world's worst baggage handling: southwest airlines

In terms of hilarious contempt for the customer, this one is hard to beat...

Apparently a passenger's luggage fell off the baggage cart and out on to the runway, no one noticed.  The airplane then proceeded to run over the luggage, smashing it flat. I don't know what a jet airplane weighs, but... I assume it is A LOT.


The punchline: When a Southwest employee finally noticed the mess, he did the following:

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1. Fetched two heavy-duty trashbags and a snow shovel.
2. Shoveled the Destroyed Baggage into the trashbags.
3. Taped the whole mess up with duct tape.
4. Sent it along to the passengers' destination on the next flight, without explanation.

The passengers were notified their lost belongings had been found, and presented with the two heavily duct-taped trashbags by airline employees. Said belongings included a medical breathing apparatus, several suits of clothing, and assorted underwear- all personalized with tire tracks of the offending airplane.

I heard this story personally, eating lunch at the Airport Plaza IHOP restaurant in Warwick, R.I. The people involved were sitting in the booth behind me. 

Thought you might enjoy hearing about a different sort of everyday horror...
                                                                                  
- George Goner for the Haunted Cabaret

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