# A flute didn't cause the bomb scare, you CNN heathens!  It was a bagpipe chanter!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 17, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016 "2004-01-17T23:47:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016/1 "2004-01-17T23:47:02Z")

</div>

An [electronic bagpipe chanter](http://www.deger.de/), to be precise, not a “flute” as reported by CNN: [Traveller’s Flute Causes Airport Evacuation](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/01/14/airport.evacuatio.ap/). At least the [local paper](http://www.pressherald.com/news/local/040114jetport.shtml) got it right:

> [@](#):
>
> An electronic bagpipe packed in a length of PVC pipe looked so much like a bomb on an X-ray machine screening baggage that officials evacuated Portland International Jetport for more than an hour Tuesday morning.

Sheesh! So much ignorance in the world!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016/2 "2004-01-17T23:56:02Z")

</div>

I don’t know…I think they could’ve cleared the airport much more quickly (and voluntarily) if they’d just taken it out and started playing…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016/3 "2004-01-18T00:09:41Z")

</div>

Electronic bagpipe? Is that a bagpipe with an OFF SWITCH?!?! 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016/4 "2004-01-18T00:12:14Z")

</div>

Sorry, who’s ignorant here? CNN for not knowing the difference between a flute and a bagpipe, or the airport security, for not being able to tell the difference between a X-ray of a bomb and an X-ray of an electric bagpipe in a PVC pipe?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-flute-didnt-cause-the-bomb-scare-you-cnn-heathens-it-was-a-bagpipe-chanter/225016/5 "2004-01-18T06:04:58Z")

</div>

Oh, I’m not faulting the chap running the X-ray scanner. A PVC pipe, capped at both ends, with a rod shaped thing inside with wires running to it - I can see how the scanner guy/gal would hit the “potential pipe bomb” button.