STORM TROOPERS AT AIRPORTS - Identify the whistle, please

walrii · Post by **walrii** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:28 pm

I travel all over the US and average one trip per week. I carry a recorder or two and a tin whistle either in my briefcase or in a separate instrument case. So far, I've had no problems at all with security. (I'm on the road tonight and catch an early flight home tomorrow - watch me get hassled at the airport this trip!) Occaisionally, a TSA agent will open my instrument case, look at the instruments and close it back.

I always carry-on my instruments; I do not put them in checked baggage. In fact, I do not put any valuables in checked baggage because of vandalism and theft, both of which were going on long before 9/11. While I can't prove this thesis one way or the other, I'd bet the baggage handlers are responsible for a large portion of the damage reported, not the TSA.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:05 am

I can understand why you are angry Bill and I sympathise with you.

In contrast, in Australia, my experience is similar to Walrii's experience.

However prior to September 11, I had a problem with Australian customs when returning from overseas. I had originally taken my Indian tablas with me from Australia to the other country and was bringing it back with me on my return. Prior to my Australian departure I had obtained Australian customs certification for them and the certification registration no. was glued to each of the drums on the bottom (and is still there). The certification seemed to me to make the officials even more suspicious than usual and they spent an inordinate amount of time checking the drums out. By appearance and accent one customs officers was even a person of South Asian origin but this seemed to make little difference to their apparent incredulity! Finally one of them happened to DROP THE TREBLE DRUM ON THE FLOOR! Well that did it. I demanded to see a manager, obtained an apology and lodged a written form of complaint.
Later on, I had the that drum dismantled and inspected and reassembled by a professional tabla player and repairer. I was compensated for the cost of that inspection by the Customs Department even though the drum had not been damaged.

I don't think I could have blamed the Prime Minister of Australia for this unfortunate incident. And I don't feel I would blame your President for what happened to you. I feel it would be best to direct your anger iinto some positive action against the officials concerned. I think President Bush would be as appalled as you by what happened.

BTW, regarding the top reed in your pikky, this MAY help you:
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/india ... pungi.html.
although the example there looks a little different to yours at the top end.

Father Emmet · Post by **Father Emmet** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:11 am

I'm sure air travel has long since been abandoned by terrorists. One would be a fool to fly when he can walk in from Mexico and buy/steal a used van for transportation/lodging.

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:43 am

I also have taken high and low metal whistles on board planes numerous times and only once did the gate crew look at them.

As for TSA, this is a fine example of what happens when anyone, public or private sector, creates a large organization overnight. As I recall during the Homeland Security Act debate, the Administration wanted to leave airport gate security entirely in the hands of the airlines, as it always has been. (REALLY BAD IDEA) The airlines of course have always contracted gate security out to the lowest bidder. As a result of the Homeland Security Act, all those poorly trained and low paid gate security workers become Federal workers. I don't know if this is good for national security, but it's going to take years and millions of $$ to develop all 40,000 or so of them into a customer-focused, responsible workforce.

I'd encourage you to follow through with a complaint. You probably won't get much satisfaction, but it might help a littel bit to get these guys bosses to pay attention to training.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:47 am

dwinterfield wrote:I don't know if this is good for national security, but it's going to take years and millions of $$ to develop all 40,000 or so of them into a customer-focused, responsible workforce.

Yes, i can't wait for them to finally be as customer-focused and responsible as other government agencies like, say, the IRS or the INS (part of the Homeland Security behemoth now), or the consular service. When i think of my dealings with these fine customer-focused agencies, i start thinking that "the right to carry and bear arms" is not entirely a bad idea.

Defnitely complain. It may not do anything, but at least goes into some statistics somewhere. If they were my instruments and had monetary value, i'd try getting money from them, but these seem to be relatively inexpensive souvenirs. It may be too late to complain now, though. You should complain about damage done to checked luggage right when you retrieve it in the airport.

Duffy · Post by **Duffy** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:21 am

Hey Bill,

Last November I took several whistles both going and coming through security and customs at the Detroit airport, security & customs in Frankfort Germany, and security in Milwaukee. I had them in my carry on backpack and incountered no problems. One inspector commented that they were nice looking instruments and asked how long I'd been playing. (Good screening technique) My 9 yr old grandson evidently fit a profile and his luggage was closely examined (no damage) and got supervisor attention concerning his Game Boy, CD player, and a tube full of Euro coins. All very polite and pleasant. I was kind of disappointed since I have a long background in counterterrorism and was hoping for a good argument with some creatin.

Senior citizens and handicapped travelers seem to get a lot of attention , possibly because it keeps the numbers up and they tend not to complain as much as business class folks. Sorry to hear of your friend's bad experience.

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:26 am

-Sifting or going through one's belongings and damaging them willy nilly or by intention is more likely an inspector than a baggage handler. Conversely, having worked in a major airport, I've seen a baggage handler for a major airline try to outdo the Samsonite test gorilla out of sheer crankiness. FWIW, his coworkers didn't rein him in either. -Not very confidence inspiring.

-A buddy running a guitar shop gets insurer's calls to verify cost of claims for instruments shipped in the sturdiest containers imaginable. I think a decent instrument case may act as a challenge to a bored or cranky handler. I've had better than expected luck sending banjos in flimsy cardboard cases-but hey, its already messed up-its a banjo!

-Sadly, my piano accordion was also unscathed.

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:35 am

glauber wrote:
dwinterfield wrote:I don't know if this is good for national security, but it's going to take years and millions of $$ to develop all 40,000 or so of them into a customer-focused, responsible workforce.
Yes, i can't wait for them to finally be as customer-focused and responsible as other government agencies like, say, the IRS or the INS (part of the Homeland Security behemoth now), or the consular service. When i think of my dealings with these fine customer-focused agencies, i start thinking that "the right to carry and bear arms" is not entirely a bad idea.

Defnitely complain. It may not do anything, but at least goes into some statistics somewhere. If they were my instruments and had monetary value, i'd try getting money from them, but these seem to be relatively inexpensive souvenirs. It may be too late to complain now, though. You should complain about damage done to checked luggage right when you retrieve it in the airport.

I detect a faint note of sarcasm and suspect some past experiences that were none too positive. I've worked in the public sector for many years and absolutely agree that gov't employees sometimes engage in stupid, rude, unpardonable behavior. I'd also suggest that most of us can recall as many instances when we got the same sort of treatment from non-gov't people too. Bad service is everywhere.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:49 am

Yes. I don't remember having any positive interaction with the 3 agencies i mentioned. But who knows, next time may be better. (To be fair, the INS has been quick to support the work of tax software companies and buying into electronic filing. This has reduced the need of many people to interact with them, which leads to a more positive experience.)

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:15 am

I've taken instruments on planes many times with no ill-effects. All post-9/11, I've taken a handful of cheapies, a couple of laughing whistles, a low D copeland, a 15" bodhran, a "Wiplstix" portable fiddle, and a concertina. Except for the high D whistles, every instrument had its own case. I've never checked an instrument through - those things never leave my sight.

I've only had very minimal attention paid to my instruments. Three or four times, someone has wanted to know what the collapsed metal tube in my carryon was, and once I show them that it has fingerholes they wave me through. With cased instruments, I always announce to the handler what it is as I am handing it over. The concertina and portable fiddle induced mild interest, but that's all.

I feel quite fortunate not to have had any airport struggles, especially with all the travelling I do. The only times I've had a bag searched were 1) at the gate in Heathrow, just before boarding a flight to America and 2) at the security gates in Salt Lake City prior to moving to London. That time, my backpack was so stuffed with random junk that it wasn't able to be x-rayed - nothing helpful emerged in the scan. So they had to unpack the WHOLE thing and check it out by hand. I made sure to keep smiling and they did the same, and then they gave me some time and table space to repack it all when they were done. Took me over half an hour to get through security that day! Though they only spent about 15 seconds on the concertina

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:18 am

avanutria wrote: The concertina and portable fiddle induced mild interest, but that's all.

P

Um, are there fiddles that aren't portable?

Real question! Tom

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:22 am

glauber wrote:When i think of my dealings with these fine customer-focused agencies, i start thinking that "the right to carry and bear arms" is not entirely a bad idea.

The right to keep and bear arms is okay, but I prefer the right to keep and arm bears. Just think of the surprise on the hunters' faces when the bears start shooting back!

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:40 am

TomB wrote:Um, are there fiddles that aren't portable?

I use the term in the relative sense:

http://www.wiplstix.com/gallery.html

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:25 pm

... this incredibly Hitlerian little cadre of stupid Basmatis ...

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:30 pm

Bloomfield wrote:
... this incredibly Hitlerian little cadre of stupid Basmatis ...

I think wanted to show that he was angry at them.