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 24 of 28)
346. This guy is doing his job...effectively treating your property the way the flying coach class treats airline personnel. You want happier airline employees..pay them more than $8 an hour, and show them respect.
Posted at 10:05AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Dd76
347. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Whenever I can see baggage handlers loading and unloading, at least 1 member of the group is throwing luggage like this. At least this guy wasn't going for distance or pretending to shoot bags like a basketball (both of which I saw over the Christmas holiday - hello St Louis and Chicago!). Lets not even get started on the malicious destruction of property and outright theft going on during Homeland Security's inspection of contents! It can be infuriating but then again I get to travel and these poor schmucks are stuck handling my bags.
Posted at 10:07AM on Feb 17th 2008 by JWTexas
348. This guy is doing his job...effectively treating our property the way the flying coach class treats airline personnel. If we want happier airline employees, pay them more than $8 per hour, and treat them with respect. It may mean we will be paying more for our airfare..and I suspect the traveling public would NOT stand for that. Just more COMPLAINING!
Posted at 10:10AM on Feb 17th 2008 by dd76
349. ...WHAT YOUR SIMPLISTIC OBSERVERS DON"T KNOW IS IF HE GETS CLOSE TO THAT BELT IT WILL AND HAS RIPPED PEOPLES CLOTHES AND LIMBS. PLUS IF HE GETS HIRT, BECAUSE THE COMPANY DOESN"T WANT TO PAY FOR SAFETY GUARDS, ITS HIS FAULT IF HE GETS HIRT.......CLUE #1 , SEND YOUR BAGGAGE AHEAD OF YOUR TAVEL, BUT THATS TOO DAMN SIMPLE FOR YOU ARROGENT SOB'S THAT HAVE NEVER WORKED A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.....DO US ALL A FAVOR, GO UP TO A POLICEMAN AND TELL THEM ITS THEIR FAULT WE HAVE TERRORISM.......
Posted at 10:23AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Janet Eason
350. I don't know why Meredith R., the writer of the article finds this so "offensive". Other than the man in the video clip moving rather slow, this type of "toss the bag" is standard throughout the industry. And if you think that the United Sates Postal Service, United Parcel Service, DHL and FedEx are any different at handling packages that they ship, then you truly live in a very cloistered world.
Quite frankly I have seen far worse done to luggage by "curbside and counter attendants" at various airports. Another way yo see how bags are really handled at an airport is to go early to the airport and in the terminal or vicinity your gate is at, look outside the windows to see an aircraft being loaded or unloaded. What I have seen at dozens of airports I have travelled thru, what the man in the video doing is "mild" compared to most places.
Posted at 10:26AM on Feb 17th 2008 by LeeAnn
351. You people that think he isn`t doing anything wrong are crazy. He is throwing the stuff up in the air for gods sake. He would spend less energy doing it right than the way he is doing it. He is not rushing which alot of people have said. This is his job and just because he has to lift alot all day does not make it o.k to throw peoples belongings around. If he doesn`t like his job or can`t do it right, find another 1. There are plenty of people that would be happy to have that job and that would be more careful.NO EXCUSE!!!! Yes I know I don`t expect him to lay every piece down but he is not even trying to be the least bit careful.
Posted at 10:26AM on Feb 17th 2008 by terry
352. this guy and countless others... I'd think it was an oddity if they showed a baggage handler PLACING the bags on the conveyer...
Posted at 10:35AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Nancy Fay
353. I used to toss bags at JFK and I'm gonna tell you right now, this guy is not doing anything different than any other bag tosser does. We don't care about your bags, so don't go buy Gucci luggage cuz those get abused the worst. :-]
Posted at 10:39AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Jason Kidd
354. AS A BAGGAGE HANDDLER FOR MORE THAN 38 YRS. THAT'S THE WAY BAGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HANDLED. AIRLINES WANT DELIVERY TIMES AND ARE UNDER STAFED AS A RULE. THIS PERSON IS ACTUALY NOT AS ROUGH AS MOST
Posted at 10:43AM on Feb 17th 2008 by JOHN C.HAUCK
355. The first thing I learned when I retired & starting using the airlines is- buy inexpensive but sturdy luggage. You can. I did. That way if anything gets broken or ripped, you aren't out a fortune. If you must buy fancy luggage for image, then Good Luck!!
Posted at 10:46AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Sandy
356. my concern is that this wacko with the bad attitude is driving the luggage hauler around the jets moving on the tarmac.
Posted at 10:48AM on Feb 17th 2008 by jack
357. Recently on a trip to Mexico, my suitcase was badly damaged, I must have let it go round the conveyor belt 2-3 times, thinking there is no way that could possibly be mine! Sadly, It was! Luckily I didn't have anything breakable in there. But heres the kicker, on my return trip home I went to check my suitcase they told me my suitcase was in 'poor condition' and that I couldn't fly with it. Thats when I explained that my luggage was purchased 2 days before my trip and their airline was responsible, and their reply."we'll let it go this time, have a great flight"
Posted at 10:48AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Eileen
358. I saw a video of a guy doing his job...what was the big crime here??. He was moving bags from a cart to the belt...how is he supposed to do this other than how it was dipicted in the video??. Too many assholes with video cams have far too much time on their hands..and far too few brain cells...
Posted at 10:52AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Jeff T
359. talk about micro managing you would think there paying this guy fifty bucks an hour.............
Posted at 10:56AM on Feb 17th 2008 by teedeeaye@aol.com
360. This doesn't shock me in the slightest. I had one of those rolling suitcases with the telescoping handle that everyone has these days, and after one plane trip the entire handle mechanism was practically torn off, even though it had been perfectly fine before I got on the plane. That didn't happen by "normal wear-and-tear"--someone actually had to have been TRYING to rip the handle off the bag, or at least picked the bag up by the handle and swung it around for an hour or two until the mechanism tore partway off--which is improper handling of the bag. I hope they found the guy and fired his dumb ass, cause he doesn't need to be working a job where he gets paid to handle other people's belongings.
Posted at 10:57AM on Feb 17th 2008 by Emily