strathspey@strathspey.org:44002

Richard Goss

Re: Scottish Country Dancing VS Scottish Folk Dancing

Jan. 31, 2006, 9:31 p.m. (Message 44002, in reply to message 43988)

"16-year-old was unable to persuade staff at his school in Holt,
Michigan,that the item was as accepted a part of his costume as the
kilt and sporran"
   
  I am not surprised, having been in Holt, Michigan were many of the
  pickup trucks have gun racks as a part of the local tradition.
   
  I would say, OK accepted, but only as an accessory, not a
  requirement. It would be pretty dumb to believe that this kid was so
  unconscious of where he was and the rules as to wear a knife in his
  sock by accident. Where I live, it is common to carry a knife, and
  most males do. The comon knife is either a generic one similar to a
  old straight edge razor, or one specific to one´s needs, or
  profession. The one I carry has about a 3.4 inch blade curved into
  an arc of about 60º. Its original purpose was for cutting grapes of
  the vine, but is good for pealing fruit, cutting bread, etc. (unless
  one eats in a restaurant with a table cloth here, you have to ask
  for a knife when eating out, or at a friend´s house, as the only
  tool provided is a fork, and maybe a spoon if needed. Knowing the
  possibility of not getting where I want to go, I make a habit of
  leaving it home when I fly.
   
  I have only once gotten into trouble. With the terrorist thing,
  local government has become more security conscious. In Palma, I
  needed a booklet with the schedule of a week long fiesta. The
  tourist offices were out, so I went to the city hall.
  1. Asked the guard if he had any - he pointed to the empty rack.
  2. Suggested that the local branch of the public library (off the
  ground floor lobby), had one - he said probably.
  3. Asked if I could just run in a get it - he said no, I would have
  to park my bicycle across the street instead of leaning it against
  the lamp post in my plane site (went to chain bike).
  4. Entered building and told to run back pack through scanner (about
  30 feet from the rack outside the library where I could see the
  programs I wanted).
  5. My back pack had a pair of scisors - so he inspected the bag and
  said that I would have to leave them with him.
  6. Asked if I could simply leave the pack as I walked across the
  lobby and back - no the scisors had to be put in a plastic bag, for
  which I was given a chit.
  7. Crossed the lobby picked up the program and returned with my chit
  - questioned, what did my scisors look like (?????). Got my scisors
  and left.
  Irony was that there was only a metal detector for backpacks and
  purses, and I had my knife in my pocket.
   
  On the subject of security, my last German trip was worse. In the
  Stutgart airport (coming home from the Rechsberg weekend). The
  scanner was at the rope entrance to the Iberia line for checking in.
  I ran my bag through and passed. About 4 people ahead of me, was one
  of those people for whom life is never simple, and who seemed not to
  understand that the airline personnel would be unable to help him at
  that location and suggested that he might want to go to the counter
  where one purchases tickets. After about 10 minutes of this, I
  unzipped the top flap, and leaving it open, pulled out a book and
  started to read. 15 minutes later, when I was now second in line, I
  got a tap on the shoulder by the security guard who told me that my
  carryon was unzipped. I thanked him and said that I knew and would
  be putting my book back when I got to the window. He said that I
  could not do that because then I would have to get back in line and
  have my luggage rescanned. When I suggested that he simply
 scan the book, since he had already scanned the bag from which it had
 come, he looked confused.