Why British cellists may no longer fly to New York

Christian Science Monitor ^ | 09/12/06

[frogjerk]

What is this...about .0000001% of the population?!?!?!

[highball]

Pathetic. In their rush to show us that thay're actually Doing Something, they reveal only their own incompetence.

More money down the drain.

[thoughtomator]

Anyone remember the flight with the Syrian "musicians" that was described here in an article sometime last year?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Nothing larger than a laptop bag can be carried into airplane cabins.

Does this mean no more small backpacks? For short overseas trips, I only pack a few changes of clothes in a backpack and avoid the hassle of large luggage. Or is this specific to UK travel only?

[DBrow]

I ship very expensive scientific gear from time to time, often one-of-a-kind items with delicate parts. These musicians should invest in a finite-cost shipping container to transport their infinite-cost instruments. Then the instrument may even withstand a bad landing or heavy turbulence that may get it damaged, even strapped into the seat next to the musician. Then, the next generation would get to play the irreplaceable instrument.

We are at war.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"The idea that some bloke with a cello is a terrorist is laughable. Any terrorist would be more subtle than that," he says.

Sorry, chap. We can't be accused of profiling now can we? You'll have to give up your international career in order to preserve the appearance of PC.

[mosaicwolf]

There is an option called charter your own aircraft. Might be a great tax deduction.

[presidio9]

This actually happened to me right after 9/11. I was flying to Asia and was were not allowed a carry-on. The plane had to divert to San Fran. We were given free hotel rooms, and a toiletries kit but not our luggage. The kit had a box of Woolite, and we were expected to wash and air-dry our socks and underwear in preperation for the following morning's 12 hour flight.

[Still Thinking]

Kirshbaum says that the restrictions are not so much about enhanced security as about ensuring that staff are not overwhelmed by passengers with awkward baggage. "I was told it was not specifically a security issue; it was an issue of the volume of work that was put on the people manning the machines in the central search area. They were trying to minimize that."

But if the musicians are willing to buy a ticket just for the instrument, then they're entitled to two passengers worth of screening time without imposing any extra workload on the screeners. Any less than two passengers worth and this issue is actually saving the screeners workload.

[presidio9]

My first thought was "can't we just make an exception for these guys?" But what happens when the guy carrying the cello is wearing a turban and has shaved off all his body hair?

[Red Badger]

I think they actually were musicians.........

[Still Thinking]

[Instruments are] much less dangerous than laptops and duty-free bottles of highly flammable liquids [such as liquor and perfume]

Liquor isn't flammable unless over 100 proof. In fact that's where the "proof" system came from.

[jimbo123]

I would wager that American cellists will suffice.

[dfwgator]

Somebody get me a violin.

[DBrow]

"The idea that some bloke with a cello is a terrorist is laughable."

And Chicago mobsters carried their Thompsons in a what? I'm sure that a terrorist, learning that a large object like a cello or French horn may be carried on a plane, would not think of a way to exploit that. Until we get the technology to reliably screen out questionable material we'll have to put up with forcing some people to change their habits and look ahead. I have never been on a plane with a cello. I've seen guitar cases, but no cello, oboe, bassoon, viola cases, or basses either.

[TimesDomain]

"May" implies permission.

These people do not WANT to fly to the USA if their instruments must be stowed.

It is their choice.

[linda_22003]

So far it's UK. I flew back to the States from Copenhagen a few weeks ago, about two weeks after the flurry at Heathrow, and we were able to keep our carry-on bags - just without liquids or gels. So it doesn't seem to be the rule in the rest of Europe.

[trashcanbred]

THANK you for posting this. My son is going to Italy and Austria next year to play in a string orchestra and he has to carry his violin. This has not been brought up at any of the parent meetings so I will bring this up at once.

Thanks again for the information.

[ecurbh]

Classical music ping.