[CQ-Contest] travelling

[Randy Johnson]

The following message sent to ARRL

It seems to me that ARRL could be of great help to the travelling ham by helping educate TSA about amateur radio equipment. If there is one common characteristic I have seen among TSA employees, it is ignorance. They may now all have seen digital cameras but the average one can't tell a K2 from a video camera.  To any of them ham radio equipment just looks "suspicious." In the absence of information to the contrary, the easy course if for them to forbid anything "suspicious."

Putting stuff in the checked baggage is worse!  If you carry it on, at least you are there to explain it. 

Why can't we talk TSA HQ into putting out a "bulletin" to their employees - one we can get a copy of - that explains ham equipment, say that it is that it is not suspicious, and so get equipment through.  The alternative is that you have each one of 10,000 ignorant agents making up policy on the spot based upon their ignorance. 

Do you think that there is a role for ARRL here?

Randy W6SJ