Flute Causes Evacuation

sopdan

Well-Known Member
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/01/14/airport.evacuatio.ap/index.html

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- A passenger's flute tucked inside a homemade container triggered the Portland International Jetport's evacuation Tuesday because screeners believed the package could be a bomb.

The jetport, where two of the September 11 terrorists set off on their attack on the World Trade Center, was reopened in less than two hours.

The passenger was allowed to board his flight after being questioned, but without his flute in the container made of plastic PVC pipe. Eight flights were affected and more than 300 passengers evacuated while bomb technicians investigated.

Officials did not identify the flute-playing passenger, who they described as a New England businessman in his 40s and a frequent flyer, because he did nothing illegal.

Portland Transportation Director Jeffrey Monroe said passengers should make sure their carry-on bags don't contain items that could raise a security alert.

"There are a lot of unique things people travel with that do not seem problematic," he said. "When looked upon by a security officer, they may look suspicious."


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Yeah, but who the hell stores a flute in a PVC pipe?

I know, an X-ray scanner may have done the trick, but pipe bombs can scare people.
 
Actually, come to think of it, it's a pretty good idea because it'll be crush-proof and a lot lighter than carrying around the case.

Not that I know anything about carrying around a flute!
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(Bari Sax player in High school)
 
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"There are a lot of unique things people travel with that do not seem problematic," he said. "When looked upon by a security officer, they may look suspicious."


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Well ... maybe that's an indication that these •tards should get a little more training and or that maybe, just maybe, the TSA shouldn't have hired the morons back from the old security companies. I dunno, tha'ts just me.
 
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Yeah, but who the hell stores a flute in a PVC pipe?

I know, an X-ray scanner may have done the trick, but pipe bombs can scare people.

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MAy be true, but if you don't have a case, how else can you travel with it? If it goes through the X-ray machine ok, and there are no chemical traces.....why delay the flight? I guess it could be a baking soda bomb...
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And after they determined that it was a flute, why wasn't he able to take it on the plane as is??? I'd rather have a guy playing a flute next to me than some idiot blabbering on and on. While I see how a pipe might be suspicious, I'm sure the guy said "its a flute," IMO they should've investigated a little more before evacuating the entire airport.
 
Ridiculous. Hello, guys. It's a flute. You found out it was a flute. An overabundance of caution is a decent explanation for pulling the guy and asking him about what he was carrying with him. But then when you saw it was a flute, why not let him take it with him and go on?

Sheesh. The next thing you know, I'll be the guy who shuts down IAD when I fly out for the JC ski trip because they x-rayed my ski bag and found poles in there.
 
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And after they determined that it was a flute, why wasn't he able to take it on the plane as is??? I'd rather have a guy playing a flute next to me than some idiot blabbering on and on. While I see how a pipe might be suspicious, I'm sure the guy said "its a flute," IMO they should've investigated a little more before evacuating the entire airport.

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I am sure that is just what a terrorist would say
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I am sure that is just what a terrorist would say
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Yeah I know, guilty until proven innocent.
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Oh, and before anyone else beats me to it....

(in my best terrorist voice)
To the screener: "...this one time, at band camp..."

I was in band so I'm allowed to say that
 
Maybe the solution is to find the pax who the luggage in question belongs to... take them WAY out on the tarmac and say "Open it".

If it blows them the hell up - then so be it. If not - no harm no foul.
 
interesting suggestion!! i bet that would probably work in many cases.. those not afraid to open and show their own package would then be apprehended...

unless - they found a way to get around whatever's in the package since they know what's in there???! only way i can see that going foul!
 
just don't try to carry those ski poles on!
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I've flown a couple of times since 9/11 with the skis/poles and i haven't had too much issue (other than the regular being "randomly selected" for inspection BS)
 
[ QUOTE ]
Actually, come to think of it, it's a pretty good idea because it'll be crush-proof and a lot lighter than carrying around the case.

Not that I know anything about carrying around a flute!
smile.gif


(Bari Sax player in High school)

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Um, not really. A modern flute case is a pretty compact and rugged piece of plastic. I could probably chuck it accross an airport terminal with a flute in it and the flute would probably be just fine. Oh course, then the TSA would shut down the airport for other reasons....

BTW, I played Bari too, in middle and high school. And Tenor, and Tuba, and Trombone, and......
 
[ QUOTE ]
(in my best terrorist voice)
To the screener: "...this one time, at band camp..."

[/ QUOTE ]

You stole my thinder, I saw the post and was going to write that!!
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