 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2014-02-14 13:04
We've had some discussions here about how to travel with clarinets, especially the big basses and contras that won't fit under the seat. Today on the AP wire:
>Two years ago, Congress directed the Transportation Department to write regulations requiring airlines to accommodate musicians traveling with their instruments, so that the instruments don't get damaged or lost.
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Final regulations are due Friday, but the department hasn't even started writing them. Transportation spokeswoman Meghan Keck said the agency doesn't have enough money to do the work needed to write the regulations.
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The article goes on to describe disasters with valuable, vintage guitars that baggage personnel mishandled after the airlines refused to let the owners carry their instruments on board. No mention of clarinets, but clearly this is an issue that concerns us. As usual,, musicians lose, while the Transportation Dept. and Congress play that same old song called "Budget Chicken." No matter who plays it, it's always out of tune.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-02-14 18:33
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo United Breaks Guitars.
Yeah, airlines have only gotten worse through the years about this issue. I'm glad somebody at least tried to address it, but of course Congress is really good at telling people to do something without providing the funding.
I've flown with my soprano clarinet in its case inside a suitcase, and that seems secure enough- perhaps better than carryon. But that wasn't in subzero weather either.
There are proper and very secure travel cases for just about any instrument. All you need is $, to buy the case, and perhaps to pay to bring it along on your trip. Alternatively, you could ship it separately- but that's no guarantee either- and at best you have to do without it an extra day or 2 or 3. Last year I had a clarinet shipped to me from the Ridenour folks- by the time the package got to FL it had turned into a stack of embroidery squares (no joke!).
I bet a lot of musicians "go by car" like Dave Carroll sings.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: muppie
Date: 2014-02-14 18:54
This video says that TSA allows people to carry a guitar on board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12WFZq2__0
I wonder if it would apply to other instruments.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-02-15 06:46
Several years ago, our community band was invited to perform in Washington, D.C. With the largest instruments, some were shipped ahead and others were rented there (not a great option). One of our french horn players was told that she would have to check her instrument. She had wrapped the case with bright yellow tape and added labels that it contained a fragile musical instrument. When she told the counter agent that she would be happy to check it if they would give her something in writing that the airline would assume responsibility for her $5,000 instrument. The agent checked with her supervisor and they arranged for the instrument to have a place in the first class cabin for the round trip. I checked my backup instrument inside a suitcase and took my primary clarinet as carry on. TSA didn't bat an eye at any of the instruments that went through their x-ray machine.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-02-15 12:05
The whole purpose of flying is to get somewhere faster. Then what?
Bob Draznik
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-02-15 20:34
I imagine at some point in the future, the protocol for traveling with an instrument will require the player to actually play something for the security folks. You know, prove it's a working horn and that your story is legit. Even that won't necessarily guarantee anything, but it ought to make for some entertaining scenes at the airport. The bad folks ruin everything for the rest of us.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2014-02-15 22:28
Stan in Orlando wrote,
>>I imagine at some point in the future, the protocol for traveling with an instrument will require the player to actually play something for the security folks. You know, prove it's a working horn and that your story is legit. >>
That's already happening. Every time I've travelled in the USA with a carry-on wind instrument since 9/11, the security folks at the gate have asked me to take the instrument out and play it. It's happened a fair few times, even though I'm not a pro muscian, because I have family on the opposite side of the continent and whenever I travel, I go to flea markets and junktiques stores. I'd rather not trust the baggage gremlins with a clarinet even if it's in skanky condition, but since the TSA people don't know or care whether or not I can play a Brahms sonata, I travel with enough emergency repair parts in my checked-through luggage so that I can assemble the screech-stick and honk a few notes on demand. That way, I've never been forced to gate-check an instrument even when it's unplayable by *our* standards.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-02-15 22:30
Some airlines will allow you to put a large instrument in the pilot cabin or closet if it won't fit under the seat or in the overhead but you really need to call ahead and get permission before assuming. It often depends on the pilot and or stewards. Something like a contra may be a problem for sure because you know it won't fit.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Tom Ridenour
Date: 2014-02-15 19:18
This is in relation to Mr. Kelley's post about receiving napkins rather than a clarinet. A memorable and, in hindsight, hilarious and bizarre experience.
The linen napkins........ah memories. That was so baffling; I just remember being very confused as to what you were trying to tell me until the obvious hit me. That, and an instance where a package destined for Ecuador, it eventually did arrive, was shipped by way of Sweden (America to Sweden.....4 hours on phone with shipper........to Ecuador. That's efficiency!) are the two most memorable events in my "clarinet shipping career".
From experience while very uncommon all the shipping companies you can name ocassionally screw things up....very uncommon but it does happen.
Ted Ridenour
Ridenour Clarinet Products,
rclarinetproducts.com
sales@ridenourclarinetproducts.com
Post Edited (2014-02-15 19:23)
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-02-16 01:30
Attachment: DSCs-04261.JPG (144k)
Attachment: DSCs-04243.JPG (144k)
The odd thing is that the LABEL on the embroidery square package (which was way too small and light to actually contain a clarinet) was apparently the original label on the clarinet box- it said 8 lb, Ridenour return address etc. So I've figured there was some terrible mishap with multiple package carnage, and somebody just slapped the loose labels on whatever they found, or perhaps it got stuck there on its own. I sent Ted some photos. Like he said, hilarious in retrospect, not so funny at the time.
A few days later another box arrived from same carrier (who shall not be named), from one of their warehouses in TX. I was delighted- box was big and heavy enough, and I opened like a kid on Christmas morning. I found----- a kitty watering station, worth maybe $20 on a good day. And that was the end of the story, until Ted shipped me a replacement and (eventually) got $ back from the carrier. We still don't know where that 1st Arioso went.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2014-02-16 01:36)
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Author: Tom Ridenour
Date: 2014-02-16 01:57
I forgot the watering station part. Wow that was _______ (you can fill in the blank).
Ridenour Clarinet Products,
rclarinetproducts.com
sales@ridenourclarinetproducts.com
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-10-09 04:44
I've got another clarinet due from the Ridenours via the same carrier. I had been notified it would be delivered tomorrow, but now I just got another notice "A late... trailer arrival has caused a delay. We're adjusting plans to deliver your package as quickly as possible. / Delivery will be rescheduled." Cue the Twilight Zone music...
Update... OK- the box got here, and it did contain a clarinet.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2014-10-10 20:31)
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The Clarinet Pages
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