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 26 of 28)
376. I hate to tell all of you this but that is the way that the bags are loaded and unlaoaded all day everday. I was ramp agent, supervisor, and manager for some of the largest carriers in the U.S. and that is how it is every bag for every flight all year long.
Posted at 12:02PM on Feb 17th 2008 by DD
377. Wow, that level of mangling is incomprehensible! Like a lion in the wild!!!
Posted at 12:09PM on Feb 17th 2008 by me
378. Not saying he's in the right, but I'm wondering why they even have anyone doing this type of job in our day and age. Surely they can constuct some type of cart that will tilt so that the bags slide out onto the conveyer belt. Then the "handler" can just spread them out for easy retrieval. What a waste of man power making that buy handle every single bag, twice (once coming off the plane and once onto the conveyer belt to the terminal). And they probably only pay him minimum wage...no wonder he has an attitude.
Give the guy proper tools to do his job and he'll stop ruining the customer's bags. Airline execs are stupid and cheap.
Posted at 12:12PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Lisa
379. HE GETS FREE AIR FARE TO WELL IF SOMEONE LIKES MY IDEA IS TO FIND LOST LUGGAGE WITH A GPS FOR LOCATION AND A WEB CAM ON THE LUGGAGE YOU CAN SEE WHO AND WHERE THE LUGGAGE IS AT ALL TIMES TO WOULD YOU BUY IT NOW IT WILL HELP US ALL OUT E2JFB@AOL.COM IF YOU WANT TO OK JAY FROM LAS VEGAS
Posted at 12:19PM on Feb 17th 2008 by JAY
380. I cant believe you Mary. If he doesnt like his job maybe he should quit. We are all under alot of time pressure in our jobs. We dont go beserk because of it.
Posted at 12:22PM on Feb 17th 2008 by 'oL glenn
381. All you people who think he is doing anything wrong are just ignorant idiots. I advise you to try his job for a few months. most of you don't have the balls to do it without breaking down and crying on the airfield. I have never seen a bigger group of whiners then when it comes to air travelers who have never worked in the industry. Second. you do NOT buy luggage for good looks. You buy it to protect the contents inside of it. if you want it to look good, keep it in it's box in your closet you fools. otherwise it will get damaged.. That is a guarantee from the airlines! they do their best to protect get it to where your going with as little damage as possible, but face it people, it is not in it's own protected area, it is stacked with other luggage and cargo and handeled as little as possible. it is tossed on the belt as per training to handle it as little as possible and using as little energy as possible to protect the body of the handler. The belt is usually rubber coated and/or the metal surface gives when the bag is tossed upon it. actually the metal surface will protect it better as it wont abraid the bag like the rubber surface will. Just quit complaining people if you are unwilling to do the job yourself! Whiners!
Posted at 12:25PM on Feb 17th 2008 by sTEFFO
382. most years I traveled over 100,000 air miles/year. This guy is not even that bad. He is about average. Anybody who travels frequently who doesn't use ballistic nylon and and serious luggage like Travelog or Briggs and Riley is going to have damaged luggage. People don't work baggage handling for career satisfaction, ANYWHERE in the world. Keep pretty, fragile, and/or leather luggage for car trips.
Posted at 12:28PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Linda
383. FIRE THE BASTARD
Posted at 12:28PM on Feb 17th 2008 by jAY Smith
384. Please pardon the spelling in my last. I was so wound up, I forgot to proofread my text prior to hitting send. my apologies to all of those who don't have anything better to do but criticize typing skills and spelling of others!
Posted at 12:30PM on Feb 17th 2008 by sTEFFO
385. I didn't see him doing anything wrong. Bags are for clothes after all, not fragile packages. There was no "mangling" or damaging of anything I could see.
Posted at 12:38PM on Feb 17th 2008 by chris
386. This is not shocking or a surprise. I have seen baggage handlers while sitting on a plane and watching them put the luggage in the plane do this very kind of tossing around. I have had luggage damaged "for no apparent reason" and seen luggage come in on the luggage carrier at baggage pick up taped, open and so on. Why is this a surprsie to you and not to the rest of us that fly often? There is nothing you can do. You can fly or not. That's it - no other options. Just liek with any company you have to do business with these days, do it their way or not at all. A great "all about me" world with those having the most money or power in control. This has been going on for years and you are just now shocked? That shocks me.
Posted at 12:42PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Sandy
387. I do not see anything to indicate that this is not the norm. If the airline did not want the baggage handled in this way, they would not have installed a wall next tothe conveyor to stop the luggage from falling off. Without the wall, he would have to pick up every bag thrown. That would be the best deterient.
Posted at 12:48PM on Feb 17th 2008 by W. Prettyman
388. I worked for the airlines for over 30 years, and I can tell you that this is normal handling by most airlines. I'll never forget one day in FLL, a baggage guy was sorting bags off of a cart in full view of every passenger in the terminal... he was throwing them about 20 feet to different sorting piles!
Posted at 12:50PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Steven Wood
389. This person is being PAID to handle the luggage. That means there is a protocol to follow and what he was doing WAS NOT proper protocol. The man should be removed from his position. Either that or we have the opportunity to manhandle his paycheck.
In any event, yes, there should be cameras recording everything at the airports.
Posted at 1:00PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Nancy
390. My husband use to travel alot for his job. Once he had packed a suitcase full of tools he needed to take in order to get the job done. The bag was lost and it was a month before we got it back taped up where it was split and tools missing. The airlines gave us 50.00 for the damaged bag. This did not cover the cost of the bag or the missing items. At the company I work for we ship fragile items overnight air and alot of customer's we have to reship due to broken merchandise. This person should be fired and made to replace anything he damaged as a result of his actions.
Posted at 1:01PM on Feb 17th 2008 by Pam