[Harp-L] Re: Travel, Harmonicas, Respect

[Jp Pagan <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Rob-bit
<ratboyrob@...> wrote:
 
>     I too in the past, have on occasion been
interrogated about my instrument and even asked to
play it at airport security and I did.
>    
>     However, as I travel more & more
internationally, my attitude is changing, I no longer
find it CUTE that they want me to play a song and
frankly after they've totally disheveled my neatly
packed bags, that's the LAST thing I'm in the mood
for. I know, I know....your saying "lighten up".. the
security folks are only doing their jobs. But it's THE
WAY they do it and their LACK of courtesy (not ALL but
LOTS). 
>   

hey Rob,

  sorry to hear about your experiences. i feel your
pain, though thankfully, i've never been asked to play
in an airport (could have been bad for me and for the
TSA workers!). i know someone who used to work as a
screener and who is now a trainer for screeners at
JFK. he's the first to admit that many many screeners
have BAD attitudes, and are more than happy to make
your life hell if they feel like you're giving them a
hard time or otherwise being an annoyance. as a case
in point, you don't HAVE to take your shoes off at any
airport in the United States. however, if you don't,
you can't bet dollars to doughnuts that you're going
to be put through more inconvenience than you would
have if you'd taken your shoes off. 
  as for harmonicas, here's what i do and it's worked
so well that i haven't had a bag searched or harp
taken out of it's case in a few years (and i'm the
kind of guy - young, long dark hair, vaguely semitic
features, facial hair -  that gets "randomly" searched
ALL THE TIME.) this little trick actually didn't come
about because of my own problems with bags being
searched, but because my wife got tired of waiting
while TSA turned my stuff upside down and wanded me
like i was radioactive every time we flew somewhere. i
always carry my harps in my backpack, which is my
carry-on, and they're separated: my chromatic is in
its case and my diatonics are all together in another
case. i know exactly where both are and can get them
in and out of my bag in seconds. i just put the cases
in a tray like i do my laptop and they always just go
through. if i see the screener raise an eyebrow when
the harps cross their screen i say "they're
harmonicas" really loudly and that's the end of that. 
  of course, mics and cables are different problem,
but i'd try to deal with them similarly -- pack the
cables in a little bag of some sort, mics separate
from that, and put it all in a tray when you go
through security. telling the screeners ahead of time
that you have musical gear doesn't hurt either. 
   really, there's no reason you should be stopped for
having harmonicas -- it's clear from the x-rays that
there are no cutting edges and there's no way they can
be mistaken for explosives, firearms, or anything like
that. small hunks of metal are not illegal to carry on
planes. that said, don't ever cop an attitude with a
TSA agent. they really can make your travel plans
hell, or even make them non-existant. 

  --Jp 

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