[Harp-L] Re: Airport security and harps

[scott gold <mwmgum@xxxxxxx>]

hafa adai, all, from sunny guam,

i fly about 120,000 miles per year, and i have passed through quite a few 
airport security checkpoints as well as overland borders over the 
years.  while no expert in the matter of getting searched at the security 
gate, i have figured out a few tricks......

first, fyi,  here is a list of most of the airports i've frequented since 
9/11 - in no particular order:

Guam (last week)
Saipan
Yap
Palau
Chuuk
Narita
Kansai
Manila
Hong Kong
Beijing
Shanghai
Honolulu
Dubai
addis ababa
San Francisco (last week)
Denver (last week)
Albuquerque (last week)
JFK
La Guardia
Dulles
National
Detroit
Chicago

1. every airport is a bit different - the rules may be standardized, but in 
practice, procedures can vary quite a bit from airport to airport(and 
airline to airline), especially overseas airports.  for example, while most 
have done away with the this little hassle, some still snag you at the gate 
- security personnel with set up tables in the jetway for yet another 
annoying search of your carry on bags.  (i've figured out how to usually 
avoid that inconvenience, but due to security concerns, i cannot reveal 
this technique!)

2. some airports, like Hong Kong and Kansai - will hand-check all your 
to-be-checked-in bags at check-in -- this can only be avoided by traveling 
carry-on only.  typically, though, it's only on US carriers or aircraft 
destined for the USA.  i believe this system is employed when there are no 
x-ray machines at check-in.  at Hong Kong they do it for everyone;  at 
Kansai Intl., on the other hand, they do it randomly.  oh, at the security 
gate in japan, they now ask if your carry on bag as water in it.  anyone 
know what that's about? (i guess it means, like harp players who know 
already know better say: do not soak, especially when flying!)

3. i believe that the security gate metal detectors can be adjusted for 
strength - and not all are the same potency.  so some might call out your 
harps, some might not.  the way to avoid trouble at the gate is to empty 
your pockets of all metal, including gum foil, heavy metal belt buckles, 
work-boots with steel toes, your watch, coins, keys, metal pens, metal 
shades, and your EV 920 mic.  as soon as you trigger the alarm, you are 
destined for a basic search.

4. the machine at the security gate that your bags go through is getting 
better - i's in color for example.  the problem has to do with the 
personnel observing the picture.  most everyone has metal of some sort in 
their bags, but not everyone carry a stack of harps with them, and for the 
uninitiated, it can be difficult to identify.  some say, oh that's a 
harmonica, right?  my brother plays;  others say, step over this way, sir, 
and DO NOT touch the bag!.   and as someone recently wrote, even when taken 
out and inspected, some security personnel still may not understand the 
difference between a marine band and an IED (improvised explosive 
device).  see a past post of mine in the archives about my forced impromptu 
concert in Manila 2 years or so ago.

5. in the past (pre-9/11) due to lost baggage, theft, and damage concerns, 
i like i am sure most of you  have reasoned, it always made sense  to carry 
on your harps and equipment.   well, not this sailor.  i pack them in my 
checked in luggage - it's just not worth the hassle.  i carry one - maybe 
two (diatonic or diatonic/chrom for those long delays.....).  with the 
added security come a benefit - less theft.  and, when you think about it, 
most theft is money, jewelry, cd's, cameras, that sort of thing.  no one 
really want your nasty stinkin' harps.   another point:  in my experience, 
there have been improvements in the lost baggage situation.  it has been 
many years now since i lost a bag (for good).  some didn't make it to my 
destination on time, but 98% of the time, i've been okay

6. sometimes, other stuff in your bag will trigger a search at security, 
and if you are packing harps, mics, and whatnot, you will have that looked 
into as well.  i have tried to drop the notebook computer from my pack 
list, for example.  it's just too much of a hassle.  instead i check in on 
my harp-l digest at an internet cafe, etc.

7. my final tip:  always smile.  and be nice.  i have gotten myself through 
many a jam that way and, to date - knock on my wood comb  - have never been 
strip-searched or otherwise probed.....and for those who know me and what i 
look like, that's not easy to say for someone who's face is a cross between 
a drug-runner and a terrorist.  i've been interrogated/detained/anxiously 
stared at  bangkok, hong kong, and even honolulu.  had my shoes, belts and 
seems looked into, but never body parts.

that's it for this installment.

travel safe and play harp safe!

yours in transit,

-sg
tumon bay, guam