[Dixielandjazz] Baggage Rules Trouble Bolshoi Musicians

[Steve Barbone]

Snipped from the NY TIMES today. The "no carry-on" rule at British airports
is a bummer for those with expensive instruments. Would you check a borrowed
Stradivarius in the cargo hold?

Cheers,
Steve

Baggage Rules Trouble Musicians

Bolshoi Theater musicians, fearing harm to their instruments under strict
new British airport security regulations, will probably have to leave
England by rail and fly home to Russia from Paris when their engagement at
the Royal Opera House in London ends on Saturday, the BBC reported.
Alexander Vedernikov, the chief conductor, said the musicians were under
contract to keep their instruments with them and could not check them as
luggage. Russian news media noted that musicians of the Bolshoi, based in
Moscow, borrow their instruments from Russia¹s state collection and have no
right to part with them under any circumstances. Mr. Vedernikov spoke in
Moscow a day after a terror plot froze traffic at Heathrow Airport in London
and led to a ban on cabin baggage. He said his remark was prompted by
noticing instruments checked as cargo on his flight to Moscow as he flew
home ahead of the rest of the group. ³I saw two violins being checked in as
luggage, which is unacceptable,² the RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as
saying.