Re: [Harp-L] This ever happen to travelling harp players?

[David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I used to work for United Airlines until three weeks after Sept. 11, BTW... A lot of stuff happens. 
Lufthansa
got me once. I had this nice stone stein with a heavy pewter lid at the Augustiner Hofbrau Muelln in
Salzburg,  when I first got to Austria. I traveled around Europe for a couple months, always with a couple harps, a journal, camera, some peanut butter on sunflower seed bread and the stein. I carried it on the 2,000 mile
snuff run I did to Sweden, all over Europe for three months, everywhere
I went, I had it, so whenever I went to a beer hall (I particularly
like the monestaries), I had them fill MY stein.  I dragged it around Salzburg for a month before my Eurail pass kicked in, then for the next two months, I had an unlimited Eurail pass, four days a week off from school to travel solo during that time.  It was with me when I got jumped by those seven dudes in Budapest, when the train I was on caught fire in Hungary. 
This stein and I had been through a lot together, so I packed it like it was important. I stuff its insides with newspapers. I wrapped its outsides in newspapers. Then, I packed my entire suitcase, which was a large one, all my belongings situated in a way to offer protection for my old friend. It was wrapped in clothes. All other clothes were situated to absorb any shock. 
I get home and what do you know, it's busted. I am scared of flying, so I got pretty sauced on the free Jim Beam while watching Fess Parker in "Davy Crockett vs. Mike Fink and the Riverboat Pirates" on my flight from Munich to O'Hare and I'm sure the only way it could have broken was if I passed out,  the plane crashed, I survived, was rescued and came to aboard a new plane. It was packed that well. That suitcase had to have fallen off the ramp or something like that, it was packed THAT well. 
I've seen workers stow luggage in a plane, they are under intense pressure to get all this crap inside the plane in time for it to take off, or get the crap off so they can put other peoples stuff in for the next leg. 
If they could bust THAT stein in checked luggage, they can bust anything. Or the stein could have taken a hit in flight. I would imagine if there is empty space inside the check in hold on the plane, the stuff is bouncing all over the place, you hit a patch of air that's the wrong temperature or something, it's like the Fist of God is suckerpunching the plane. 
If you are taking instruments, you have to have it in a hard, hardshell case. And pray.


Dave
_________________________
www.elkriverharmonicas.com 



----- Original Message ----
From: Joshua King <joshuaking@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 10:21:50 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] This ever happen to travelling harp players?

JFK-NY Airport is no better.  I used to be a flight attendant there.  For
one thing, the AA baggage handlers were stealing stuff in the baggage area.
I think they finally got busted on camera. 

Seriously though, some musicians used to be able to purchase an extra seat
at a discounted rate just for the bulky gear.  It was not something that was
advertised but was available at the time if requested.  I don't know if any
airlines still offer that these days.  I saw pros strap in guitars, ampsm a
cello and whatever else they did not want to check.  

On one of my flights, a guitar bloodied a guy up when a passenger opened the
overhead bin and it came crashing down.  The musician it belonged to was
more worried about his guitar than other guy's head.

Joy



Josh King

www.joshuaking.net
www.youtube.com/joshuaking1
www.myspace.com/joshuatking
www.facebook.com/joshuatking


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe and Cass Leone [mailto:leone@xxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 9:29 PM
To: Joshua King
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] This ever happen to travelling harp players?

Newark is the rottenest airport in the world. I could tell you  
stories (oops, someone gasped), so I won't.
smo-joe


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