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Topic: Flutes destroyed in customs (Read 1395 times)

Bob

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 16364

Flutes destroyed in customs

on: January 02, 2014, 11:48:26 PM

https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2014/01/01/customs-officials-destroys-flute-virtuoso-instruments/HRnFgh1FwIqY5n2FdoKlMN/story.html

"Before you whine about an airline temporarily losing your luggage, think of poor Boujemaa Razgui. The flute virtuoso who performs regularly with The Boston Camerata lost 13 handmade flutes over the holidays when a US Customs official at New York’s JFK Airport mistook the instruments for pieces of bamboo and destroyed them."

Ouch.

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Bob

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 16364

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #1 on: January 03, 2014, 12:52:27 AM

Hm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krystian_Zimerman

" In incidents in 2001 and 2006, one of his Steinway pianos was completely destroyed and another one damaged by security staff at New York's JFK airport."

That's why you should always take your grand piano(s) with you as carryon luggage when you go travelling.

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Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

quantum

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Posts: 6223

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #2 on: January 03, 2014, 02:03:28 AM

Sad.

I know a prof that plays similar flutes. They require quite the skill to even produce a tone. Much different from the western concert flute.

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senanserat

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Sr. Member
Posts: 672

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #3 on: January 03, 2014, 02:20:32 AM

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue'd

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"The thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears, the thunder that strikes the earth is my anger!"

tabeticclown

Newbie
Posts: 9

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #4 on: February 03, 2014, 03:16:57 AM

Yeah, I instantly thought of the Krystian Zimmerman incidents. The officials thought the glue on the piano smelled funny so they went ahead and incinerated them.

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cabbynum

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Posts: 725

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #5 on: February 03, 2014, 03:25:03 AM

Quote from: tabeticclown on February 03, 2014, 03:16:57 AM

Yeah, I instantly thought of the Krystian Zimmerman incidents. The officials thought the glue on the piano smelled funny so they went ahead and incinerated them.

I've never understood that, I mean couldn't they do a little bit of work researching and doing some investigation before destroying it

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j_menz

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Posts: 10148

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #6 on: February 03, 2014, 03:29:06 AM

Quote from: cabbynum on February 03, 2014, 03:25:03 AM

couldn't they do a little bit of work researching and doing some investigation

Customs officers? You're kidding, right?

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cabbynum

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 725

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #7 on: February 03, 2014, 06:21:24 AM

Quote from: j_menz on February 03, 2014, 03:29:06 AM

Customs officers? You're kidding, right?

I know they wouldn't ever do anything that involve any effort but it still pisses me off.

Once when I was visiting your homeland I had some wooden balls on a string that I used for swinging around my waist (7th grade was a weird time) and they said "mate, that looks like coke balloons, and you aren't supposed to have wood" they said this to my dad then they shut TE bag handed it to us and said "have a good trip!"

I guess anything arriving from Singapore really can't be that dangerous...

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khantallis123

Jr. Member
Posts: 98

Re: Flutes destroyed in customs

Reply #8 on: February 04, 2014, 02:08:42 AM

POOR PERFORMER PRACTICALLY PLAYS PERFECT PURRFLUTES/PANFLUTES.

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