We did a similar thing last year, but let’s run it back.
FIRST Choice closes next Thursday, April 13 2023. AndyMark has added the option to pick up shipments from their booth at Championship, meaning that orders can be delivered to the right person without a shipping charge. If you’re not going to Houston and have credits left to burn, I’m happy to be “the right person” and get some items to folks that can use them.
Last year, we took back with us a couple dozen rolls of tape as well as some game pieces; we stuck the former in blessing boxes around the Columbia area so folks can mend whatever they need to fix up, and we delivered the latter to a local elementary school.
Unlike last year, 1293 isn’t going to be in Houston (wistful sigh) and I’m flying. I’ve got two or three free checked bags on Delta and can pack a lot in, but it does slightly alter the list of items I’m suggesting for space reasons:
I flew my Fight Night robot in a checked bag for 2018-2020. Each time, there was a note carefully placed in the top of the bag/box explaining the event, safe handling of the robot, and the components inside. The note always began the same: “Hello, TSA Agent!”
At one point we had a discussion about flying our robot via checked bags to our event. We knew other teams had done it and we knew the best practices to do it.
Someone joked about putting either a jack in the box, or a speaker with an explosion sound effect to trigger via light sensor in said checked bags. We all laughed and began discussing how said thing would work as opposed to dismissing the idea and at that moment we realized we were not mature enough to transport the robot via checked bags yet.
As a general rule, yeah. I know people who have flown with some absolutely bizarre things with minimal issue. And from chatting with my friendly local TSA agent (who also happens to be the DM for our Lancer RPG game…) it really is all down to communicating what it is.
Yeah in my experience, the moment it’s checked, you’re good. I once checked (internationally) a bundle of swords held together with 2 belts and a few loops of tape and was never questioned.
