In the past month, people have called me asking about flying with benign things like tonearms, tubes and transformers. I usually carry on all kinds of valuable yet odd looking things and check the obscene. I occasionally get the second check but it wasn't until leaving a short "gambling with mom" layover in Milwaukee that I realized the true threat!
As things usually go I get flagged for a second screening which takes about 2 minutes and is generally a quick swab of my palms for "forbidden stuff". When leaving Milwaukee, I got the flag for a second search and presented my hands. The TSA dude said "No sir, we need the bag opened, is there anything pointy inside?" I replied that I was Flagged at LaGuardia for a digital caliper which appeared "weapon-like" to security but once identified I was on my way.
This wasn't what they were after. The TSA dude quickly rifled through my messenger bag and pulled out the box of vinyl I was carrying. He quickly opened it up and proceeded to dig to the middle and swab Lou Reed.
The test failed and I was pushed to a larger table where everything could be unpacked. They swabbed several other random things which all passed yet repeats on the vinyl failed.
To make a long story short, I'm not flying with vinyl anymore so bring some for me :-)
see you all at Garcia's
dave
As things usually go I get flagged for a second screening which takes about 2 minutes and is generally a quick swab of my palms for "forbidden stuff". When leaving Milwaukee, I got the flag for a second search and presented my hands. The TSA dude said "No sir, we need the bag opened, is there anything pointy inside?" I replied that I was Flagged at LaGuardia for a digital caliper which appeared "weapon-like" to security but once identified I was on my way.
This wasn't what they were after. The TSA dude quickly rifled through my messenger bag and pulled out the box of vinyl I was carrying. He quickly opened it up and proceeded to dig to the middle and swab Lou Reed.
The test failed and I was pushed to a larger table where everything could be unpacked. They swabbed several other random things which all passed yet repeats on the vinyl failed.
To make a long story short, I'm not flying with vinyl anymore so bring some for me :-)
see you all at Garcia's
dave