A lesson learned on life's bumpy road

WastelandWand'r
WastelandWand'r Posts: 466
edited November 2008 in The Clubhouse
In my continuing quest to assemble a 'passing' system I recently traveled to the Portland OR area to visit family. While there, I couldn't help but check the local Craiglist and score a presentable ADCOM GFA555II, and pre.
Now being the fiscally responsible individual that I am, I figured, "Why don't you mail the pre home, and take the amp as a carry on and save all that postage to AK?'

Well, I wanted to pass on to anyone that is thinking something similar.

If you are bored, want to meet new people, just don't know how to go about it, and Matchmaker.com seems so different, try this. Securely pack a 45 pound amplifier in a plain brown box, lug it up to your local TSA checkpoint at the airport, and drop it onto the belt.
I assure you, you will have more people intersted in hi-fi then you can believe!!!
After watching the x-ray operator shart himself and start sweating, the implications of what I had done began to sink in.
Needless to say, they were very appreciative of the real life test I presented to them.
High fives and smiles all around were standard fare.
So after undoing the wonderful packing job, and removing it from the box and giving it the old 'sniff' test they were sufficiently satisfied that it presented no real danger and allowed me to continue on.
As I type this I am still wondering what thought process, if any at all, was going through my head.
Happy Trails.
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Post edited by WastelandWand'r on

Comments

  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2008
    That's great!
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited November 2008
    You should see the crap I take for my aluminum tool case.
    It looks different than the standard tool case, and the
    luggage guys always seem to assume I've got guns in the case.
    Then they ask if there's anything sharp in there.:eek:
    Yes. Try not to hurt yourselves. Normally, they shake all the tools
    out of the pallets into the bottom of the case.
    What's really bad is when I present the bill for that "extra"
    checked luggage, I've had company expense auditors call to
    ask why I didn't carry it on. Surely they must know the first time
    that one goes through the security checkpoint, I'd be spending
    the rest of the day in detention.

    I'm glad you were able to get it shipped home ok. I'd never try it.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
  • SKsolutions
    SKsolutions Posts: 1,820
    edited November 2008
    A friend tried a similar thing. . the difference being that it was the mailed package that got held up. Since the return address, and the destination address were the same, the Mail Geniuses sent it to the big boys to check out. The suspect package was an out of production cologne that was found while traveling and mailed out of his region. It was held up, put through testing, then destroyed. He was told that any further 'fouls' and he will be put on the No Fly list! :eek:

    I hope you get the package without any holdup.
    -Ignorance is strength -
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited November 2008
    In my continuing quest to assemble a 'passing' system I recently traveled to the Portland OR area to visit family. While there, I couldn't help but check the local Craiglist and score a presentable ADCOM GFA555II, and pre.
    Now being the fiscally responsible individual that I am, I figured, "Why don't you mail the pre home, and take the amp as a carry on and save all that postage to AK?'

    Well, I wanted to pass on to anyone that is thinking something similar.

    If you are bored, want to meet new people, just don't know how to go about it, and Matchmaker.com seems so different, try this. Securely pack a 45 pound amplifier in a plain brown box, lug it up to your local TSA checkpoint at the airport, and drop it onto the belt.
    I assure you, you will have more people intersted in hi-fi then you can believe!!!
    After watching the x-ray operator shart himself and start sweating, the implications of what I had done began to sink in.
    Needless to say, they were very appreciative of the real life test I presented to them.
    High fives and smiles all around were standard fare.
    So after undoing the wonderful packing job, and removing it from the box and giving it the old 'sniff' test they were sufficiently satisfied that it presented no real danger and allowed me to continue on.
    As I type this I am still wondering what thought process, if any at all, was going through my head.
    Happy Trails.

    I like your story... how to meet new TSA friends. :p

    I some times travel for work... and being a TV cameraman, I always carry on my $40,000 video camera... that's not much of a problem usually. but all the wires, cables, connectors, etc always takes extra time for them to run it through the X-ray machine a few times, then hand check it, then do a swap test, then have the dog sniff it test.. takes about 20 minutes from start to finish usually.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,238
    edited November 2008
    Funny stuff. Traveling with guns is easy!!!! :D

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

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