Mendelson Joe has a song about flying Air Canada and watching from his seat inside the plane as they throw his guitar into the baggage compartment below, causing damage. I think it’s searchable online.

One time we went through customs and they pulled us over. Magali used to use an effect in her performances, three different coloured light bulbs controlled by a small box with three button switches, red, green, yellow. As they went through the instruments etc. it was a little hilarious when the customs officer pulled out the three button contraption. Her eyes widened and demanded “what’s this!” Like they found a detonator. We laughed realizing their dramatic need vs. making creative performances while never breaking even touring.

I brought a couple things to eat for yesterday’s flight back and inevitable waiting of a kidnapped passenger in the world of airport control. A small kimchee and a larger potato salad. The young skinny red haired officer turned the potato salad container over in her hands and went to check with her superior. One could see the dressing was wet no doubt a decoy for my dishonest activities, everyone knows what a likely target Winnipeg to Toronto is these days. I tried to get hold of the part of me that wanted to argue how performative and stupid this is and remind myself there is no way one wins an argument with people like her. She came back and with a sweet smile and said my potato salad must be thrown out. I thanked her earnestly, hoping the incongruence of gratitude plants seeds of confusion in her self esteem.