Emergent Effects of Security Rules
In London, and apparently some other parts of Europe, you can no longer bring electronics on board, including laptops, which are this here Jazz Combo’s instruments of choice. It’s much worse for actual musicians, many of whom have antique and irreplacable instruments which they usually carry on board. The NY Times reports in “Tighter Security Is Jeopardizing Orchestra Tours:”
Charter planes were too expensive: about $300,000, which would have doubled the cost of the tour. The orchestra scoured larger orchestras from Philadelphia to Boston to borrow trunks. All were in use. St. Luke’s considered flying the musicians to Paris, having them take a train to London and having the instruments trucked in, but there would not have been time to make a Tuesday rehearsal.
and Davi Ottenheimer reports on “New airline security impacts flight attendants” [link to http://davi.poetry.org/blog/?p=588 no longer works]:
Moreover, unlike their old method of racing from the plane to hotel, they now have to wait in the baggage claim area, which adds several hours to their workday.
Photo: Silhouette violin [link to http://www.sxc.hu/photo/540185 no longer works], from Stock.xchg.
It’s the curmudgeon again: whatever happened to Franklin Roosevelt’s “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
It seems to me that both the British and American governments have invested a great deal is scaring us to death. and taht is just what the terrorists want–that people are afraid. Both the fascists and the terrorists have achieved their goals, of surrending our rights and being afraid.
Sigh.