Trouble at the Airport??

[trad3mark]

Hello all,
Just wondering, i'm going over to NY on friday. If i was to buy pedals over there, or bring one of mine over, what's the likelyhood of me having any hassle at the airport if it's in my check-in luggage instead of my carry on luggage? I know airport security can be a bit suspicious at times, so if it's going to be tricky, i won't bother.
Am i worrying over nothing?
cheers,
N

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I would not worry if I were you. I carry ALL KINDS of electronics and devices in my carry-on AND checked baggage for my job and I never have issues. Best bet would be to put it in your check luggage just to make sure!

[Philippe]

Best bet would be to put it in your check luggage just to make sure!

Especially if any of your DIY effects are self-labled with questionable monickers like Tone Detonator, Fuzz Bomb, Toxic Eliminator et al.  

Can't really expect a majority of those TSA folks to differentiate guitar fxs from a self-perceived security threat...especially when you try to explain by sticking a 1/4" plug into the input jack & the LED starts lighting up with a press of the stompwitch. Just as easy for them to confiscate the box(es) & toss them into a pile alongside all of the nail clippers & Swiss Army knives.

[Mark Hammer]

Always helpful to make efforts towards transparency. In that spirit, remove all the screws on the chassis but one, so that anyone wishing to peer inside and confirm the innocuousness of the pedal can do so easily.  That would be true on carry-on as well as check-in.  naturally, you'll want to put the screws in a little bag.

Probably wouldn't hurt to have a guitar magazine in there just to lend credibility.  "See, that's what the box is."  And it also probably wouldn't hurt to raise the question with the folks you check your baggage in with first.  Not at all unreasonable to ask them whether the pedal ought to go with check-in or carry on, and be willing to transfer as directed.  Again, in the spirit of transparency.

I gather from your description, this is an international flight.  That, of course, introduces other things beyond "mere" concern for a bomb in your pedal.  Virtually all nations have duties and importation restrictions, simply to assure that employment within their country is maximized.  As such, they do not take kindly to anyone appearing to bring in goods from outside the country and sell them without paying said importation duty.  It may be that the goods appearing to be brought in actually originate in the destination country, but they still have to verify that.  So, either plan to make it abundantly clear that this is a gadget that is also leaving the country with you, or plan to have to declare for some sort of possible importation duty.  Again, whenever crossing a border, being sneaky is the last thing you want to do.

[lil PopTart kid]

I brought a dunlop crybaby wah in my carry on through two bag checks and there was no problem.

[space_ryerson]

I typically have a much easier time flying out of New York with music equipment when compared to most other airports around the globe. I find security to be a bit more understanding about musical and computer equipment. I agree with Mark though, carrying a guitar magazine or two can't hurt matters.

Now, checking your luggage is another story. I've always used decent cases, so no major damage to my guitars, but multiple cases have been destroyed.

[markeebee]

Just in case you get the urge to DIY while you're there, take a flask of etchant. And maybe some fertiliser, in case you need to do some gardening.

If you're going to be a security risk anyway, go buck wild.

[StephenGiles]

I would also carry a bunch of schematics  - you never know, the security guy or gal may be a guitar effects DIYer!! Bribery will get you everywhere!!

Seriously, I would treat it just like taking a laptop, and utilise Mark's suggestion of having the box easily openable (??). The daft thing is that I never see an Ipod or similar music player being queried, what's to stop something dodgy being squeezed into one of those containers?

[caress]

i'm flying to amsterdam with my band today and we've been over to europe and the UK 5 or 6 times in the past year.  we also just flew back and forth from chicago last weekend.
the guitarist in my band carries his pedalboard on with him (still connected with 1/4" jacks, etc.) and i have a handful of pedals in my keyboard case (checked).
we rarely have issues.

i would remove batteries from the pedals, though, so they can see that there is no power in them.  screeners have no idea what they are - don't try and explain too loftily, just say they're musical instruments/part of your guitar.  good luck!

[lil PopTart kid]

If there is an issue here is what happens. 
They open up your suit case they see what it is. 
They may ask what it does,  They may know. 
Then they put it back in the suitcase and life goes on. 
Its no big deal you are not going to get in trouble for something that's not a problem. 

[modsquad]

Keep in mind that what they are most concerned with is things that explode.   They will use some technology to detect for expolsive materials if they have any suspicions.  Why is a guitar pedal any different from a cell phone.   If they see wires, circuit board, and even a battery without something that might be the explosive material there shouldn't be a problem.

[Mark Hammer]

Having attended a closed presentation at our federal air security agency on hiring and training of baggage screeners, I can say with some confidence that they don't just look for things that can explode, although those are certainly of considerable interest.  They look for things that can be used as weapons, and even as parts of weapons when combined with things from someone else's bag.  You would be surprised, and perhaps comforted, by the extent of training and skills these folks possess.  Our presenter showed us x-ray images of stuff in suitcases and bags that had everyone in the room scratching their heads, and glaring in amazement as the presenter pointed to a fuse here, a mechanism there, and was able to differentiate it from things like bra wiring or laptop accessories, even at bizarre angles.  And this is stuff that must be recognized wedged in between all those other things in carry-on, and be recognized in any orientation.

Like I say, anything you can do to show you are willing to assist them in discounting an object as dangerous, suspicious, or prohibitted, is helpful.  You'd probably like to think you were on a flght with fellow travellers that were similarly helpful, so just do what you'd like everyone else to do when bringing stuff aboard a plane: Allay suspicion.

[markeebee]

Allay suspicion.

At first glance I thought that said "Allah suspicion". Spun me out a bit. 

[jasperoosthoek]

@caress Have fun in Amsterdam, but don't smoke too many legal substances Your crowd won't be impressed if you light one on stage

[trad3mark]

yeah i think i'll go with the suggestion of having it easily openable, and a few schematics in there too. I've brought pedals back from NY in my suitcase, with no problem, and i've had 2 pickups in my carryon before. I can't really see there being a problem either, but better safe than sorry.

The point about the battery makes a lot of sense. It's got a DC jack, so i could explain how it wont power up unless it's plugged in with the right voltage.

Cheers for all the help. I'll let you all know on saturday if i got through ok.

[Mark Hammer]

Allay suspicion.

At first glance I thought that said "Allah suspicion". Spun me out a bit. 

Unconscious associations between air security procedures and, um, certain religions.  Folks in cognitive science refer to this as a "priming" effect, where something previously presented facilitates or misdirects processing of subsequent information at an unconscious level.  Admittedly, I had second thoughts about using the word "allay" for precisely those reasons (same unconscious association), but reasoned that this was the word I wanted to use, so I used it.

Bloody burden having a vocabulary.

[jasperoosthoek]

I had an empty petral bottle in my checkin luggage with the cap removed. (for a gas stove on a hyking trip). Absolutely no problem. The blunt little knife from a previous flight dinner was a problem. Took me 10 minutes to find the tiny little thing at the bottom of my bag...

[John M]

From experience I can recommend that if your hand luggage is overweight you don't give few of them to our vocalist to put in his. I did this (leaving the UK) and when he was quizzed as to what they did he kindly answered "I am not sure, they are not mine". This does not speed your passage up.

[blanik]

put it in the luggage you want but just remove the battery, the power source, that's what will raise their eyebrow...

[Philippe]

Wouldn't be easier to simply ship any questionable stuff via USPS/UPS/FedEx to their intended destinations rather than having to deal with explaining various schematics, circuitries & power sources et al? 

That way you avoid any unecessary hassles with the TSA + you speed up the line of people going through security check. Getting on a commercial airplane these days is already enough of a drag.