Mad security

This is a tale of mad security or security gone mad or the ultimate avoidance of risk. The Eskimo (Inuit) peoples of the Arctic used to hunt seals through the ice. They waited at a "blowhole" and harpooned the seal when it came to the hole to breathe. The harpoon , and all the attachments, were made of bone.

I acquired a harpoon with all the attachments some forty years ago, (how this came about is another story), and now wished to donate it to the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. They were delighted to receive this artifact and I carefully boxed it and arranged to send it to Canada via a reputable carrier.

I declared the item as an historical artifact that was being returned to its country of origin. Imagine when to my surprise (chagrin) none of the carriers would take the parcel because it was a dangerous weapon, that is a harpoon!

One carrier was persuaded to transport the item but it has not yet arrived at its destination and has still got to surmount the customs and excise barrier on both sides of the Atlantic ... Watch this space!

Walter V.