Hendry cue damage by airline

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Here's something a little different:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/3199523.stm

Looks like hendry's luck has finally run out as I seem to remember him losing his cue a few years back but he got it back after offering a reward.

It highlights the new probalems of air travel though. Earlier this year I arrived in Las Vegas for an event after many flights and I remember the panic when my vue case still hadn't shown its face on the luggage carousel! Luckily it turned up a little later. I also had all sorts of problems when leaving when I got told I could carry the cue on and then got refused at the gate!

Think a few pro players have had similar problems recently too, those damn terrorist! :-(
 
Just wanted to add that the article also mentions that Hendry has won 8 million pounds from prize money alone!

If you look at this article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2985851.stm

You will see that snooker like pool had a murky past and still has its fair share of "bad boys". If snooker can do why can't pool?

I remember many years ago that the top 16 players used to be guaranteed 40,000 pounds ayear if they didn't win a game! I think its more than that and now probably the top 32?
 
I e-mailed the WPA about this. Unfortunately, they said that they do not have a say in it. Period.

I guess this thing will have to be solved by the players themselves. Anybody here has enough leads, connections, or clout to get an exemption in arline security procedure?

Solving this is problem will really help the player.
 
I agree Larry, can lose my cue anytime if the plane dowswn't explode, but it is a real pain in the ass!

As for the money, just want to highlight that some of the excuses people use for pool struggling are not valid.

eg. bad image, not good for tv etc... the reason is politics and lack of direction and nothing else.
 
I have flown all over the world the past 4 years traveling with my cue(s). I never had any trouble taking my cues as a carry on item, until 911! After that I had to pack it in my check in luggage or mail it to my destination. I am in the US Air Force and can see why the airlines do not want pool cues on board the planes, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT and neither should anyone else! Yes, it might be a bother to check it, but it's for your own safety, trust me! You would not believe what items people can make weapons (not just guns) out of and what they can and will do use them for. If you don't want to take the chance of your checked cue NOT arriving at your destination, just plan ahead and mail it PRIORITY or OVERNIGHT it to your destination...problem solved! If you are a serious pool player and travels with your cues, you should always have a back up cue or cash to buy a new one if an emergency should arise with you current cue!
Please don't argue or try to sneak your cue as a carry on, just check it in please and be on your way to the tournament or home and be happy that you will arrive safely at your destination!

Thanks,
Staff Sergeant Michael Zimmerman, USAF
Osan AB Republic of Korea
aka: Zim
 
Hey Zim, When you are travelling on military aircraft are you permitted to take your cues on with you?

Kent Mc.
 
He's not my favourite Harry but I sure admire what he has done has to be the greatest, although Steve Davis was something else.

Personally though Alex Higgens will always be the greatest, all the snooker players owe that guy a hell of a lot. Surely the most talented cuesist of all time. Jesus if that guy played straight pool he would have run thousands drunk!

Maybe thats what 9 ball needs a real showman!? I'm just starting to following the sport so maybe it already has one? Does 9 ball have any higgings showmen?

Craig
 
I think the prohibition is just plain stupid. Let's just forget about how absolutely dumb it would be to try and use a pool cue as an effective weapon to subdue anyone in an aircraft and focus on the things that ARE allowed.

Guitars, flutes, canes, rigid tube cases and a host of other things that can be used as a blunt weapon in it's original state and modified easily and quickly to become a pointed and or sharp weapon.

For that matter a credit card can be sharpend to be as deadly as a razor knife. A pen/pencil can be a deadly weapon.

Now I thought that checking my luggage would be okay because bags are supposed to matched to passengers. Theoretically if I am on a plane then my bags MUST be on it with me and if I am not then my bags don't go. That's what I understood the baggage matching to be.

I bet there would be NO lost luggage if the airline were FORCED by law to pay $10,000 for leach piece of lost or damaged baggage. Then you would see far, far less damaged or lost luggage.

John
 
It is hard to argue with FL's perspective. True, cue sticks can be used as weapons for martial artists. As to what can be disguised as a cue stick (guns), the x-ray machines can take care of that.

Perhaps the cue sticks can be surrendered at the gate where the attendants will stow it away in the coat-hanger bin. These bins are now under lock and key. Pros can be issued IDs and corresponding tags in their cue cases for hand-carry eligibility.

Having this scheme approved will be a great service rendered to professional pool players (who actually hardly get any service at all form any national, regional, or world pool associations). These people in these associations should be servants to their constituents. The ones who are not servants will always have ulterior motives.

Service to the pool pro!!!
 
This reminds me of a funny story, my girlfriend was going home and she had bought her parents some presents that she was going to carry on as hand luggage. I remember the lady at the desk asking us if we had anything dangerous in our hand luggage and I automatically just answered no (must have been on auto pilot ba bum :-))

Anyway as she was walking to the gate I remembered that one of the presetns was a black and decker power tools set which contained a jigsaw, drill and sander head!!!! LOL it was battery operated so I thought we should probably go back and declare it LOL


Yes FL I think Mr Higgins was mostly drunk, did you ever meet him?

I do think that many obects that get on planes could be made into a weapon but at the end of the day I would rather get there safely. I would rather see them implement a better baggage system than allow me to carry my cue on the plane.

BTW American Airlines are a shambles, the worse I have ver flown.
 
To Zim,

I really like that idea of yours to send the cue to the location I'm going via mail. I'm going to Hawaii in a couple of weeks and I think I'm going to try that. Thanks for the great advice!
 
I have NEVER been able to carry on my cues on a Military Flight. However, if you travel by cargo planes on a HOP, then you are able to.

I'm sure that the airlines will be a little more lenient in the future with cues on board, but until then PLEASE CHECK THEM!

Zim
 
Look everyone I don't want to rehash 911 again but we seem to forget that it was a combination of people with common items and a willingness to kill instantly, poor procedure on the part of the airlines and group submission through threat of explosion.

I travel a lot and as I sit in the airport and watch what people ARE allowed to carry on it is very apparent that the list of things banned is flawed at best.

Do we need razor knives on planes? Hell no. Do I believe that anyone would ever be able to hijack a plane using a razor knife again? Not really.

All of you can certainly imagine that just about anything can be a deadly weapon in the hands of someone who knows how to kill and is willing to do so. Of course a pool cue can do some serious damage, I never said it couldn't. But a pool cue is not going to be an effective weapon of destruction or submission in the close confines of an airplane. I would bet the world AGAINST anyone who tried to hijack an airliner with a pool cue.

As for all the fantasies about what could be hidden in a pool cue - well people, those who are serious enough to attempt hijacking a plane post 911 are going to be able to get around whatever security measures are in place.

For me I don't care. I have invested in luggage big enough to hold my cue case and I just pack it along with my clothes and it looks like normal luggage. I haven't had a problem yet and I enjoy the freedom of not having to lug my cue around the airport.

BUT those who believe that banning things like pool cues makes them secure you are sadly deluded. IF you want true safety then just make everyone change into hospital gowns AFTER going through full body scanners naked and have 100% open luggage checking as well as 15 layers of security to get to a plane. Allow NO carry ons whatsoever. Then your chances of dying on a hijacked plane will be less than the 1 in a gazillion that they are now.

Maybe the airlines could take some of the money that they are saving by eliminating foodservice and have some premium baggage services to accomodate the needs of those of us who travel with expensive things. There's a niche they haven't thought of. I would gladly pay $50 extra to KNOW that my cue was going to get there safely.

Anyway, it's just my opinion.

John
 
Hmm, I kind of like that hospital gown idea!

I know this is a big stretch for a pool forum but I have to ask. Does anyone else feel as queasy as I do about pilots having guns? I used to teach martial arts and I know there are people out there that could disarm someone with no problem.

Personally, I like the idea of having the cockpit absolutely secure and tamper proof.
 
I don't like the idea of pilots having handguns either. Even if they do receive training to use them. Say they miss and hit some little kid. Or put a whole through the wall of the plane. Seriously, that's not safe at all.
 
I don't blame you Larry. I hate to fly!!!! I'm supposed to go to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. Me and my sister-in-law are going to take some Valium so we can get through it as pleasantly as possible (my wife will be with us but she's the designated walker). I can just see me now laughing as the plane starts to sputter or something. They'll probably lock me up in the Ha Ha Hotel when we arrive in Hawaii!!
 
Ever see wildebeest cross a river of hungry crocs to go through their migration path? You just gotta do what you gotta do! Good luck, Rick! Ahahahahaha.
 
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