Caught On Camera: Delta Baggage Handlers Throw Golf Clubs

In a scenario that’s all too familiar, a video is going viral of Delta baggage handlers being rough with checked bags. In this case it’s not just any old bags, though, but rather golf clubs…

Baggage handlers seen tossing golf clubs

East Tennessee State Men’s Golf has posted a video to X/Twitter, showing how Delta baggage handlers unloaded their golf clubs from the aircraft, as they were traveling for the NCAA Championships. The 24-second clip has been viewed millions of times, and shows baggage handlers aggressively tossing the golf bags across the apron, and then onto the cart.

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The cart on which the golf clubs need to be loaded is maybe 20 feet from the belt from which the clubs are unloaded. So rather than the baggage handlers carrying the bags over or gently placing them on the apron, they toss them with quite a bit of force, both onto the apron, and onto the cart.

Let me of course acknowledge that baggage handlers are largely not working directly for the airline, but rather sometimes work for ground handling companies. Still, passengers choose to fly specific airlines, and airlines should be setting the standard for the services provided (just like Delta has a 20-minute baggage guarantee, regardless of whether Delta or contract employees are responsible).

Do baggage handlers not realize they’re being watched?

Let me start by acknowledging that baggage handlers have tough jobs — they’re under time pressure, their jobs are physically demanding, they work in some extreme weather conditions, and they’re certainly not the best paid people in the airline industry. Furthermore, they don’t get much recognition, since they’re not customer facing.

That being said, I can’t help but be both disappointed and confused by how often we see these kinds of incidents:

• Do some baggage handlers not realize that they’re being watched from both the terminal and from the aircraft? They act as if they’re working in complete privacy
• Do some baggage handlers not have a basic desire to follow the golden rule, and treat other peoples’ bags the way they would want their own bags to be treated?

While it’s common for baggage handlers to maybe not handle bags delicately, only a small minority of baggage handlers are this careless. But still, when you’re working in public and as part of a team, I don’t understand how this is allowed to happen.

Several weeks ago, a baggage handling video went viral for a completely different reason. One baggage handler is seen handling bags rather recklessly, and then a supervisor approaches and “coaches” her. That’s the baggage handling hero we need.

Bottom line

Video footage is going viral of Delta baggage handlers throwing golf clubs. It’s bad enough to handle regular bags without care, but it’s even worse when we’re talking about golf clubs, which are fragile, and which can easily be identified as such. Never mind that this team was traveling to the NCAA Championships, making broken clubs even worse.

Something needs to be done to create more accountability among baggage handlers, as some of them seem to think that they’re working in private, and aren’t being watched.

What do you make of this golf club baggage handling situation?