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Hmmm, I thought they were swabbing for explosives. I remember one time the TSA agent in SFO swabbed my 500mm lens and was amazed that it was "just a lens".
They are. The machines in the US will only detect explosive residue. But they are very sensitive and go off, on occasion, for no apparent reason. That results in further screening, ie pat down. TSA has no jurisdiction on drug issues. If they happen to run across drugs, there are LEOs in the checkpoints that they can alert.
Do you have a reputable source to back up this audacious claim?
I am with Justin I just returned home from a longer trip and the one time TSA did not swab my equipment and pull my bag aside for a more thorough check was the anomaly, my wife even commented “that is odd they always pull aside your bag and swab it. “ In Frankfurt last week this happened for the first time the TSA person even asked me to turn both camera bodies on, hand them to her and then she looked through the view finders to see if they were working cameras. An online tip I read was to always leave your battery in your camera in case this happens at TSA , and what do you know it did.
I know what you mean, but just for the record TSA is an American agency so you would not encounter them in Frankfurt, Germany. As I said earlier, the only time I recall having my camera lens swabbed was at a European airport, though I forget which one. I believe TSA (America) does collaborate with international partners, but different countries have slightly different protocols and I would be curious for those who have their gear checked if it happens more at airports outside the USA than at airports within the USA. (One example of different protocols is that some UK airports are now allowing oversize liquids whereas USA airports are not).
pretty sure the swabs are for explosives
Any suggestions on the best way to insure gear? Just through my homeowners' policy? Seems like travel damage might be an exclusion (lazy me - have not checked.
I have a Marine Rider (what it is called) on my homeowner's insurance by state farm. I believe I am covered for no matter what. Of course if my camera is damaged as I am flying to my destination, that is not covered.
"...hundreds have been fired for theft..." Can you cite an article or source to back up this claim?
I get checked often luggage or no luggage, so does my girlfriend, i wonder why.
Consider yourself lucky that you think it's so strange. My camera bag gets swabbed nearly every time I travel with it. Sometimes w/out opening it, sometimes they do open it. Rarely do they take anything out of the bag. One TSA officer told me if you don't want them to go through the bag then you should take everything out and put it in bins. Too which I say, swab away!
Not really that audacious I don't think…but it's anecdotal based on numerous reports, estimates, and thoughts I've seen in the various media outlets. I'm sure that the TSA catches a lot of them…but anybody that thinks they get them all is engaging in wishful thinking I think. And following up on MartyD's comment…I wasn't attacking the TSA at all…it's a tough job and they do the best they can with the tools they have available and with the limitations that the constitution, Patriot Act, various other post 911 legislation, and other applicable laws and standards. However…I've never believed that any system is anything close to perfect…and even if they catch 80% of the guns/knives/weapons being brought through that still leaves 20% that get through. I know the far right claims that it's tens of thousands that get through…and that's BS…and the far left claims the TSA is the most efficient government organization ever…and that's also BS. The cockpit doors that lock so that access to the flight controls is IMO far and away the largest contributor to better aircraft safety post 9/11…yeah, the other things help but like I said…they're not catching everything. As a mostly center but right of center politically person…it's pretty easy to understand that both sides of just about any issue these days overstate the case for their desired outcome rather than looking dispassionately at both sides of the argument and seeing what makes sense…but I'm really not trying to turn this into a political debate either…I promise.
You can get a rider on your homeowner's policy for camera gear (or jewelry or other high value items) to cover travel. You can also get gear insurance through some photo organizations, though you have to ask if the price if membership is worth the potential savings on a standard insurance policy (assuming that is the only reason you join). PPA (Professional Photographers of America) membership includes both equipment and liability insurance, though the latter is only needed if you are being hired for photo shoots. NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) offers equipment insurance, but they are in the midst of a controversy due to a new merger with ASMP that the board secretly pushed through without consulting the membership. An email from the opposition reports that many members (maybe most) are not going to renew.
I think a lot depends on the individual agent. To me, swabbing is not that big a deal, they just do it on the outside of the lens. The worst experience I had was on a flight back from Africa that went through Paris. The agent there would scan my carry on bag, insist there was still something in it, and have me take out more stuff and rescan it. By the time I had unloaded everything, the whole line had backed up. He then got impatient with me as I tried to repack my bag and started basically removing my stuff from the belt. He even threatened to take me into the back room for "further inspections". Needless to say, I have not flown through Paris again.
Heavy glass shows as a very dark blue, almost black. The heavier the glass, the darker it is. This renders the x-ray view blind, as in there could be something in it, or behind it unseen, hence the extra screening.
