Could a "BAR" keep you off a flight???

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 25 Nov 2004 7:28 am

With all the new security measures at Airports,has anyone ever had to explain what the "BAR" was when going thru a check.??I am thinking some players keep bar and picks out of the case.. Would it be confiscated? Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works.

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 25 Nov 2004 7:41 am

Funny you should ask. I flew with mine in my pocket one time and the security personnel asked me to 'open' it.

Bart Maloney · Post by **Bart Maloney** » 25 Nov 2004 8:05 am

I flew from Houston to Denver, then Denver to Montrose, CO, and back. Ijust kept my bar in the case, and had no problem.

------------------
"Keep on Keepin' on"
www.bartmaloney.iwarp.com

Chippy Wood · Post by **Chippy Wood** » 25 Nov 2004 8:07 am

Hi Ed,
Sarah Jory had problems a couple of years ago while going to the Irish festival, I don't know the full story but I think she had to show them photos with her using it before they would let her through.

------------------
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Carter SD10

Jerry Tillman · Post by **Jerry Tillman** » 25 Nov 2004 8:08 am

I tend to stay to long at the bars that have the chicken wings and the girls in skimpy outfits.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 25 Nov 2004 8:17 am

In the last two months, I've made about eight one-way flights, sometimes with the steel. I've come to accept the mandatory selection process that singles out one-way travelers for an extensive search - it's evidence of how seriously the airlines are taking the situation. Check-in staff are required to mark such passengers' boarding passes with 'SSSS' so that the security staff pull them out of the line for the examination.

Last Sunday at Providence, RI, however, the check-in lady was momentarily distracted when I told her I wanted to gate-check my steel-guitar, and failed to mark my boarding-pass. The result was that Security 'scanned' my Emmons without a word, and also X-rayed my carry-on bag. This contained my 'Black Box', my Hilton pedal, AND my bar and picks with Allen-wrenches, as well as more conventional items. I asked if they wanted to check things further, but they waved me through.

A side-benefit of the gate-check of my guitar, by the way, was the avoidance of getting it weighed - at 70 lbs it would have cost another $25....

RR

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 25 Nov 2004 8:53 am

I have flown to the USA twice this year with picks and 2 bars on me.

In July it got me a body pat down, after the bag was opened in Paris.

The majority of the time I go into a pantomime and demonstrate.
They usually get the very close examination and testing for C4 dynamite and gunpowder etc.

The bars were both Red Rahjah and Black Phonix and they REALLY did get some looking at.

But one LADY on a scanner machine knew what it was and said.
" Nice to see a steeler flyin', son."
Go figure!

No I have flown some high tension routes Paris to NYC or Paris Boston, and no confiscations.

They don't even care about mandolin strings or allan wrenches on carry on either.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 25 November 2004 at 08:55 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Nov 2004 8:57 am

When I fly with my steel, I have to check it of course, so I might as well check my suitcase too, since I'll be waiting for luggage anyway upon arrival. That said, I just go ahead and put the bar in my checked luggage to avoid any issues. I figure if it gets lost I can always borrow someone else's bar. But I take my picks with me on the flight since those are not so easy to replace and get bent to the right shape again, etc...

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 25 Nov 2004 9:08 am

On my recent trip to Hawaii, I left picks and bar in the case. Not a questions was raised. Two years ago on my flight to St.Louis...they removed the bar and x-rayed it a dozen different ways. My bar has a depressed butt-end with a little plastic end plate and they were about to insist that I dismantle it. After looking totally unamused after a detailed explanation, they let me/it pass.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Nov 2004 9:30 am

Yeah. Some people have no sense of humor.

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 25 Nov 2004 9:47 am

Maybe you should carry a closeup photo in you wallet.Since the News Media likes unusual things- Have someone from Dateline etc.go thru the line and have the world at least hear "STEEL GUITAR" mentioned on National TV.A live demonstration at the Terminal would really get attention. ED

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 25 Nov 2004 10:52 am

I haven't had any trouble with the bar in my steel case. TSA has more than once examined THE VOLUME PEDAL because they were certain it was an explosive device of some kind! Broke the cover strap on my case once, smashed my finger picks twice, I finally got an anvil case, they haven't figured out how to break it yet but it weighs enough to cost me that extra $50.00 every time.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 25 Nov 2004 2:56 pm

I flew to Michigan in October. I had a small carry on bag loaded with my Hilton pedal, Black box, DD/3 delay, cables etc. I told them if they wanted to open it I wanted to witness that. It went through the xray or what ever it is. Then they took it aside and opened it right in front of me.
The guy dug around inside and said "here is the culprit " and held up my tiny wire cutters. Absolutely no tools allowed on board.Check the bag or surrender the tool.
What, you gonna pinch somebody or what ?

Old Bud

thurlon hopper · Post by **thurlon hopper** » 26 Nov 2004 1:56 am

In 2002 when in St. Louis, i bought a Big Daddy bar from the John Pearse folks and when i got to the airport they took a long hard look at the bar and even though it was in the little case that said steel guitar bar
i had some trouble explaining what it wasThey finally said ok go ahead but had me
worried for a while that i might have to git
rid of the bar before boarding. TJH

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 26 Nov 2004 4:40 am

I've never had reason to take my steel on a plane, but I've just had a look at my Black Rajah bar, and it does look just like a tube packed with plastic explosive.
If I was a security person, I wouldn't let me onto a plane with it.
"Destroyed in a controlled explosion" would be nearer the mark.

------------------
Cheers!
Dave

Tony Susen · Post by **Tony Susen** » 26 Nov 2004 6:55 am

TSA really looked over my 10-string bar on my way to St. Louis. They said it would be considered a "bludgeon" instrument if it was any bigger!

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 26 Nov 2004 7:43 am

Just two weeks ago I flew to Seattle from Austin. My gear was already in Seattle, but I played the night before on borrowed gear. So I had my bar and picks in my backpack which went through carry-on exray. I was really running late too. The conveyor stopped for a long time while the agent looked. Then I heard "hand check". So I watched them go through my backpack when she came up with my bar and picks (I had my bar and picks rolled in a clear string package) and said "what's this"? I said they were used to play a musical instrument. She took them over to the supervisor and explained what they were. The supervisor came over to me and said "go ahead. We will log these into the system".
So you guys flying out of Austin can rest easy. You're bars and picks should sail through security. Thanks to me, of course

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 26 Nov 2004 12:51 pm

The majority of the time I go into a pantomime

That would scare any terrorist away.

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 26 Nov 2004 1:09 pm

My last trip over, I carried my picks and bar in my carry-on back-pack.
It was flagged each time.
It was always the bar. It's a 1" dia job. They always asked me to open it. I handed it to them and said, "it's solid."
The guy at LA was the best. HE wanted to know what it was. I said it was for playing a steel guitar. He said, "Cool! Like Robert Randolph!" and off I went.

JW

Allan Thompson · Post by **Allan Thompson** » 29 Nov 2004 12:40 pm

Coming back form the Irish Convention I had the same experience as Willis. At Dublin airport they confiscated my string cutters.

Jerry Hedge · Post by **Jerry Hedge** » 29 Nov 2004 7:04 pm

About a month ago our band flew west for a couple of gigs, one in Yellowstone National Park,and one in Central Montana. I was traveling light,my suitcase and my steel (I checked it as baggage). I didn't bring my pack-a-seat so I rented a drum throne and an amp. Checking my guitar was a piece of cake in Cincinnati (they even forgave the overweigh charge). But flying out of Bozeman Montana was a different story. The baggage clerk asked me,"Is that a firearm in the case?" I said "No it's a pedal steel guitar,you know, like in the Country Bands?" He charged me an overweight charge. THEN the T.S.A. agents opened the case and were wondering what this thing was. I walked up and told them that it was a pedal steel guitar, etc . They asked me to play it. I said, "Look, my bar, my picks, and my volume pedal are packed in my suitcase and besides, I was using a rental amp-you couldn't hear it anyway. [This message was edited by Jerry Hedge on 29 November 2004 at 07:06 PM.][This message was edited by Jerry Hedge on 30 November 2004 at 07:02 PM.]

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 9 Dec 2004 3:32 pm

They took my allen wrenches in Dallas the other day...I thought they were going to keep my bar...I told them to go get their supervisor...two supervisors later,I was allowed to keep it.Too bad about the wrenches...I could have just about had the plane apart by the time we got back to Nashville...ridiculous.