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 5 of 28)
61. sorry but you see some poeple fetch there house in the suitcases and sometimes i wonder what teh hell they are taking home it is so heavy we must remember it is people like us have to lift those bags and we must think of others too those dame bags no god it does give us hernia to lift. now come one have some heart on those men sometime young men.
Posted at 10:05AM on Feb 9th 2008 by sue
62. I understand now why my luggage has come back with broken legs on them, both suitcases I have.. and the airlines wont cover the damage..
Posted at 10:05AM on Feb 9th 2008 by margo
63. Having worked for an airline for 15 years. What is on that tape is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact I would dare say that 99% of the bags checked on a daily basis are treated as such.
YOu want your bags, quickly after arriving at your destination, and this worker and the ground crew usually have less than half an hour to turn a flight. That includes unloading, not only the bags, but the mail and freight as well, and reloading the next flight. Now take into account the bags that are making connecting flights that must also make their connections. That same crew of 5-7 people must also run upstairs restock the bathrooms on board, refill the coffee, cups, soap, tissues etc and straighten the pillows, blankets, and magizines in the seat backs, and dont forget refill the water tank on that aircraft. It is not rocket science, but it is a fast paced get it done, dont have time to treat each bag tenderly kind of job.
Posted at 10:06AM on Feb 9th 2008 by cj
64. I have seen much worst than that while sitting on the plane watching them load our luggage. It is one of their main jobs... to destroy anything of value.
If it breaks open in front of them, pockets can easliy be filled or something real big simply goes back to the trailer/ cart
Posted at 10:09AM on Feb 9th 2008 by john
65. WHY TODAY?
WHY ME?
I FLY ON TUESDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Posted at 10:09AM on Feb 9th 2008 by sandij210
66. it doesn't look that unusual to me what's he supposed to do? if he was to treat each bag like it was a priceless woek of art EVERYONE would be waiting forever for their luggage. Then they would be bitching about that
Posted at 10:14AM on Feb 9th 2008 by mary lou
67. I recently watched as luggage was being loaded onto a plane by way of a conveyor belt which had been placed too far from the cargo opening. About every 5th bag dropped from the top of the conveyor to the ground! Rather than move the conveyor closer to the plane, a baggage handler stood below the conveyor, picked up the luggage that had dropped, and threw it on the conveyor again. This happened in Chicago last autumn, and I wish I had had a camera with me.
Posted at 10:15AM on Feb 9th 2008 by J. Cadkin
68. The guy's just doin' his job! What's he supposed to do, pick each bag up and carefully place it on the moving conveyer? Come on, folks, this is not that bad!
Posted at 10:16AM on Feb 9th 2008 by B. Bauerman
69. That wasn't too bad. You should see how your packages are handled by shipping services. This guy would be considered gentle by their standards!
Posted at 10:17AM on Feb 9th 2008 by Dude
70. Having experienced breakage and witnessed much worse than this video, until the airline industry is besieged with claim filings this is not going to continue. It remains that it is less expensive for tem to deal with the claims than it is for them to change this practice. As the manager for touring musicians I estimate we experience about $150 worth of damage for each flight leg. It is pitiful that the public endures this behavior while we are stuffed into flight cabins,
Posted at 10:19AM on Feb 9th 2008 by Tony Gottlieb
71. What's the Big Headline here? As a person who has flown many times with many Carriers, I can tell you this is sadly much more the norm than you might expect. I have witnessed luggage being thrown in may airports. Not only at the Tarmac level. I have seen the Ticket counter folks, heave, drop, kick, etc...
Just look at the amount of luggage going around in the luggage return area.... That's exactly why most of it looks like it has been through a war.... Shame on the entire airline industry. You folks can and should put a stop to this terrible treatment of your CUSTOMERS. No wonder airlines are going bankrupt. Nobody likes to fly unless they realy have to.
Posted at 10:19AM on Feb 9th 2008 by Richard Watkins
72. are you people that desperate for an article what a waste of time for me even to read this bull. he did nothing wrong were the bags even labeled fragil i doubt it. who knows maybe he was trying to pre detonate any bombs to protect passengers and all u do is bash him. i hope he didnt lose his job
Posted at 10:19AM on Feb 9th 2008 by mark
73. Truth is, that was nothing compared to how some of our luggage is handled.
The public would freak if they saw some of the other things they do, such as tossing luggage straight from the plane and on to the tarmac.
Posted at 10:25AM on Feb 9th 2008 by Gary Knight
74. i'm confused. am i supposed to be surprised by this?
Posted at 10:26AM on Feb 9th 2008 by paul t
75. I'm sure the airlines knows what goes on. It's cheaper to pay claims than to install cameras & assosciated egquipment plus hiring people to monitor the monitors and lawsuits for firing the offenders.
Posted at 10:26AM on Feb 9th 2008 by R Lee