HarpMan Freeman
7 posts
Sep 02, 2008
5:41 PM
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I travel a lot and I was surprised when TSA asked to inspect my Laptop case because what they later learned was my Harmonicas.
Apparently, harmonica under x-ray appear as something they are trained to look out for. I don't know what it looks like, but I heard TSA tell each other "don't they look that them?"
TSA told me that for all future travels, tell TSA that I have harmonicas before my bags go through x-ray. This last travel trip, they even asked me to take out my harmonicas.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Does anyone know what harmonica's under x-ray resembles?
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eharp
91 posts
Sep 02, 2008
5:56 PM
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clips to guns, which are not welcomed.
i have been asked "are those what i think those are?"
how am i suppose to know what she thought they were!
i had to take them out.
"can you play them?"
who travels with harps in a case that doesnt know how to play them? can i get a show of hands? that's what i thought!
i played hoochie coochie man riff while making up airport-type lyrics. got a nice round of applause from those waiting.
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HarpMan Freeman
8 posts
Sep 02, 2008
6:04 PM
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I wish I could have been there? I asked them if they wanted me to play and they declined. Thanks for sharing :O)
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Aussiesucker
30 posts
Sep 02, 2008
6:28 PM
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I had a few harps in a back pack whilst going through airport security in Cambodia and the security people were concerned as they had not a clue what they were. I had to demo what they were by playing, they smiled, and I was allowed through. I passed through many other airports in Asia where the back pack was X-rayed but had no problems.
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Anonymous
Guest
Sep 02, 2008
6:33 PM
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Yeah, I've had very similar experiences. They look like ammo clips for pistols. And of course, many players travel with more than one harp.
After the first time with a bit of a delay I figured it out and started taking them out to put in the bin like a laptop computer.
One time, even loose in the bin, the x-ray tech still stopped and called a supervisor over to the screen. He did the logical thing of looking in to the bin to see my five harmonicas. He picked one up and showed it to her and I overhead him say. "He must be pretty good."
If only it were true.
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oldwailer
172 posts
Sep 02, 2008
7:30 PM
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I had about 6 harps in a bag at Seatac Airport once. The security guy came up to me after I had passed through the gate and asked why I had so many--so I told him that you need one for each key and that I usually travel with about 14 of them--just traveling light that time. So then he got real interested and I gave him the info on where to go to find Adam on YT for instruction--he wrote it down and thanked me.
I guess he might be here on the forum by now...
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kudzurunner
102 posts
Sep 03, 2008
7:49 AM
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I'm always prepared to ask if they'd like me to play them. I've got 15 harps in my photographer's bag, plus cables, my digital delay, and a mic. Lots of jumbled, wire-interconnected, juicy metallic electronic stuff. They always pause when my bag goes through on the belt. Sometimes they reverse direction, pause, confer.
When I brought my little Kay 703 amp through security, coming home from the UK a couple of weeks ago, the alarm went off. It's hard not to look guilty while you're waiting at the end of the conveyor belt and three or four security folks are staring at the screen, then at you. Guilty until proven innocent!
They let me through.
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geordiebluesman
67 posts
Sep 03, 2008
1:38 PM
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Last July i travelled to China With my severely disabled mate Scott to have stem cells injected into his spine,The BBC came with us to make a documentary for Inside Out and to publisize the trip.All was well till China then it got a bit hairy.I have a pacemacker so i cant go through the arch thing and got taken off to be searched(no half hearted pat down here!)when i came back Scott and Andy the camera man were getting the third degree from angry gun toting soldiers coz my bag with 4 harps in had gone through the X Ray and i had'nt been there to explain the suspicious dark shapes Andy and Scott did'nt know they were there and absolutly no one speaks English in rural China,things were getting quite scary so i grabbed my bag and before they could object pulled out a harp and started to play some random licks,the effect was instant,the mood switched from menacing to amused and we were sent on our way like old chums! I tell you what the Chinese are a bloody strange lot!
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SweetLips
1 post
Sep 03, 2008
5:36 PM
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I always have at least 1-2 harps with me at all times, including going through the airport. I travel 6-10 times a year and would say that 50% of the time they reverse the belt, look funny and before they can even call for assistance I'll say nice and loud "they're harmonicas" and that usually is enough. I have had to open the bag for additional screening one time, and was asked to play a few bars as well. The metal comb on the hohner MS seems to gather more attention then my plastic combed SP 20's
Screeners seem to "recognize" the harps better lately so maybe they issued a memo or we all have traveled often enough that TSA is getting used to seeing harps through the x-ray.
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Patrick Barker
127 posts
Sep 03, 2008
6:35 PM
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I've had the same problem- I went to Hawaii and every time we island hopped when I got my luggage it would have a sticker saying "this bag has been inspected by the US department of agriculture" and I'd find my harmonicas out of their cases and such. It annoyed the heck out of me.
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
Last Edited by on Sep 03, 2008 6:36 PM
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