Re: OT: gate-checking

["Stephen P. Goodman" <spgoodman@earthlight.net>]

I agree with the UPS method - seems like they actually have some
responsibility - though one has to have friends in the target city to 
assist
with it.

I find myself remembering a bit in Chuck Berry's (Keith Richards') movie
"Hail Hail Rock n' Roll", where Chuck's walking through St. Louis airport
with just his guitar in a regular case, and he's being asked about what 
he's
taking with him... He says something to the effect of "change of clothes 
and
the guitar," then when asked about damage, he says, "Hey, it's a business
expense!" referring of course to his ongoing persecution by the IRS.  Gotta
hand it to him, his "band" is always the local band, and it's THEIR amps 
and
stuff.  He just brings the guitar and some picks.

Sigh.

Stephen Goodman
http://www.earthlight.net/Studios * The free Loop of the Week!
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"r. dennis" <tonobung@panix.com> put forth:

> greetings flyers!
>
> funny how much it varies...
> i managed to cram all my 9v pedals + boomerang into
> one of those roll-y flight attendant style things for a couple
> of trips to the left coast this year.
>
>
> sometimes you get stopped - sometimes not.
> yes, the chip in the boomerang will give the
> snooper a bit of a hard on.
>
> i did learn about a magical little item called
> the "SPECIAL HANDLING" tag, but they generally
> won't give you one if you ask for it. this get
> slapped onto bags that are being checked at the gate
> rather than at checkin- along with stuff like strollers.
>
> i did have to wonder how "special" the handling would be...
>
> watch out for short legs especially. aircraft like
> the increasingly popular "canadair regional jet" have
> NO o/h bins! then again... they only seat 48 passengers...
> but it goes to show that you can't always count on certain
> common amenities... on a leg i flew from newark/columbus
> they looked at my roll-yand said "you'll have to check that item",
> and then pointed out the window at a plane that was scarcely as big a
> suburban!
>
> in the past i've UPS'd a bunch of stuff ahead to the
> home or work of an understanding individual at the first
> city on the tour, then taken the rest aboard & gone
> pot luck on borrowed/rented amps & axes.
>
> which is no way to run an airline, let me tell you.
>