Re: What you can take on the plane

scott gold <mwmgum@xxxxxxx> · Thu, 16 Jan 2003 22:56:31 +1000

<html>
<font size=3>on Wed, 15 Jan 2003 17:17:18 -0500, <br>
Larry Boy replied to G re:<br>
What you can take on the plane<br>
(or can't).<br>
<br>
Larry Boy (and G),<br>
<br>
although not an expert, <br>
i flew more than 125,000 miles <br>
last year on the following airlines:<br>
Continental, Continental Micronesia, N/W,<br>
United, US Air, Philippines Air, Cathay Pacific, <br>
Air China, Qingdao Airlines, Emirate, and <br>
Ethiopian Airlines.&nbsp; i have flown all over<br>
Micronesia, Asia (Japan, China, Hong Kong, Philippines), <br>
the USA (both coasts), and a smattering<br>
in the Middle East / Africa.<br>
<br>
i have never had, heard of or seen a harp or harp-related<br>
equipment confiscated (although, i have had fishing lures<br>
taken away).&nbsp; outside of a coerced&nbsp; impromptu concert<br>
by curious security at Manila airport several years back<br>
(see archives for full story), i have never been hassled<br>
by my harps and mics, which are usually packed<br>
in common-slip-time-grenade scheduling.<br>
<br>
that said, i have learned that the more i put in suitcase<br>
that is metal, the easier my carry-on bag passes through<br>
the x-ray machine.&nbsp; before i walk through the security<br>
gate (anti-hijacker machine in Japanese!),&nbsp; i put ALL<br>
metals in my bag - watch, shades, coinage, pen.<br>
passing through the security gate w/o tripping the alarm<br>
can save you a wanding and shoe inspection.<br>
<br>
i used to worry about theft, and therefore carried on everything--<br>
all harps and mics, cables etc.&nbsp; one good result of the
heightened<br>
security is that bags are routed better and petty theft is down.<br>
<br>
incidentally, if confiscation should occur (which i cannot imagine),
<br>
you can insist that it be sent with the rest of the luggage, so you will
<br>
see your precious 280 at the other end of the flight, as i did with<br>
my precious lures.<br>
<br>
yours in turbulence,<br>
<br>
- -sg<br>
&nbsp; tumon bay, guam<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>G wrote: <br>
Anyone wondering what harmonicas and bits of your rig are okay and not
okay <br>
to <br>
take on the plane :- here is the TSA website which spells it out for
you.<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.tsa.dot.gov/public/display?content=15"; eudora="autourl">http://www.tsa.dot.gov/public/display?content=15</a></font></u><br>
<font size=3>To which I reply: <br>
I didn't see any harmonicas or microphones or amplifiers listed. When I
<br>
traveled pre 9/11 I always took my harps and mics with me on the plane.
No <br>
one pays me to come and gig for them. I usually carried my harps and mics
<br>
on day-job business trips and searched out open mics. I could usually
find <br>
an amp or board to plug into. Only ocassionally did they raise an eyebrow
<br>
at the security checkpoint. Most of the time it was not a big deal. This
<br>
TSA notice basically says, if it ain't on the list, you are left to the
<br>
mercy of the particular security personnel involved. If they don't know
<br>
what it is, they can, not let you take it on the palne.<br>
That scares me.<br>
Recently someone (I think Ryan Hartt?) wrote and asked about security
<br>
restrictions because they were about to take a flight. It'd be
interesting <br>
to know what their experience was. Was it you Ryan?<br>
Best regards to all,<br>
Larry Boy Pratt</font></blockquote></html>