From: "Kismet" <kismet-AT-bigpond.net.au>
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006 11:53:40 +1000
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Travelling abroad


Its got me curious now,
In a lot of countries passangers are encouraged to secure their luggage 
particularly well in an effort to thwart drug smugglers using unsuspecting 
passangers as Mules. In one airport I went through some entrepanaurs were 
doing a brisk trade GLAD WRAPPING (Cling wrap? stick to itself clear 
plastic?) luggage with swathes of the stuff to secure it.(probable AFTER 
they had put the drugs in! LOL) Special tags and locks to indicate tampering 
are also encouraged. Is this allowed in the States?
( I always freight stuff in road cases rather than use passanger baggage 
handling)
Of course I love putting a puppet into my carry on baggage just to watch the 
X-Ray screening persons double take!......)

D.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Deborah Hunt" <dhunt-AT-caribe.net>
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Travelling abroad 
withpuppets...airlinesecurityadvice?


> Jim,
> what are you using as straps to reinforce your trunks? I travel a lot and
> wear and tear is exacting its toll on my trunks.
> Deborah Hunt
> Puerto Rico
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <Jimsan777-AT-aol.com>
> To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 22, 2006 2:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Travelling abroad with
> puppets...airlinesecurityadvice?
>
>
>>
>> In a message dated 9/4/06 7:53:01 AM, creaturiste-AT-magma.ca writes:
>>
>> This may be a long answer, but I know of no one who's traveled more by
>> plane
>> than I.   I've been from Siberia to Singapore, Japan 14 times, all over
>> South
>> America and of course to dozens and dozens of US cities.   I've been to
>> Korea
>> four times for shows, Micronesia, Australia, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel,
>> Belarus,
>> Russia, etc., etc. but that's not the point.
>>
>> In the past three months, we've sent "Charlie and Lola" to Chicago,
>> Detroit,
>> Minneapolis, Boston and New York. It used to be simple...boxes containing
>> puppets could weigh up to 70 pounds and have dimensions of 72
>> inche...H+W+L, but
>> now max is 62 inches or pay extra. If the box weighs 51 pound, you pay 
>> $25
>> (cheap) ...happened to me last week on return from Atlanta (where I
>> performed for
>> the Center for Puppetry Arts black tie Gala fund raising event....an
>> excellent
>> fund raiser, I might add.)
>>
>>> How safe and secure are our puppets in the baggage compartment on 
>>> planes?
>>> I have no fear of flying (although I have yet to fly in a plane) but a
>>> fear
>>> of one day losing puppets in transit or even at arrival.
>>>
>> Damage occurs now from the almost intentional CRAMMING of the puppets and
>> sets back into the boxes after TSA opens them, throws stuff around and
>> does NOT
>> restrap the boxes.   Next come the baggage handlers...best to take
>> non-stop
>> flights as they have only two changes at damage...once at departure 
>> point,
>> and
>> again when you return.   If you have change in planes, they must load,
>> unload,
>> load onto the second plane and unload again...giving them 4 shots at your
>> stuff.
>>
>> How can you have never flown on a plane? In this day and time, I find 
>> this
>> incredible.   I have over 12,000 hours of flying time....and that time is
>> as a
>> pilot...many, many thousands more....but mostly happily with a drink in 
>> my
>> hand
>> in the back of the airplane...preferably in First Class...
>>>
>>> Wouldn't it be a disaster, if one were travelling to perform a show, and
>>> the
>>> puppets got lost?
>>> Has that happened to anybody here?
>>> Was it recovered or permanently lost?
>>>
>> None permanently lost, but I've had whole shows disappear for a few days,
>> and
>> some parts of a show don't make the change i planes....if you take a
>> smaller
>> plane with limited baggage space, your stuff may arrive a day later. 
>> Once,
>> I
>> got off in Washington, DC, but the puppets went to Paris...at that time I
>> had
>> wished for the reverse. I've had cases completely distroyed by baggage
>> handlers, but happily with my new way of building the shipping boxes,
>> fibreglassing
>> them, 6 wheels to roll them, etc. We've had little damage considering the
>> many
>> places we have performed.
>>
>> In Moscow, the customs woman demanded to Weigh my boxes upon 
>> arrival..then
>> demanded $400...which were the only English words she knew....a complete
>> bribe.
>> I went over, found a seat, sat down and opened a book. I told someone to
>> tell her I had been invited by the government to perform, and I would
>> either take
>> the   next flight back to the US or see her loose her job!   To Croatia,
>> no
>> excess baggage charges, but outbound they wanted to charge me $800.
>>>
>>> What can we do to prevent this kind of catastrophy?
>>> Is there a way we can wait next to the plane when they unload the cargo
>>> area, to claim our baggae?
>>>
>> ARe you kidding?   SEcurity TSA people are so paranoid they won't even 
>> let
>> you watch as they open your bags...and don't pack anything small and
>> valuable
>> ......
>>>
>>> Just planning WAY ahead, someday I shall travel with my puppets.
>>>
>> Just PRAY we don't have another airplane terrorist disaster..or else we
>> will
>> all be forced to fly in our birthday suits.
>>
>> Just the facts, just the facts, Sir.....as Joe Friday used to say..
>> (remember
>> him?)   Jim Gamble
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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>
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