Holes in Security?

Kam · #1 06-12-2007, 08:59 AM

I've been playing some interesting wallpaper gigs recently in some pretty high-profile locations in the Minneapolis area and I've noticed something that has concerned me a little bit.

These gigs have involved loading in at loading docks of skyscrapers, landmarks, and government buildings which also involved a security checkpoint. For all of these I added in a good 15 minutes of inspection of my bass and gear to my estimated load-in time. When I got there, literally each checkpoint did nothing but wave hi and there were a couple that just made an obligatory comment, "what a big guitar," etc.

So I guess I'm wondering if people from other cities have had this same experience? Are things this 'lax in New York? Chicago? I guess if I was working security for the tallest building in a city, I would want to at least take a peak in the bass bag and inspect the amp a little bit before I let a guy take the express elevator to the 50th floor..

isolated · #2 06-12-2007, 10:29 AM

Haven't had to take the bass into any high-security areas lately, but often there are a few cops at the subway stations doing spot security inspections (they've been doing this since July of last year). I've been stopped when I'm carrying just a messenger bag full of day-to-day items, but whenever I have the bass, they don't even seem to notice. Maybe they figure we've got enough problems as it is. Besides, the truly disgruntled musicians are trombone players, anyway....

But I do see your point. I'd want to check it out, if I were in their jobs, but mostly just to take a look at the guy's bass. ("What is that, German? What kind of strings you got on there?"

)

crookedfingers · #3 06-26-2007, 02:52 PM

I remember cruising the FDR dr. with my bass in the front shortly after 9/11 and the were police everywhere and I expected to get hassled but never did. Then again, my girlfriends 80+ year old grandmother got strip-searched at JFK for wearing magnets, so you never know.

Ed Fuqua · #4 06-26-2007, 03:31 PM

Never been stopped at one of the subway "Search yer bags" checkpoints with my bass.

But the funniest/scariest thing was when I bought the GK MBX-112, I took it out of the box and here I am at Grand Central Station with a small, black box walking by pretty much every cop in the workld and nobody even looks twice...

But I think that's mostly cause nothing has ever blown up on the subway here, we just don't have that mentality. When I was doing the boat gig, I saw a whole bistro/restaurant in Haifa, Israel empty in less than 30 seconds when somebody (just some random guy) spotted a briefcase that didn't seem to be attached to anybody. It turned out to be nothing, but EVERYBODY was prepared for it to be something, dig?

Phil Smith · #5 07-19-2007, 12:25 AM

I would say that since you don't have the training that the security people have, you don't really know what they are looking for nor do you know what things raise the red flag or what the various levels of scrutiny are that may not be apparent to you.

I also didn't realize that Minneapolis was a hotbed of terrorist activity. How many bombings have you had there?

John Sprague · #6 07-19-2007, 07:29 AM

I think Phil's right. What self-respecting terrorist would leave the sunny climes to go to the frozen north?

Kam · #7 07-19-2007, 08:03 AM

Well, no bombings, but just last week the sheriff's deputy busted a guy for fishing Lake Minnetonka with a counterfeit fishing license.

Sam Sherry · #8 07-19-2007, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

I also didn't realize that Minneapolis was a hotbed of terrorist activity. How many bombings have you had there?

Replace "Minneapolis" with "Oklahoma City" and start apologizing several hundred times.

We got plenty o' home-grown crazies all over this country.

**Freddels** · #9 07-19-2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kam

Well, no bombings, but just last week the sheriff's deputy busted a guy for fishing Lake Minnetonka with a counterfeit fishing license.

The other day, we had a juvenile charged with fishing without a license. The police said that he was trying to shoot fish in a pond with a pellet rifle.

Marc Piane · #10 07-20-2007, 12:59 PM

Its bad in Chicago. At the Hancock they call in your license and registration. At the Sear Tower they have huge x-ray machines. At the Aeon Center they search your stuff. I've played places downtown were you get a mug shot at the security desk as you enter. Sometimes they hold your license until you sign out. Pretty tight most places.