Flutes destroyed in customs

[Bob]

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.

[Bob]

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.

[quantum]

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.

[senanserat]

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue'd

[tabeticclown]

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.

[cabbynum]

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

[j_menz]

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

Customs officers? You're kidding, right?

[cabbynum]

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...

[khantallis123]

POOR PERFORMER PRACTICALLY PLAYS PERFECT PURRFLUTES/PANFLUTES.