JFK Customs men smash a musician’s instruments

[orpheus]

Outrage at JFK as Customs men smash a musician’s instruments:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/ ... ed+disc%29

[tattuchu]

I clicked on the link but the page won't load

[cronus]

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/ ... lutes.html

Outrage at JFK as Customs men smash a musician’s instruments

Boujemaa Razgui, a flute virtuoso who lives in New York and works with many US ensembles, was returning to base over the holiday when Customs officials at Kennedy Airport asked to see his instruments.
Bourjemaa carries a variety of flutes of varying ethnicity, each made by himself over years for specific types of ancient and modern performance. He is a regular guest with the diverse and enterprising Boston Camerata.
At JFK, the officials removed and smashed each and every one of his instruments. No reason was given.
We have been unable to reach the distressed Boujemaa but a swell of outrage is rising among his musician friends. One ensemble director tells us: ‘I can’t think of an uglier, stupider thing for the U.S. government to do than to deprive this man of the tools of his art and a big piece of his livelihood.’
Boujemaa needs all the support he can get. Messages of sympathy on Slipped Disc will reach him one way or other.

(continued, checking for explosives? pipe bombs?)

[piscator]

(continued, checking for explosives? pipe bombs?)

[Audley Strange]

. One ensemble director tells us: ‘I can’t think of an uglier, stupider thing for the U.S. government to do
:

Well he's not that bright is he? I think bombing cities, extraordinary rendition and executing the retarded are far uglier and stupid things and that's just off the top of my head.

[klr]

Well, ir makes a change from musicians smashing things up ...

[JimC]

Get a good lawyer and sue their arses off...

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Get a good lawyer and sue their arses off...

The trouble is, you can't do tyhat. CUstoms people have immunity against that kind of thing. THey are their own little overlords between soveriegn states. So they can be bastits if they like top any7ome.

[Svartalf]

I hope he sues them for a ton of dough, that's the best that can be wished for him now, unfortunately.

and if XC is right, I hope somebody finds the folk responsible and smashes their fingers with a sledge hammer.

[mistermack]

It's pretty much common knowledge that wood items, and anything made of organic material is scrutinised closely by customs, because of the chance of bringing in foreign pests.
If he didn't declare them, he hasn't got a leg to stand on. You have to tick a box that specifically mentions wood etc.
If he's a frequent traveller, he should know that. If I was carrying wooden items, I'd have ready proof of when and where purchased, etc.
Bamboo items are particularly prone to carrying insect pests, because of their hollow nature.
It's up to the traveller to find out what's allowed before they travel. It's all there on the websites.

Having said that, they do seem a bit heavy handed. Most customs have a facility for sterilising stuff like that, at the traveller's expense.

[orpheus]

It's pretty much common knowledge that wood items, and anything made of organic material is scrutinised closely by customs, because of the chance of bringing in foreign pests.
If he didn't declare them, he hasn't got a leg to stand on. You have to tick a box that specifically mentions wood etc.
If he's a frequent traveller, he should know that. If I was carrying wooden items, I'd have ready proof of when and where purchased, etc.
Bamboo items are particularly prone to carrying insect pests, because of their hollow nature.
It's up to the traveller to find out what's allowed before they travel. It's all there on the websites.

Having said that, they do seem a bit heavy handed. Most customs have a facility for sterilising stuff like that, at the traveller's expense.

Yet people take string instruments on board all the time.

More to the point, perhaps, is that the customs officers are in the wrong, as they violated their own rules regarding bamboo: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail ... nto-the-us

[pErvinalia]

Yeah, it's certainly not necessary to "smash" them up (whatever exactly that means). They can be treated. They could at least be quarantined until they sorted it out. But no surprised pseudo-cops get powertrips and treat others like scum.