Airline, Airport Security and Photography

An Easyshare Camera Shunned by the Airline

My Kodak Easyshare isn't a mobile device so why should I have to turn it off at take-off and landing. Would the same rule apply if it I was using a film camera?

Read on to find out the airline rules scoop--

What are American Airlines security priorities? And the airlines and airports. Here's the irony of my being checked in at Guatamala and in Dallas.

At the Guatamala City Airport

In Guatamala City I was checked upon entering the passanger area and let through with my flammable hand cleaner that I bring around to prevent myself from getting the runs. At the departure gate I was frisked and had my bags searched throughly, but the flammable liquid passed was permitted.

All airport personnel were profession and extremely congenial (that's just the way people in Guatamala tend to be).

On the American Airlines flight to Dallas

This has to be worded in narrative, the story is much better and can be understood better that way.

There I was with my Kodak 5 mp Easyshare camera, pointing it through the window after wiping it off with the sleeve of my shirt.

My laptop on top of the empty middle seat next to me. A flight attendant walks by.

"Sir," she says with a stern grin about 15 minutes before landing in Dallas, "turn off that camera, you can't use it now."

FREEDOM, that's the first thing I thought. I have umpteen times shot through an airplane window at take-off and while landing.

"Why now," I thought.

The flight attendant walked away, so in control of my picture taking that she failed to ask me to put my laptop under the seat in front of me.

Comment, please: Now please comment as to you think whether or not I shot a few after I was told not to...

At the Dallas Airport

Upon arrival in Dallas, I entered customs where I saw agents who were big, blonde men with a marine haircut (okay, this is Dallas, so I understand). I had been quized on where I'd been and why by one blonde agent in particular. I told him I was a photographer. But, now as I look back, a better answer for what I did would have been a professor, my other job. He asked me what equipment I had and how much it was worth. I answered, then he let me know that my equipment needed to be registered beforehand.

The guy was pleasent enough, but he was more intent on finding something that I had done to get me detained. I'm glad he let me off for not registering my equipment. I had no idea that there was even such a requirement. Who in the government is supposed to let you know the rules. Perhaps I didn't read one of the forms carefully.
airport, holiday travel, American Airlines, airport security