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Unfriking believable if this actually happened as stated:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/12/outrage-at-jfk-as-customs-men-smash-flutes.html

Follow up report here...

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/12/jfk-customs-destroyed-11-of-my-instruments.html

On the face of it the customs officials were grossly over-zealous in their interpretation of "agricultural products".

Seriously what jerks. Does that mean my fender jazz bass I use to fly with is agricultural because it's made from a maple tree? I would be furious if I had something like that destroyed... I don't even know what can possibly be done to rectify this as it seems a few of his instruments were hand made 1 of a kind objects. What the heck is wrong with people.

RRRRAAAAAAEEEEEEGGGGG. What kind of people do that sort of thing? Honestly, they could have at least taken the flutes into custody instead of smashing them. I think the government should at least pay some sort of gigantic reparation, but it's not like there's anything they could do to get the flutes back in working condition, is there?

They did him a favor, GO GET A REAL JOB YOU HIPPY

Isnt smashing instruments all part of the rock and roll lifestyle?

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
They did him a favor, GO GET A REAL JOB YOU HIPPY

I know this is a joke but I bet this dude makes very good money and gets to travel all around the world doing what he loves. Sounds likes the best job ever to me ;p

Can you spare just a little bit of sympathy, hotsauceman1? This guy pretty much just lost his livelihood.

Not any more.

He's got to stop travelling and make a load of new flutes. He can't complain too much because he might end up on a no fly list.

 SignMaster99 wrote:
Can you spare just a little bit of sympathy, hotsauceman1? This guy pretty much just lost his livelihood.

I wonder if this guy ever made a flesh flute.
And yes it is sad.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Not any more.

He's got to stop travelling and make a load of new flutes. He can't complain too much because he might end up on a no fly list.

He probably already is.

Wow, this is really sad. That's his whole life right there. Say whatever you want about how manly it is, but that was his passion right there. I can't imagine my passion being smashed by some faceless rentacops with no explanation.

He looks like a nice guy too. Why does it always happen to nice guys?

Nice guys allow it to happen.

I imagine if you make a fuss they'd suddenly find reason do a full cavity search for drugs, watch you take a crap, x-Ray you and give you a $5000 bill for the courtesy. Best try to smile as they smash your stuff up.

I hate seeing people like this be treated in such a shabby fashion.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I imagine if you make a fuss they'd suddenly find reason do a full cavity search for drugs, watch you take a crap, x-Ray you and give you a $5000 bill for the courtesy. Best try to smile as they smash your stuff up.

I didn't even think of that angle, but you are correct.

I thought that only happened in New Mexico... Now you have me paranoid for the 3 flights I'm taking this year ;p

There has to be something more to this, there just has to be, otherwise this makes no sense. Maybe one of his flutes was made from a wood that is illegal for import/export or something? It's not like he was bringing in a box of Cuban cigars (which Customs will immediately cut apart when seized). To immediately break the flutes suggests there is something more here.

You'd think that tan, but I'm constantly surprised by how rediculous Americans with authority are these days. He probably said something they didn't like so they went off because they could and there was nothing he could do about it. Like stated if he tried to object not only would they still smash his stuff but then he'd be on a no fly list, arrested, and probably subject to much more horrible things "because they can"

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
There has to be something more to this, there just has to be, otherwise this makes no sense.

I disagree. You don't find a lot of valedictorians or MENSA members working the security checkpoints at airports. Some world-beater read the word "wood" in a contraband advisory somewhere, saw wooden flutes, and the rest is history.

I have no faith there was anything at all behind the alleged vandalism in this case.

Since 9/11 we have seen "customs" and "security" in various countries seize items such as 1/12th scale model guns, stop people flying because they wore slogan T-shirts, taze mental patients to death, and other such cobblers.

 Seaward wrote:

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
There has to be something more to this, there just has to be, otherwise this makes no sense.

I disagree. You don't find a lot of valedictorians or MENSA members working the security checkpoints at airports. Some world-beater read the word "wood" in a contraband advisory somewhere, saw wooden flutes, and the rest is history.

This was customs, not security. Pretty major difference.

Kilkrazy wrote: seize items such as 1/12th scale model guns

... I mean, they look so real! Don't get me started on those 1/6th guns either!

Maybe they thought the Flutes where Blowdart Tubes

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Maybe they thought the Flutes where Blowdart Tubes

Hotsauce, Your continual joking about a man having insturments he handcrafted and made his living with for years being destroyed by morons grows less funny with each comment you make about it.

Geez, have a sense of humor

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Geez, have a sense of humor

Your jokes might be a little too spicy for the crowd I'm afraid.

 LordofHats wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Geez, have a sense of humor

Your jokes might be a little too spicy for the crowd I'm afraid.

It has nothing to do with that. It's the fact he just keeps trying to shoehorn jokes into the thread. One or two on topic jokes are fine, But when he just keeps forcing them in it gets a little tiresome.

The fact of the matter is this dude had his life violated by government officials that will suffer no recourse over destroying someone's livelihood. I even found the blow dart joke funny but the rest weren't even clever, they were childish attempts to downplay a tragic situation.

Edit:it's about knowing when enough is enough.

It's not really about knowing when enough is enough it's more can you make it actually funny.

I can agree with that I guess. Although I guess it's the same thing. Know enough is enough because your jokes are stale ;p

I think hotsauceman's jokes struck a chord.