Here's why your pristine Samsonite bag arrived at the baggage claim a little banged up the last time you passed through Vancouver -- this handler was either having a bad day, or he really dislikes his job. Regardless, he's taking it out on the bags, tossing them around carelessly. Hope you didn't pack anything fragile!
Reader Comments (Page 12 of 28)
166. With the way an airline company treated me, and a few other hard working co-workers (like we were worthless pieces of crap), i'm not suprised if he is getting his anger out.
These companies really need to re-think the well being of their employees and maybe the whole industry wouldn't be so chaotic all the time (but no, the top people would rather make millions while they out source everything from reservations to IT support to India to frustrate customers and employees alike, and then pay their employees minimum wage while taking out 1/2 of it in airport fees and union dues, not to mention the other 1/4 in government/state taxes).
Myself and the other decent employees bailed on that job and feel sorry for all you travelers with who you've been left to deal with now!
Posted at 1:41PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Me
167. The last two times I have flown my luggage and my daughters luggage was smashed on the steel bars inside how this happened is beyond me !
Posted at 1:42PM on Feb 9th 2008 by mike Hunt
168. The Samsonite luggage should be able to endure the rough handling. Wasn't it Samsonite that used to air commercials of a gorilla manhandling (or mishandling) Samsonite luggage?
Posted at 1:43PM on Feb 9th 2008 by matt
169. What's the big deal? This is everyday luggage handling. He is simply tossing the luggage. From the intro, I expected him to be slashing it with a hatchet. It is unrealistic to expect that luggage would be gently handled. This is just another form of long distance package shipping. You need to pack an item as you would to ship it via UPS or Fedex.
Posted at 1:44PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Greg
170. I am a retired airline employee,and while I certainly do not condone the mishandling of other's property, this video shows the norm not the exception. Look at the bags that passengers are purchasing, mostly duffel style, soft-sided luggage. Nothing beats the old hard-sided Samsonites or American Touriter luggage, those were designed to protect your contents. NEVER buy an expensive leather bag to check as luggage unless you are that hung-up on what looks good instead of what is practical and efficient. And while we are video-taping, every airline check-in desk and gate counter should have cameras. Lets watch some of these ass-hole passengers abuse airline workers.
Posted at 1:45PM on Feb 9th 2008 by ben stricker
171. He was just doing his job. Looks like he was trying to move as fast as he could. How much time do they give him to load these bags before someone is on him for going to slow? I am not sure he was loading them the smartest way someone could but I didnt see him do anything wrong. How much is this poor smuck payed?
Less than most of the people complaining about him I bet.
Posted at 1:48PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Jackie
172. looks fine to me... put any glass or breakables in your carryon, or get it properly packed. The guy looks a bit cranky, but I don't think he did anything wrong Remember when luggage didn't have wheels? You had to carry your stuff and packed much lighter. Now it is almost a a hand truck full of stuff we don't use
Posted at 1:50PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Craig
173. Looks like the anal spincter factor is really high in this jerk's life!
Posted at 1:55PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Kacey
174. This explains it all - January 31, 2008 · American Airlines is in the middle of difficult contract negotiations with its pilots union. Four years ago, the airline's unions took large salary cuts to keep it from going bankrupt. Their sacrifice was instrumental in turning the nation's largest carrier around. But now executives are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses, and that has infuriated the company's rank-and-file employees.
Posted at 1:59PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Disgruntle airline employee
175. There is a reason that "baggage handlers" are actually called throwers in the industry. The guy is just doing his job. Doesn't bother or surprise me a bit. If you're checking anything on an airline, don't you expect that it will experience some sort of turbulence? If you've got something fragile, it ought to be clearly marked as such, kept in carryon luggage, or shipped. Duh. Grow up, America. Everyone's so obsessed with their "rights" and what they're "entitled" to. You try handling thousands of pieces of overweight and awkward freight on a busy timetable every day and see if you don't find a shortcut that isn't illegal or even particularly damaging. Baggage mangler? Oh please. Get over it.
Posted at 2:00PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Miss Em
176. The thing that really peeves me, is that the airline already KNOWS these people do those things! Still they DO NOTHING about it! Grrrrrrrrr! Worse than that, most are a PART of the stealing of articles from baggage etc.etc... Need to find out WHO those peeps are and MEET THEM, outside of the work place...Let them know "how it feels" to be one of those pieces of luggage they apathetically "threw about"! JERKS!
Posted at 2:07PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Anna
177. amazing day care agency workers are beating our children, 6 figure office workers spend there day oogling at porno. store workers are stealing profits and parking attendants are taking out cars out for joy rides. and this guy is tossing our 50 pound bags onto a conveyer and you are complaining about it. you try doing that 8 hours a day after a while you are tossing too, if its breakable carry it on, otherwise there clothes, whats the big deal?
Posted at 2:08PM on Feb 9th 2008 by denise
178. We packed one bag for the 2 of us. We never saw it for over 3 months. I don't think it ever left our home airport. It showed no bumps at all and everything in it was o.k. But we were on a cruise with no cloths except what we put in our small carry on.
Posted at 2:10PM on Feb 9th 2008 by H.S. Riley
179. I worked in this job and that is the norm. I did a lot worse than that to bags. What do you expect is going to happen when they give you 20 minutes to unload a plane, load it back up with the bags for the next flight and only give you 3 people to do this? Top it all off with an $8/hour pay and this is what happens.
I ripped my arm out doing that job and had to quit because of my injury. You want to know the rules about breakables? Don't fly with them...ship them by mail. Why don't you try working these lousy jobs before you critisize the people that do them?
Posted at 2:11PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Darryl
180. Did I miss something? I was expecting an act much more egregious than what this guy was doing. Shouldn't the airlines be focusing on more serouos offenses like employee theft?
Posted at 2:15PM on Feb 9th 2008 by Ray Colburn