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Don’t blame me.
It’s time to stop pointing fingers at baggage handlers for the damage found on suitcases at an airport baggage claim — because they actually might not be the ones at fault.
A video posted by a ramp agent — who goes by @agayhomelessgirl on TikTok — shows what is actually happening to everyone’s luggage from the time it’s removed from the plane to when it’s actually arriving in baggage claim.
The video — which has almost 300,000 views — shows one piece of luggage at a time being pushed down a conveyor belt. At first glance, you might not see anything wrong with that is happening in the video.
By the time the second piece of luggage is coming down, you suddenly realize just how hard it’s being forced down the conveyor belt, not by a human — but by a metal arm.
Overlay text on the video provides more context reading, “POV: when people think baggage handlers are the ones responsible for breaking their bags… No sir, it’s this big metal arm that abuses your luggage.”
Take a moment to let that sink in. Supposedly, there isn’t an angry baggage handler carelessly throwing around everyone’s suitcases. This action is performed by an arm that simply flings bags down to its owners.
The video caused a lot of chatter in the comment section, with people not being fully convinced that baggage handlers aren’t to blame.
“Maybe, but I’ve literally watched a baggage handler lift a corner of my mum’s electric wheelchair and drop it to show his mate how heavy it was, so…” one comment read.
“Then which machine is opening bags so quickly they broke the zippers somewhere between the plan and baggage pickup?” another suspicious commenter wrote.
“To be fair I’ve seen plenty of videos of baggage handlers just throwing suitcases and packages marked fragile all over the place with no respect for others belongings,” shared another person.
It’s no surprise that people are so passionate about protecting their luggage due to the many wild stories of luggage getting seriously damaged in transit.
An American Airlines passenger was shocked to find her carry-on suitcase “mangled” after being forced to check it at the gate. “Every non-clothing item was completely destroyed and all my clothes were filthy,” she shared on Reddit.
While this passenger filed a claim and received a new carry-on, it didn’t make up for the damage done to her belongings.
Since this is something out of every traveler’s control, do what you can to protect your suitcase from any potential damage. Some people wrap their luggage in plastic while others buy protective cases to hopefully mitigate any dents or marks.
