 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: hartt
Date: 2015-01-03 21:51
'bout time.....now, let us see if 'they' educate the "sweepers/friskers/conveyor belt x-rayers' and idiiots as to what an instrument is and looks like.
inconsistency in knowledge/awareness., .... quite sometime ago I went to a Symposium......In Dallas, I got a momma who not only insisted I open the double case , but also asked 'what's this" and as I began to respond, PROCEEDED TO REACH FOR A JOINT AND PULL IT OUT.
I stated not to touch it, I'll remove it and pushed her hand away.
YIKES / Boom /BANG.... 'you just assaulted a Federal Officer." WHAT !!!!
Simultaneously, I demanded to see her Supervisor. Off came my cervical collar (which was squeezed, twisted), sneakers, sweatshirt and on came the handcuffs. I was also told to remove my right sock as the 'wand' detected the metal in my fused right foot. She mentioned that the pieces could be stick bombs. I asked if she was crazy or nuts.
The Supervisor immediately appeared , quickly resolved the situation, and apologized for the incident. Just a glance at the still open case he knew the contents. With a disturbed tone of voice, he instructed the (cuffs) be taken off. I was allowed to get 'dressed', while he expressed how careful they need to be and allowed me on my way.
On the return trip I encountered a conveyor x=rayer who, as the unopened case passed thru ,simply asked me if I , like he, played the saxophone.
Ignorant, uneducated, idiotic people with a shoulder patch and their assumed power of a position......
Years later a round trip across the Canadian border for the Vancouver Fest was without incident. After a conveyor x-ray they were more interested in the Canadian money I was taking out of the country.
However....the ' return 'Passport inspector was a RUDE jackass. When asked for my passport, I opened it to the appropriate page and placed it on the desk facing him .....about 12 inches in front of his folded hands.. He glanced at it, looked back up at me and told me to hand it to him. I complied......yet, he did not look at it again.
Other than RUDE, I won't comment further on that incident. I mumbled something to which he asked as to what I said. I mentioned that I just cleared my throat.
dennis
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-03 23:06
Dennis:
You raise an extremely relevant conundrum. Despite keeping the lines of communication open with such security agents, and saying things to them so as to hopefully prevent situations like those you describe, like , "I am glad to open this case for you and hand you anything you wish to carefully check, but do realize this is valuable equipment," the people you deal with (not all, but perhaps some of the bad agents on bad days) are paradoxically taught that such rhetoric is the very stuff of which those out to do harm might resort to, to throw an agent off guard.
Couple this with too much power, and the notion that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and probably all sorts of policies that protect such agents from liability in situations where people and property are damaged, and it's a receipe for problems for the innocent air traveler.
In fairness to such agents, taking charge is what they are taught, with good reason. Better that "stick bomb" that really you and I know was just a clarinet joint, be in her hands, rather than yours to toss, instead of handing over to her.
It's a tough situation where agents often aren't schooled in the finer arts, (including the finer arts of diplomacy) and are often desensitized to respecting other's property, given all the stuff they see, both in property, and people's attitudes (not yours) as passengers show disdain for the very agents trying to make their flights safer. You and I though do pay a price for those agent's ignorance.
Your annecdote exemplifies one of the costs of terrorism, as we exchange loss of personal liberties in a hypervigilant check of our belongings, even though we know we're out to do no harm, for what is hopefully a safer society.
To the agent's point of view, people can talk about how they violate people's rights until some bomb goes off in the cabin of a plane in flight, whose occupants they were charged with checking.
I feel your frustration Dennis and hope you are not the worse for wear from your experiences. I think we can both agree, perhaps in hindsight, that touching an agent, or even violating their personal space, without first asking their permission, like in the case of a police officer, can end badly, much as I understand exactly why and what motivated you to do so.
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