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Terrorism and Film
By Pedro Meyer The
fall out of what happened on Sept 11th has had repercussions in so many
unanticipated ways; one of these has to do with taking photographic
materials with you as you travel by air.
In an excellent technical information bulletin prepared by Kodak here
with enclosed, in html format, we can learn of all the perils of having
your film go through the regular X-ray machines at airports.
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you read it.
For
those of you who are still film enthusiasts, you will be able to notice
that using film is not without its problems. In this respect it appears
that digital cameras, no universal panacea either, have a strong advantage
over film. In particular when the airport security checks, have multiplied
like a plague. I have gone through as many as three different x-ray
machines on my way to board a plane.
As
we reported in last month’s editorial, a digital camera’s
picture file survived unharmed the collapse of the World Trade Center,
whereas film based cameras fared rather poorly in having its film survive.
What
is going on at airports with all the security checks seems to have become
a true example of bureaucratic lunacy. The idea that you could kill
or threaten someone aboard the plane with finger nail clips or a small
key chain pocket knife, just because the terrorists of Sept 11th had
cardboard cutters, does not seem to be very sophisticated thinking.
Anyone
could, if that was their purpose, make a very sharp knife out of a broken
bottle of alcohol or perfume sold at any Duty Free shop, or take the
power cord of any of the thousands of computers or hair dryers allowed
aboard planes and strangle someone.
Why
not forbid belts, they do in prisons. It would be hilarious to see many
passengers loose their pants, if belts were no longer allowed aboard
planes. Or how about, the disposal cigarette lighters that are being
sequestered from one’s luggage destined for the cargo area of the
plane, while allowing the identical lighters to go on board in the hand
carry on bags or pockets of passengers. I suppose setting the plane
on fire in the passenger compartment might be less of a danger.
On
board airplanes they replaced metal knifes with plastic ones, but I
ask myself as I cut very easily into the chicken on my dinner plate
with the plastic knife handed to me, what is the difference between
that chicken and someone’s throat? If it cuts into the chicken,
it would surely do its job on my throat if someone had such evil intentions.
Now
they even stopped serving wine from bottles that have a cork in them,
as corkscrews are no longer allowed on board. I can just see a terrorist
use a corkscrew as a weapon; the threatened passenger would probably
die of laughter at such a ridiculous threat.
Just
take the glass out of your eyeglasses and you can have a sharp edged
knife, which could then be attached onto a wooden handle, which would
have been allowed on the plane, bingo, you have the equivalent of a
paper cutter.
Billions
of dollars will be spent, on what seems to be a total charade. None
of this is really a deterrent for terrorism on board planes. We cannot
afford to let all of this nonsense to continue unchallenged, we deserve
security not placebos. The cost of all this useless security in case
you had not noticed will be passed on to us in the form of higher air
fares.
The
photographic community does a lot of traveling, and it is in our own
best interest to voice our opinions on this matter. I don’t expect
too much will come out of it, but a voice here and a voice there, will
probably in time rise the consciousness to what is going on.
We
wish all of you dear readers, that you and your families enjoy a safe
and wonderful holiday season.
Pedro Meyer's photographs are found in the collections of more than 40 major museums throughout the world. He's also authored several books, including Los Cohetes Duraron Todo el Dia; Tempii di America; and Espejo de Espinas. His column appears each month in Camera Works.
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 © Pedro Meyer
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