“Steampacket…just what is your daffynition of an “WMD.” Go read a little and educate yourself on what sort of device might construe a WMD.” Glands.
I suggest that you should get up to date Glands as regards WMD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_mass_destruction#Current_definitions
“The US military refers to WMD as:
Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons”
“The US FBI also considers conventional weapons (i.e. bombs) as WMD: “A weapon crosses the WMD threshold when the consequences of its release overwhelm local responders”.”
“Report of the UN Secretary-General to the General Assembly, in which Kofi Annan said that small arms could be described as WMD because the fatalities they cause “dwarf that of all other weapons systems - and in most years greatly exceed the toll of the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki””
“What about the rockets lobbed at Israeli cities…are those rockets WMD??? Who gave them those?” Glands.
Yes, they are also WMD duh!! - I don´t know their origins, Russian, Chinese, American? Arms dealers have no scruples they just want dollars. Remember Oliver North & Irangate? The two captured Israeli soldiers could have been exchanged for prisoners held by the Israelis and this war needen´t have happened.
Folks, if you prefer, you can start another thread on WMD within the whacky pages of the rubber room (political and controversy forum) where it would be more welcome. But let’s keep this forum free from WMD and terrorism, and focus on the Uileann Pipes… and, I suppose, other pipes. Please.
Looking on the bright side - if no one else can take tooth paste, hair gel, etc on board, there will be plenty of overhead space for our pipes!
My fellow pipers!
I have been doing my own variation of Mr.“Smithand” 's method,
for transporting Pipes, for YEARS, before Sept. 11th 2001.
It started with those Big, Well-Paid Gigs with Computer Science Corp. in the early 1990s. I got tired of that sick feeling of “Oh Boy ! Did the luggage with all those PIPES come through?” as I scaned the airport Baggage “Round-About”…it worked every time,except ONE time when the luggage was DELAYED and sent on a day later…!
I started my alternative shipping, by having “The Corporation” pay for it, on their FexEx account (usualy on"Standard OverNight" plan).
SO… HERE IS MY “SHIP THE PIPES” ROUTINE:
I take every Reed OUT of every Pipe. I roll the Reeds up in bits of paper towels and then place them carefully in an OBLONG, CLEAR PLASTIC, fishing tackle box, with small divider sections.
This box goes with me on the plane. (I like to think that if the Pipes are STOLEN, SOMEBODY, will have to come to me for RE-REEDING the Pipes.)
I then take EVERY PIECE of the pipes apart, wrap them tight, in multiple plastic bags from the Grocery Store / Supermarket (I believe that this protects the wood from being freeze-dried in the plane’s hold).
I then ship the cases with 4 or 5 pipes each, on Federal Express,
“STATION to STATION”. Usualy a day, or hours, BEFORE I go to the plane.
(This is one of the least expensive ways to ship, especialy for “domestic” USA destinations). In one situation where “FedEx” DID NOT HAVE AN AIRPORT HOLDING AREA, e.g. the ROME AIRPORT IN ITALY, so in that particular instance, I took 4 large cases (with 19 Pipes) in the plane’s cargo hold. The old Tayloresque “D” set went with me as a"CARRY ON", in a clear plastic bag, with some clothes as a cushion. I had the festival organizers pay for the “EXCESS BAGGAGE” charges, which came to $450USD (this was a round trip on DELTA). I also took “The Twenty Pipes” to New Zealand, as I had to represent them through the biological control (the “RedWayOut”). I showed the customs officer a photo of me standing with all the Pipes…and I said, “This is what is in these cases.” The customs officer then asked me, “Are the skins TANNED?” to which I answered, “Yes!” He then allowed me into New Zealand.
The excess baggage charges that time, were also around $450USD, on Quantas, the Australian Airlines, paid for by CSC. It seems that the “post 9/11” TIGHTENED SECURITY has made for less luggage loss, and as imperfect human beings running an ALWAYS SLIGHTLY FLAWED SYSTEM, you always take chances by traveling anywhere, even 5 steps from your front door.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU !!! COMING and GOING !!! Sean Folsom