I recently traveled to Los Angeles where I was able to purchase a didgeridoo from LA Outback. It has been a long time dream in the making to have my first real eucalyptus aboriginal made didgeridoo. I had waited so long because a big purchase like this must be made in person. This type of instrument is a fit to player type piece, each one is different. I’m happy to say that I found one out of hundreds that fit me and my playing style.
The problem came when I was traveling back from Los Angeles. I have always been able to carry didgeridoos on board planes in the past. As recent as last month and never had a problem. Once I had to play it for security and another time security had the instrument walked though to the gate, these were extreme cases in my experience. Every carrier has put my didgeridoos in the coat rack or allowed me to put them in the overhead bins. This time security made me check it. Knowing that I was not prepared to do this I asked the United Airline representative many questions about safe handling and liability. She circled on my ticket jacket where United was liable for damages up to $1,300. She then put multiple fragile stickers on the didgeridoo case and helped stuff it full of car seat bags as bubble wrap was not available to us. At security I did everything I could to convince them that I was ok to bring the instrument though even to the point of showing them my nuclear power plant security clearance card. And at the United desk it was absolutely the same. Even to the point of telling the rep that if there was any question as to the safety of my instrument that I would miss the flight and send it UPS. I was assured over and over that my instrument was as safe with them as it would have been if in my own possession. I understand my instrument was in a soft bag and I warned the security and the United rep about the possibility of breaking the instrument. Again I was assured that the didgeridoo was safe and that United had my interest in mind when handling my precious cargo.

So with all of that and the guarantee of the replacement value up to $1,300 circled on my ticket. I felt a little better, went though security and on to my flight. Upon arrival at COS I was eagerly watching out the window of the plane at the luggage going down the conveyor only to see my brand new two day old fit perfect to me and my playing style didgeridoo broken in half. I immediately went to the United desk and filed a claim. From the beginning of the process I was told that United was not liable. When I asked for all the paper work back I was curiously given all but the portion of my ticket that was circled with the liability information on it? As if I can’t get that information again?
I have always taken my instrument though to be carried on the plane in the past. I was not prepared for what security told me and so I relied on United’s promise of care. I trusted what the representative said and that United would handle my instrument with care and that if it was damaged United would be ethical and stand next to its promise of liability. Up to this point neither of these things has happened. I am now an owner of a useless un-repairable piece of wood thanks to the miss handling of my precious didgeridoo and the miss-leading information from the United representative at LAX who assured me my instrument would not be damaged.

Attached is the letter of response from the owner of LA Outback testifying to the durability of the instrument and the extreme force that must have caused that much damage. I do not desire to be in this position as I’m sure you do not either. I do expect United to be an ethical company and stand by its promise of liability. Because this is a fit to player type instrument and I would not buy one unless it was purchased in person, I’m requesting that the price of the didgeridoo and a round trip ticket to get back to the purchase place will be served to me quickly. Those are not the total cost of my trip, rental car, Hotel ect where also included. But I’m trying to ask for minimal so to have this resolved quickly. I have written blog http://bit.ly/Vf8T about my ordeal and have a large following on social media many those who are following me are waiting for your response as am I.

Written with sadness,

Allan Weber

Hi all,

I'm happy with the responses that I have gotten so far I would like to ask those of you that follow me and have not read my blogs please do and if your willing call united's direct line with concern of this story. thank you all so much. ask to speak with the specialist of baggage services(435) 634-3000

And here is a little story: I was forced by my company to fly united three days ago. So I'm sitting in the terminal listening to people complain about the service there. During this time the united air rep came on the speaker and announced that the flight would be delayed due to a broken arm rest. so I jump into the conversation with the folks complaining and told them my story. As were boarding the plane one of them hands me her card. She is a journalist for the NY times and she wants to run my story! Yahoo, united airlines if your reading this you might want to replace my instrument. people will hear about this and the bad press will hurt more than replacing what you helped pack and then Broke.

Below is a letter that I received from LA outback a great company that has been dealing with aboriginal made didjeridus for over twelve years.

Allan,

Got the pics. Jeez, there is no way that would have happened unless the didgeridoo suffered a great deal of pressure trying to pass through a cargo bay. I've haven't seen this type of break in over 12 years of shipping didgeridoos. This was not simply mishandled, this had to be mechanical and human error combined. Eucalyptus didgeridoos don't snap in half like a toothpick... ever. That's a lot of force, and I think you've got a case against them hands down. Please feel free to use me as a reference and give them my phone number to contact me if they want a professional opinion about this. I want to help you fight this in any way I can.

Be well, Barry Martin

L.A.Outback

"Walk softly and carry a loud stick."

www.LAOutback.com

I was so loving this didge that i took photos the first night i had no idea they would be my before photos,

The saga continues:
I’m so crushed that my new instrument was destroyed by united airlines and told to me by the specialist of baggage services in Utah that it would not be replaced. She said, I was at fault for not having packed it correctly. Funny, the united rep and I actually packed it at the counter together. Below are some excerpts from a letter that I received from the specialist of baggage services in Utah.
“Because we had no control over how fragile and/or perishable articles are packed for transportation, we do not assume liability for damage where no evidence of mishandling exists.”
“Because there is no evidence of rough handling while in our custody, we must respectfully decline your request for reimbursement.”

A letter from LAoutback and some of the comments I have received will explain how ridiculous this is. Eucalyptus didgeridoos don’t just snap in half when you move them with normal treatment...period
The united rep and I packed it together while she was assuring me that united airlines would be liable for any damages, and she circled the place on the ticket folder where that is said. The only bit of paper work that was not given back to me by the happy folks at Colorado Springs airport was that ticket folder! I was told it was thrown away, how convenient! Most likely the girl at the counter was told to do this by her manager who had the nerve to mock me and tell me to leave her office! Wow! And really i was being calm, shaking angery but calm about it.
During the packing (in LA) I told the agent if there not liable I would delay flying and ups my instrument that I have never been told before I can’t have my instruments on the plane this was all a new deal to me.
I will soon post the letter from LA outback. By the way these guys sell quality didgeridoos and are very wonderful folks. They fed me coffee taught me some new playing techniques and really have an obvious passion for the didge and the aboriginal people check them out @ http://www.laoutback.com/

A bit about me and why i play the didgeridoo:

<--from the top of the home I visited in Colombia.

A bit about me:
My name is Allan and at 15 years of age I went to Venezuela for a summer trip. During that trip I found a passion for helping others and traveling to many different nations. The age of twenty was a defining moment in my life as I began to seek my God for what and how I was to follow my passions. Three months later I found myself in morocco and the journey begins. Since then I’ve been all around the world and one of the things that remains the same is people are passionate about music. It could be that music is so annoying or wow what a beautiful sound. But one thing is for sure is that music breaks down languages and brings people together, rarely in anger.
In 2003 I was in worship with my roommates and one stops playing and declared “I see you playing the didgeridoo”, I must tell you it is a little refreshing and eerie to be around a prophetic person. Honestly I had wanted to play one since about sixteen. But that night he gave me a piece of PVC and I was playing up a storm. Ha Ha not really. The next eight months I struggled with playing and got so frustrated that I ended up back at my place of prayer but soon after , circular breathing.
Now years later I’ve been able to incorporate the didgeridoo into my pursuit of helping others. It has become a wonderful tool to learning languages and many other things. Like in Bogotá Colombia sitting with some local children and teaching them how to play while I was learning Spanish, In Galveston TX doing relief work for the hurricane Ike victims. In Holland playing with some street folks and being able to share stories of hope and God’s love for them. In every case I was able to give away some bamboo didgeridoos that I’ve made and just share some joy.
Now by this time I’m sure my story to most sounds like a hippie flakey pipe dream. I do work I’m a boilermaker, stock trader and a land lord I do well at all of these things. They provide the means for me to do what I really enjoy doing. In Spanish their language distinguishes between hard work trabajo and passion work obrar. In my life my trabajo helps fulfill my obrar.
These are some of the reasons why the didgeridoo and other culture softening tools are important to me.

Bye for now :)

this is my brand new didgeridoo sold to me by the wonderful people at LA outback. i can't say enough good things about them. as for united airlines that is different. i was put into a situation where i was getting on a plane with my didge or not. i have never been turned away by TSA and told that i must check the instrument. i travel with my instruments allot and they have always been tucked nicely in the coat rack or just carried on by me. i even showed TSA my nuclear power plant security clearance badge. i had no choice but to check the instrument or miss my flight.united assured me Allan we will take as good of care of your instrument as you would have if you taken it on board with you (what i always do). and that is why i do not have a hard case for it. the united rep even circled the spot on my ticket where they are liable up to 1,600 dollars if they damage it. i was sort of at peace with that sort of. but stuck in a situation i miss my flight or trust united, i should have missed my flight!

when i had arrived at the COS airport I'm watching the luggage conveyor when i see my brand new didge broken in half. i feel sick.

I feel sicker today when united told me that they would have no responsibility in this matter, that they were not liable. it seems like the power of the Internet is my only hope please help me push pressure on united to be an ethical company and replace my instrument.

thank you, Allan

please share this with everyone you know.

united airlines destroyed my band new waited years to find the right one didgeridoo

i was just in lax and i was told though tsa that i would not be let on to the plane with my fragile instrument. this even after showing that I've got security clearance to go into nuke plants, showing my instrument questioning why tsa allows guitars to go though and not a just as breakable didgeridoo. i was borderline pleading with the tsa that if they forced me to put my instrument in cargo that it would be destroyed. being forced to go back to united, united assured me that they would take care of my instrument. i told them i had waited years to find the right one and knowing that they placed three fragile stickers on my carrying bag, circled the part on my ticket stub showing where they are liable up to 1,600 dollars. united told me that they would take as good of care as if i had carried it on to the plane myself (what i always do). siting on the plane at my final destination i was eagerly watching the luggage coming out of the plane only to see my foot foot didgeridoo smashed in half. i will later put before and after pictures of the heart breaking damage that united caused me. i even pleaded with united for them to walk it down to the gate so that it could be in the safety of the cabin. i did everything that i could do to stop this from happening and then at Colorado springs the united agent began to try to talk her way out of liability. more will be revealed in my united story. stay tuned for pictures that make me sick thanks, a very hurt traveler Allan_nations