Yeah, might actually be funny if it happened on a sitcom with a laugh track, but in real life...
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will the TSA pay attention to my note?
- Thread starter jgore
- Start date
No, not really.
It's kinda sad this is the actual state of flying in a commercial sense. I hate it. There is no reason these people need to treat other people belongings the way they do. Same goes for FedEx, UPS, etc.
It's kinda sad this is the actual state of flying in a commercial sense. I hate it. There is no reason these people need to treat other people belongings the way they do. Same goes for FedEx, UPS, etc.
Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't there TSA approved cases (I think Gator makes a few) that you could use? I think that if you do decide to send the bass as baggage, by using your note with the TSA strap and a TSA case you'll increase your chances of the case staying closed.
If it has a lock, it needs to be a TSA approved lock. If it has a zipper, don't even bother locking it.
Bring it on board, just flew back from Phoenix and watches an enormous pacific islander man overhand throwing luggage into the compartment with one hand while on a cell phone. Imagine even your locked case flying into the compartment with all the other haphazardly thrown luggage
There's less than a 1% chance they'll lock the case.
You've got about a 50:50 shot of carrying it on board and asking to store it in one of the compartments up front (not over head). I know guys that are often successful carrying the tools of the trade onto Europe bound flights.
You've got about a 50:50 shot of carrying it on board and asking to store it in one of the compartments up front (not over head). I know guys that are often successful carrying the tools of the trade onto Europe bound flights.
I bought a TSA-approved lock when they started selling them. When I picked up my luggage after my flight, the lock was broken off and gone. Thanks, that was a couple bucks down the drain.
In a somewhat related story...
Once when I was traveling back to the US from the Caribbean, one of my luggage pieces was an Igloo cooler. I had about 20 lbs of frozen mahi mahi wrapped in newspaper in the bottom of the cooler. I used to do this a lot; it's a short flight to Houston and then to Austin, and the fish would always arrive still frozen or at least still very cold.
Except that this time the plane bringing us back to the States was about 5 hours late. We had already checked in, and our luggage sat out in the July sun on the tarmac the whole time we were waiting on the plane. Oh, I should mention that the only other stuff in the cooler was a big pile of dirty underwear that I had piled on top of the fish for cushioning and insulation. Anyway, when we finally got home I knew better than to open that cooler inside. When I did open it the stench was staggering, and there was a TSA inspection slip in it. That was one time I actually felt sorry for the poor TSA schmuck that had to do the inspection.
Back in 72 I built a beautiful 3/4 plywood box to carry my bass from CA to WA. Twice been allowed to carry it on since then and cago'd probably 5 other times. Proud of it and still standing proud and strong. Used 6 overlapping huge eyebolts in 3 spots which I passed 3 padlocks. Not allowed anymore...... oh well equal to a 4 bill case except the locking setup now.
I was thinking about this, and one difference between courier companies like fedex, ups, whatever, have a business model that revolves around transporting cargo. Even if they fail, they are a shipper, and as a company there is never any question of how they will treat your items. You already know it's going to be subject to rough conditions, so you pack appropriately.
With your airline of choice, what if you show up with your prized instrument in a bag and try to get the flight attendants to hang it or whatever, and the flight is full? You stand a solid chance of then being forced to check your instrument...and you're (*&^ed because it's in a gig bag.
As far as TSA goes, I have zero faith in their desire to safeguard your instrument.
With your airline of choice, what if you show up with your prized instrument in a bag and try to get the flight attendants to hang it or whatever, and the flight is full? You stand a solid chance of then being forced to check your instrument...and you're (*&^ed because it's in a gig bag.
As far as TSA goes, I have zero faith in their desire to safeguard your instrument.
- Feb 8, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: Bag End - Dean Markley - Thunderfunk
I fly a lot these days, probably around 125 flights a year.
A lot of folks will cite the FAA law that says airlines must allow you to carry on your instrument. This is technically true, but in practical terms it is at the discretion of the airlines. Good luck arguing with them if they choose to be obstinate about it. You can waive that paper all you want while you're missing your flight. Also, many of the smaller prop planes you sometimes need to take from smaller airports do not have room for a bass even in a bag.
Additionally, I have observed TSA agents examining cases on numerous occasions. They may pay attention or not, they may relocck things or not, they may exercise care or not. Again in practical terms there is nothing you can do about it. Wanna start causing a ruckus and demanding your rights? Go right ahead, just be prepared to miss your flight. The airlines or the TSA do not have to let you fly, that's just reality.
The best solution I have found is to fly with a bass that is good enough to gig with, but not one of my main instruments. It's in a hard case, and I've had no problems. IF something were to happen to it, it would suck but would not be a devastating loss. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
You might fly 100 times without a problem taking your bass on, and the 101st flight, suddenly you are forced to check you bass in a gig bag or not flying. The notion that you can demand X Y or Z is an illusion. If the airlines or the TSA believe you are going to be disruptive, they have the right to refuse you passage and your only recourse is a refund.
After 911 things changed with flying forever and the old days are not coming back.
A lot of folks will cite the FAA law that says airlines must allow you to carry on your instrument. This is technically true, but in practical terms it is at the discretion of the airlines. Good luck arguing with them if they choose to be obstinate about it. You can waive that paper all you want while you're missing your flight. Also, many of the smaller prop planes you sometimes need to take from smaller airports do not have room for a bass even in a bag.
Additionally, I have observed TSA agents examining cases on numerous occasions. They may pay attention or not, they may relocck things or not, they may exercise care or not. Again in practical terms there is nothing you can do about it. Wanna start causing a ruckus and demanding your rights? Go right ahead, just be prepared to miss your flight. The airlines or the TSA do not have to let you fly, that's just reality.
The best solution I have found is to fly with a bass that is good enough to gig with, but not one of my main instruments. It's in a hard case, and I've had no problems. IF something were to happen to it, it would suck but would not be a devastating loss. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
You might fly 100 times without a problem taking your bass on, and the 101st flight, suddenly you are forced to check you bass in a gig bag or not flying. The notion that you can demand X Y or Z is an illusion. If the airlines or the TSA believe you are going to be disruptive, they have the right to refuse you passage and your only recourse is a refund.
After 911 things changed with flying forever and the old days are not coming back.
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The TSA are there to protect us and probably do a great job 99.999% of the time, it's just the 0.001% of the time that we find reason to complain about. I'm being diplomatic because there are probably TBers who work for the TSA, and I can't be critical of a fellow bass player no matter what he/she does for a living!
The one and only time I allowed a bass into the luggage hold of an airplane was on a trip through Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia. I experienced no problems at all! However, I was sh###ing myself the whole way because it was a brand new American Standard Precision (complete with TSA hardcase) and it was my most expensive bass at that time. I really love my instruments and I never want to go through that level of stress ever again.
Next time I take a bass overseas, it's going to be shipped by courier ahead of time or will travel with me the whole way. Either fully assembled in a gig bag or disassembled with the parts in a backpack. No question about it.
The one and only time I allowed a bass into the luggage hold of an airplane was on a trip through Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia. I experienced no problems at all! However, I was sh###ing myself the whole way because it was a brand new American Standard Precision (complete with TSA hardcase) and it was my most expensive bass at that time. I really love my instruments and I never want to go through that level of stress ever again.
Next time I take a bass overseas, it's going to be shipped by courier ahead of time or will travel with me the whole way. Either fully assembled in a gig bag or disassembled with the parts in a backpack. No question about it.
I wonder if any of the nay sayers have ever actually leave a note like this one or they are just bashing the TSA as a knee jerk reaction ...
I have done this before many times, I used to travel to South America at least a couple of times a month with a lot of electronic stuff that I would check as luggage, every time they would open the boxes, the first couple of times they left them unlocked and unsealed and I missed some stuff and other got damaged. After that I started to leave a note just like this one and after that they would always rearrange the gear, close and seal the boxes. So in my experience they do read it and it does work.
I have done this before many times, I used to travel to South America at least a couple of times a month with a lot of electronic stuff that I would check as luggage, every time they would open the boxes, the first couple of times they left them unlocked and unsealed and I missed some stuff and other got damaged. After that I started to leave a note just like this one and after that they would always rearrange the gear, close and seal the boxes. So in my experience they do read it and it does work.
In my experience, they treat your stuff better outside of the US. However, you will be traveling through two major airports on big aircrafts. Plenty of room on those to carry-on.
The TSA is notorious for stealing passengers items, not honoring requests, violating basic constitutional rights.. etc. I wouldn't expect much.
IMO, that's nothing but an invitation to **** your instrument up. Remember, this is our government you're dealing with here. You may get lucky, and it may pass thru a guitarist/TSA employee that appreciates a fine instrument. But, then you gotta start wonderin' if they'd be tempted to keister/suitcase it 
and take it home for themselves.
and take it home for themselves.
I never understood people's fascination with collecting G strings.
Marcus a few posts above hit it square on the head. I fly extensivly for work as well. If you want to fly with that particular bass, plan on taking it as a gate check. You may be able to carry it on, but pack it as planning and expecting to do a gate check. You wont pay baggage fees and you carry it yourself up to the jetway. At that point it depends on the size of the plane and airline policy. Many smaller regional commuter jets are too small to even fit a mandolin the overhead bin, much less a solid body instrument, irregardless of intact or broken down. As airlines remodel the insides of planes to squeeze more seats in the "coat closets" and vertical storage bins are dissapearing. My home airport is a major metro international airport but I'm frequently connecting or have final destinations at smaller airports and small planes.
With a gate check you avoid the baggage handling conveyors and they give you your instrument back at the next gate, not the baggage carousel (United Airlines is an exception here - I avoid United for this and other reasons). Nonetheless, pack your instrument in a good case, and pad the area around the headstock. the neck is under allot of tension and generally the headstock is freefloating in the case; you want to cusion the headstock against movement inside the case. I use clean T-shirts, socks & underwear for this purpose. These serve double in that in case they "mis-handle" my main suitcase, I've got a change of socks and underwear until they get my luggage to the hotel, which seems to happen about once a year.
If this is going to be a long duration / semi-permanant gig, I would ship the instrument via a freight carrier as others have suggested. At least you can insure it. If you read the fine print of the airlines, you legally have little recourse if any damage is done unless you figure you can pull off another Dave Carroll.
With a gate check you avoid the baggage handling conveyors and they give you your instrument back at the next gate, not the baggage carousel (United Airlines is an exception here - I avoid United for this and other reasons). Nonetheless, pack your instrument in a good case, and pad the area around the headstock. the neck is under allot of tension and generally the headstock is freefloating in the case; you want to cusion the headstock against movement inside the case. I use clean T-shirts, socks & underwear for this purpose. These serve double in that in case they "mis-handle" my main suitcase, I've got a change of socks and underwear until they get my luggage to the hotel, which seems to happen about once a year.
If this is going to be a long duration / semi-permanant gig, I would ship the instrument via a freight carrier as others have suggested. At least you can insure it. If you read the fine print of the airlines, you legally have little recourse if any damage is done unless you figure you can pull off another Dave Carroll.
