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by Chris Fagyal on Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:54 am
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Well the security people at TSA considered the little Allen wrench tools used to attach/detach lens plates, flash brackets, etc to be dangerous and confiscated them. These would be the same allen wrenches i've had in my camera bag for the last 5+ years. I love how the U.S. completely over-reacts to everything. Next big headline: "TSA forces travelers to fly naked with no baggage as safety precaution". I feel bad for the airlines, because this is certainly going to have a negative impact on them. People aren't going to want to travel... I certainly don't.

Thankfully I was able to convince security to let my camera gear not be checked. The Toronto airport was amazing though....in a bad sense (though I realize they are just doing what the U.S is forcing them to do). So I go through the normal security scan, they completely go through every last pocket of my laptop and camera bag, take everything out, swab it, etc. Then I get through that, walk 50 feet and there is a line and they are doing ANOTHER security check. Keep in mind i've walked 50 feet down a hallway with no exits. So please someone inform me what on earth I could have done between search #1 and search station #2, where I get patted down, and then TSA searches my bags again. The TSA agent at the second station that was supposed to search my bags did a very cursory search and said "this is stupid, you've already had all of this done already just down the hallway" and let me go through without wasting more time.

I'd advise anyone that has the misfortune of having to travel internationally in the near future to arrive at their international airport on their way back to the US 3-4 hours ahead of time. It took me well over an hour to go through this silly process, and the airport wasn't that busy to be honest.

I enjoy travelling generally but the US government isn't making it very desirable to want to go through the hassle to get on a plane...
Chris Fagyal
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by Anthony Medici on Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:38 am
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Chris,

Most, if not all, tools have been on the watch list for carry on for years. Although I might put an Allen wrench in my carry on, usually by mistake, it might or might not get to the destination if it is in the carry on. You've been lucky for the last 5 years since your checkers were obviously less than though in there checks.

Two checks, if done correctly, might catch more than a single check as the check has a different point of view since a different person is doing it. That's about the same as two photographers in the same place and they end up with totally different pictures, isn't it? Now the attitude of the second person was suspect since that person thought it was a waste of time. That certainly would reduce the chance of the two checks actually meaning something.

I have three international trips planned for 2010-2011. I certainly hope I can get my equipment back and forth since that's the purpose of the trips!
Tony
 

by Greg Downing on Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:02 am
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Chris,

Have you been living under a rock? ;) (sorry I would not joke if I didn't not know you personally..)

Seriously though, as Tony pointed out all "tools" have been banned for many years.
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by wmsnyder on Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:33 am
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I think photographers should start getting use to the fact that this is not going to get any better, probably will get much worse knowing our government, and should seriously think about using UPS or FedEx for their camera gear. I would be interested to know how this is affecting domestic flights!

William
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by Jim Zipp on Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:40 am
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Yup, I lost my first set of allen wrenches a number of years ago at the security check. They offered to mail them for about $10 so I just told them to toss them. I open boxes all the time at my store so I always have a thin box cutter in my back pocket and forget about it. I have found out a couple of times that it goes through the scanner without a problem.
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by Paul Skoczylas on Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:55 am
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I had to check a bag I was planning to carry on in 1994 because it had some small tools in it...

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by Chris Fagyal on Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:17 pm
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I wonder how many of you actually feel what is happening is actually beneficial? We are getting punished for the actions of a small select group of people. I'm almost positive that announcing at the start of the flight that people can't get out of their seats the last hour is going to prevent nothing. It just tells random dumbass terrorist to do what they intend to do earlier, and they get that information immediately upon takeoff! Everthing being done is reactionary and to be honest not overly useful. I got pat down by tsa... Big deal, the Nigerian with the bomb in his underwear would have gotten past that. It wasn't that invasive.

As for the Allen wrenches they've been looked at probably 20+ times and ignored by security all over the US and world. The only reason they were confiscated is because TSA again is over reacting so it makes it look like they are doing something.

I'm all for security that is secure. Im not for reactionary measures that provide no tangible benefit.
Chris Fagyal
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by balazs on Sat Jan 02, 2010 2:19 pm
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After 9/11 a colleague of mine came up with the idea to put everybody asleep the instant they step on board of an aircraft. He toyed with the idea, whether to submit it as a DOE proposal, but decided against it. I am a really bad sleeper, and i am jetlaged for over a week every time i fly to Europe and back. So i was all for it, thinking how great it would be to have 10+ hours of sleep after the last furious days before travel. All it needs some research to make sure everybody wakes up 100%. But it will prevent hijacking! :D

Ah, and you could carry all the Allen wrenches, pocket knifes etc. you want on board!
 

by jfenton on Sat Jan 02, 2010 2:34 pm
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I had all of my Allen Wrenches confiscated 4 years ago from my camera bag when I went to Bosque :(

I now simply stick them in my suitcase instead.
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by Alexandre Vaz on Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:52 pm
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Chris Fagyal wrote:"TSA forces travelers to fly naked with no baggage as safety precaution". I feel bad for the airlines, because this is certainly going to have a negative impact on them. People aren't going to want to travel... I certainly don't.
Hey Chris I have to disagree with you on this one. Just think how funnier those long intercontinental flights would be if everyone was naked...
 

by jsm180 on Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:19 pm
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Tools are allowed in carry-on as long as they are less than 7 inches in length. Sometimes they give them a second look, but I have never had anything taken away.
 

by Anthony Medici on Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:42 pm
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That must be a new addition to the rules on tools. The TSA site is showing that but I'd wonder how long those regulations have been in force. I've had allen wrenches taken and they were the ones from RRS which are no more than 4" in length.
Tony
 

by jsm180 on Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:07 pm
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The rule has been in effect for a couple of years at least, I'm an aircraft mechanic by trade and it is very rare for me to get on an airplane without tools. As a rule I try to pack all my tools in my checked bags but usually I am over weight and I throw a couples pounds of small tools in my carry-on. Sometimes you have to remind the agents what the rules are.
 

by DavidRamey on Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:22 pm
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My cameras and lenses are the tools of my trade. I wonder when they will not be allowed?
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by DMcLarty on Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:35 pm
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Allen wrenches, tie straps, small screw driver, matches, hand cream and my fresh cup of Tims all taken at the table prior to security check...but 10 inch knitting needles are ok.

The cameras and lenses will be ok what will may get questioned is your remote control switch, flashes, and other cables.

d
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by alibenn on Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:31 am
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I used to fly well over a hundred times a year with work, mostly long-haul... I don't any more, I find the whole process unbearable. I flew into the States a couple of years ago and was detained at San Fran Int for three hours coming in from China.. the reason, I said I was only going to be in the country for 48 hours to do some shopping before returning to China... Three hours because the gear I wanted was cheaper than buying it in Beijing!! On the way back I had some Mach 3 safety razor blades taken off me at security. I was bumped up to business class where they proceeded to give me a steak knife with dinner. :-) go figure?
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by E.J. Peiker on Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:41 am
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DavidRamey wrote:My cameras and lenses are the tools of my trade. I wonder when they will not be allowed?
The TSA is supposed to announce "sweeping" new rules today ...

Allen wrenches have not been allowed onboard since 9/11

No this is not helpful - all this does is make life a pain for those that wouldn't do anything bad anyway while the bad guys just figure out new and different ways - and besides "THE EXISTING RULES SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS" we don't need new bullcrap rules that don't do anything, we need the existing rules to be properly enforced.
 

by Chris Fagyal on Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:36 am
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E.J. Peiker wrote:
DavidRamey wrote:My cameras and lenses are the tools of my trade. I wonder when they will not be allowed?
The TSA is supposed to announce "sweeping" new rules today ...

Allen wrenches have not been allowed onboard since 9/11

No this is not helpful - all this does is make life a pain for those that wouldn't do anything bad anyway while the bad guys just figure out new and different ways - and besides "THE EXISTING RULES SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS" we don't need new bullcrap rules that don't do anything, we need the existing rules to be properly enforced.
This was my point exactly when I said I am all for security, but I am not for reactionary measures that do nothing. As for Allen wrenches being banned since 9/11, that surprises me because of how many times i've had security look through my bag (and the allen wrenches were in a see through pocket in plain view), and they never touched them. I mean come on, it's a little tiny piece of metal with no sharp edges really. That is a security measure that does nothing, other than provide annoyance. TSA reacts to things that happen in such a way that punishes the 99.99% of the world that has no desire to do anything but travel safely, and when they react, they make life miserable for that 99.99% of the world. Is part of the TSA announcement of these sweeping new rules also including an announcement about the bankruptcy of the airline industry because of the impacts of their pettiness?

I'd really love to know why a U.S Citizen with a valid U.S Passport without a criminal record gets sent to immigration for a tourism visit to Canada. Being grilled like a common criminal made me not want to go back to Canada. Fortunately the guy in immigration actually had a brain unlike the customs agent who seemed hell-bent on being a meanie to anyone who she was forced to talk to...her line (the one I was in), took 2-3x longer than the lines to my right and left, and most people in her line went to immigration.... I didn't know going to Canada to take wildlife pictures was considered immigration....
Chris Fagyal
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by Jared Martin on Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:26 am
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I've been fortunate I guess. Of course, I don't travel as much as you all I'm sure.

Funny (and yet scary) story: My wife went to visit her family a few months ago and I dropped her off at the airport. I didn't make it out of the parking lot before she called me and told me she forgot her wallet (with, of course, her credit cards, and ID inside) at home. I told her there wasn't any way I could get home and back before her flight so she should check with the ticketing counter and see when the next flight was. She calls me back a little later and says, "actually, I'm fine." Turns out she was able to get her boarding pass without an ID (concerning, but not as concerning as the next part) AND get through security. They did stop her and question her. She told them that she forgot her wallet. The first asked to see her ID (ummm....in her wallet?) and then said they needed to see two additional forms of ID. She rummaged around in her backpack and found her photo school ID (she works in a school) which is nothing more than a plastic card with a photo and name printed on it. They needed one other piece of id. She couldn't find anything and the guard said "do you have any magazines or anything" She happened to have an Oprah magazine with her name and address on the label. She showed it to him and he let her through.

Of course I fed-ex'd her her ID to her parent's home as we didn't feel like gambling on the return trip.

We always joke now when we go to the airport if she has her Oprah magazine. Now, to the guard's credit, I'm sure there was a bit of profiling going on which is probably why he let her go through, but at the same time - wow. Nice to know they are between a safe flight and a doomed one.
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by Anthony Medici on Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:29 am
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Crossing the border at Niagara Falls to see the falls could be considered immigration. A tip from the locals is that you are traveling for pleasure and you simply want to visit some of the wonderful sites in Canada. If they ask about the equipment, add that your hobby in photography adds relaxation to the trip though you might have gone a little overboard on the amount of equipment you brought on this trip. :)

Working in Canada seems to be a no no. I would never do anything close to work when traveling there. :D
Tony
 

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