Airline terror baggage ban hits a bum note: musicians

AFP ^ | Sun Sep 10 | Katherine Haddon

[Westlander]

A group of top classical musicians has warned of the threat to artistic life from a hand baggage ban introduced after police foiled an alleged bomb plot against transatlantic airliners.

Many performers refuse to let their instruments, often centuries old and extremely valuable, out of their sight when they travel on planes in case they are damaged in the hold.

[badpacifist]

A group of top classical musicians has warned of the threat to artistic life

Ohh boo friggin hooo being an "artistic type' is soooo hard wah wah wah.

[mtbopfuyn]

Dang it, now those Middle Eastern err, um, "bands" flying out to Vegas will have to go to Plan B.

[The Cuban]

Yea, fault the western musicians who don't want to sacrifice 300 years + of western christian music tradition based on muslim produced fear. I am all for these musicians.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

A group of top classical musicians has warned of the threat to artistic life.

Change careers to become contemporary artists by using your instruments as platforms to cover with elephant dung.

[PetroniusMaximus]

New tactic.

Terrorists disguised as "artists" will whine endlessly about the damage done to their art until the pilot, of his own free will, crashes the plane into the ground.

No need for box cutters or explosives.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Not a lot of chamber music gets to your trailer park, does it?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

As a frequent flyer, I feel for these guys.

[WoofDog123]

"Many performers refuse to let their instruments, often centuries old and extremely valuable, out of their sight when they travel on planes in case they are damaged in the hold.
"

smart, luggage flies meters when thrown, can have very heavy items dropped from above onto it, etc.

[genetic homophobe]

Well, it's stupid. I wouldn't let my hi-priced fiddle out of my sight, either. I've never minded checking Fender Gtars though, they're built like canoe paddles. If we'd just...I don't know, maybe...PROFILE, and make Muslims check their "centuries old" fiddles, we'd be safe enough.

[gogogodzilla]

So you prefer to have a ban on carry-on luggage as opposed to ban on terrorists?

It'd be safer to simply ban Muslims from flying...

...instead of allowing Muslims to fly, but banning anything that could possibly ever be used to fashion any sort of item that could ever be considered harmful.

[July 4th]

I'm with the musicians on this one. When I played sax, no way would I ever let me tenor out of my sight. It was not worth anything near a Stradivarius, but it was irreplaceable and easily damaged.

[Slings and Arrows]

I understand their concerns.

I knew a bagpiper who checked his pipes. When he saw the case come up on the carousel, he noticed that one latch was unlocked. Grabbing the case and flinging it open, he realized that his worst nightmare had come true:

Someone had put a second set of bagpipes in.

[sschaloc]

30K Cello, top dollar hard case...

destroyed.

Thanks US Air.

No comp., wasn't marked "delicate", "Fragile, Musical instrumant" not good enough.

[musical_airman]

Sorry, dude. I'm a professional musician. Ever seen someone's livelihood destroyed by a baggage handler? I have. There are some musical instruments that are not replaceable. I know a cellist who had an instrument that was worth over $100,000 dollars- and it arrived at her destination destroyed. It was a serious blow to her finances and her career that she is still recovering from to this day (that's with the insurance policy, as well) and that was eight years ago. Hell, I've had three thousand dollars of damage done to my trumpets in flight before. So remember- this can actually cause someone a significant problem. I don't care if you're a plumber, a carpenter, and electrician, or a musician- you can't do the job without the right tools.

"Ohh boo friggin hooo being an "artistic type' is soooo hard wah wah wah."

Also remember, a professional ballplayer is considered to be fantastic if get gets a hit every third try. Musicians have to be perfect. You miss once, you get fired. Just imagine what your favorite band would sound like if they missed two thirds of the notes!!!

I have worked too hard for my entire life in the effort to achieve perfection solely for other peoples enjoyment for your comment to go unanswered.

[radiohead]

Someone had put a second set of bagpipes in.

LOL! Shame on you! For some strange reason, I love bagpipe music. I don't understand why people don't like it.

On a serious note, these instruments are how the musicians earn their living. A bang, a dent, can ruin a guitar as much as it can a concert violin. We need to get smart about airline travel and start PROFILING. Leave grandma and Yo Yo Ma alone.

[badpacifist]

Nice flame ....funny too! We who fly all have hassles now. Artists just whine louder and maybe have better tone than the rest of us out here.

[Slings and Arrows]

I love pipe music too...and pipe jokes.

And I quite agree re the musicians - I play, and I'd never check an instrument.

[JoeFromSidney]

On a serious note, these instruments are how the musicians earn their living.

Musical instruments are not the only ones at risk. Sometimes I travel with carefully calibrated electronic instruments. Having those bashed in the baggage hold would negate the purpose of the trip, even if the instruments weren't permanently damaged and could be re-calibrated once I got home again.

[NonValueAdded]

The idiocy of a one-size-fits-all bureaucracy. There must be a way to inspect and bond those instruments, especially when prior arrangements are made.