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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000028.txt from 2008/03

From: Jesse Read <jesse.read@-----.ca>
Subj: [DR-L] A bassoon is not a bazooka...
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:15:45 -0400

In 1978, I was traveling extensively in Europe, during the terrible,
violent times of the Red Brigades, and immediately during the time of
the kidnapping and
eventual murder of Aldo Moro in Italy ( being remembered now, exactly
30 years later ) There was considerable heightened security at all
borders,
not unlike today, but more presence of armed guards,
and fewer well-trained customs and security agents. There was a
particularly nervous atmosphere at the Swiss/German border, with
guards with submachine guns,
dogs and unfriendly faces. My bassoon passed through the x-ray, and
on the other side I was asked for my passport and in English, asked
to identify the maze of tubes,
rods, and menacing shapes on the screen. I said quietly " it is a
bassoon". " A BAZOOKA?" the woman in the green uniform shrieked.
Suddenly I was surrounded
by guards and agents, the other travelers were backed up, and I put
up my hands, while explaining all along that it was a musical
instrument, recognizing immediately
my mistake. Things calmed down, but there was still convincing to
do. I took out each part while the agents looked down the bore and
looked up my
travel documents. Before long, I was being encouraged to keep
assembling the thing, and I reached the point where I realized I was
going to have to
demonstrate. I did. A few bars of the slow movement of the Mozart
Concerto. A short, apologetic applause from the waiting travelers.
No appreciation
from the armed guards.

After that incident, I have always, when asked, respond, " it is a
musical instrument, kind of like a big oboe".

Jesse Read

Vicolo del Leopardo #8
00153 Rome, Italy
011 39 06 5833 5460
jesse.read@-----.ca

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