 (edited) I travelled a lot worldwide for years and years, not so much with a camera but a cpap system for sleep apneas. Never had any issues nor had to open the bag anywhere except once in the middle when a custom officer tried to dismantle it … as he was playing with the mask with is dirty hands I started elevating voice till his boss told him to stop being a … 🤣 I have had some silly experiences in a southern French airport too where security officers were similarly … touchy at times. One tried to explain me I could hack a plane with a cigar cutter, a simple small guillotine one, by cutting someone’s finger !!!! so it really depends on the place but no play with these guys as they can ruin your travelling ! Edited May 28 by thierry40 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Blanko Posted May 28 Share #9 Posted May 28 Swabbing my cameras including digital M also happened to me. However, I never had the impression that the wiping strip was like sandpaper. No issue so far. With the new scanners they usually recognize the Leica as a Leica in the scanner image. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted May 28 Share #10 Posted May 28 I had my M240 pulled out hand checked and swabbed on the last two time I went through Heathrow. They were very careful with it on both occasions. I also had my M7 hand checked coming home from Frankfurt many years ago. You'd have thought that they'd be used to seeing Leicas passing through, so maybe it was just a slow day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgh Posted May 28 Share #11 Posted May 28 I get hand checked and swabbed more often than not. A trip through the scanners with no event a pleasant surprise for me. That said, there are assholes in security everywhere. The job almost self selects for … let’s say…traits most liberal mind people wouldn’t find desirable. Anyways, I hate to say it but isn’t the whole point of the BP version to show wear more easily? Let this be the start of your camera’s real story where the patina is the narrator. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudgerer Posted May 28 Share #12 Posted May 28 1 hour ago, ronaldc said: Hi guys, has anyone had their cameras swabbed ? I went through security at Stansted airport and the wanted to check my bag after it went through security. I said no problem, he pulled my camera bag out aggressive and then took my camera out and was about to chuck it down hard onto the table I said heyyyu wayyy that’s fragile I put my hand under it to catch it fall. He then swabbed it all over loads and it sounded like sandpaper, I was crying in my mind. I couldn’t look at it till I got home and I noticed scratches all over the BP… Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Annoying but sadly to complain at the time would probably have had you strip searched in the line! Stanstead seems to have a special breed of angry security people, a horrible mind numbing job but no excuse though. I've always had a problem there. A couple of years back, traveling with a friend after he'd had an operation that left a surgical plate on his shin bone, he had to roll up his trouser leg to show the still bandaged operation scars. Even then it still took time to clear the area because they wanted to speak with his doctor to confirm, he refused. You'd have thought the crutches would have been a clue, but no. That was a first........ Your scratched M. Think of it as the 1st stage in the "brassing" of your black paint M, that's why you got a BP edition wasn't it?. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 28 Share #13 Posted May 28 (edited) Yes; my cameras, lenses and bags (and hands and fingertips!) have been swabbed several times both here in the UK and in Continental Europe. The most annoying occasion for such a rigorous check was last time through Gatwick. For some totally unknown reason going through check-in took five times longer than usual and, as a consequence, we were getting close to our departure time but even worse was in store when my camera bag went down the 'Suspect' route and had to be checked by hand. Everything in the bag had to come out which was fine but the queue ahead of me waiting for the same process was so long that it took over 35 minutes for me to be allowed to pass through. My wife, of course, had already gone through with no problems and, by the time I rejoined her, was furious with me thinking that I had got lost. SWMBO : "Why didn't you answer your 'phone when I called?"... Me : "Because my 'phone was in the 'pending' tray and they wouldn't let me touch it..."... By this time our flight should have left but as the operator was RyanAir it was running 1 hour late so all turned out sort-of fine. I do understand that In-Flight Security is of utmost importance but sometimes it does seem that certain individuals are more officious than is absolutely neccessary... Philip. Edited May 28 by pippy 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tseg Posted May 28 Share #14 Posted May 28 Put yourself in his shoes… you are asking him to treat it gently… like it could be explosive… Just sayin’…. “Security, be very careful with that heavy small black metal box with all the gears and knobs protruding from it.” 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffc60 Posted May 28 Share #15 Posted May 28 We fly from Manchester UK (mostly) and usually pay for fast track at security. I ALWAYS remove camera/lenses/charger from my backpack and place in the plastic tray (firstly placing a large microfibre cloth in the tray to stop scratches) Never had an issue there or at any other airport in the US/Far East/Europe except Dalaman in Turkey where my kit was swabbed very gently and carefully. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted May 28 Share #16 Posted May 28 2 hours ago, Tseg said: Put yourself in his shoes… you are asking him to treat it gently… like it could be explosive… Just sayin’…. “Security, be very careful with that heavy small black metal box with all the gears and knobs protruding from it.” You think he was checking if it was a contact explosive? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tseg Posted May 28 Share #17 Posted May 28 50 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said: You think he was checking if it was a contact explosive? I'm just sayin', if I'm asking Security to be careful with my heavy metal black box that apparently contains electronics, Security may have its interest piqued... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclectic Man Posted May 28 Share #18 Posted May 28 I have heard that you may have to turn electronic equipment on to prove that it is harmless at airport security. Now I will worry that someone will 'swab' a lens front element. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 28 Share #19 Posted May 28 Worst that happened to me was my watch being stolen from the tray - met with a flat denial that it had ever been there - fortunately an 80 Euro Swatch, but still, my favourite "bush" watch. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 28 Share #20 Posted May 28 (edited) 3 hours ago, Eclectic Man said: I have heard that you may have to turn electronic equipment on to prove that it is harmless at airport security. Now I will worry that someone will 'swab' a lens front element. The use of UV Filters is a Very Good idea...😸... Yes; in the past I have had to prove that cameras 'worked' but that gets tricky when ones MD-262 doesn't have a 'review' screen. "Is this a film camera?" gives the easy option to say "Yes" and that is usually an end to matters. If, however, X-Rays suggest otherwise things can, for a time, get complicated... Philip Edited May 28 by pippy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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