Ever Fly With an Accordion?

I have. Plenty of times. In fact, wrangling Clyde through SFO with his sleeves rolled up (tattoos showing, of course) and his squeezebox strapped to his chest is one of the enduring TDA images I'll take with my grave.

Also memorable? Endless disputes about carrying on accordions with folks at the check-in counter, the baggage screening machine, etc. To make matters worse, the whole thing is extremely variable. One flight it's fine; the next time there's no way the terminal bureaucrats are going to let you get an accordion on a plane as carry-on baggage.

The American Federation of Musicians wants to make this all easier. The union's making a push to ease all musicians' airport nightmares, and they want your stories to help back up their action.

Here's the word from the union:

"For years, AFM members have had problems bringing musical instruments aboard planes as carry-on luggage. Recently, discussions with the airlines trade association and Congress have picked up to the point where an acceptable solution to the problem is possible. However, we need to show that there is urgency to the problem. We would appreciate it if you would describe your recent experiences when traveling with instruments to us so we can show the seriousness of the situation for musicians. Please send your recent airline experience to me at tperetti@afm.org. Thank you."

If you've got a story to tell, please do.