Dear Southwest Airlines. About That Guitar...
by
, Feb-20-2014 at 9:58am (31586 Views)
Never, never, never throw a guitar case. Ever.
It wasn't mine. I wished I'd been filming it, because what I saw made me damn angry, and had I been filming it'd be on YouTube already.
The details:
Flight 614 out of Kansas City, MO to Nashville arriving 11:10 a.m. this past Monday. I'm seated behind the wing with a direct view of the baggage/luggage being unloaded. My friend Glenn Bradford and I have arrived in Nashville for a couple of days of vintage mandolin petting at Carter Vintage Guitars, a couple of concerts (Time Jumpers, Helen Highwater String Band), good food, espresso (what a great coffee town!) and general loafing.
"Hey Bradford, look at this, first item coming down the conveyor is a guitar. I have to watch this."
The luggage attendant picks it up carefully, turns guitar tail end and puts it in the corner of the empty wagon that will carry it to its next destination. He makes sure it's in there securely. Nothing else is stacked or thrown on top of it. Wow, handled like I'd want my guitar to be treated. We were both impressed.
More items come. Things are looking normal and most bags treated as I'd expect. Near the end items are coming out a little slower, and then, "Hey Glenn, another guitar."
By this time the attendant is looking a little bored and antsy, like "let's get this finished up and get it in the terminal."
Same guy that treated the first guitar with respect turns and hurls it about 8-9 feet through the air. It lands face down on top of other luggage. I can't believe what I just saw, and would not be surprised if the instrument was damaged in the process. This was not a flight case, just a stock black case that might hold any kind of guitar. Nothing to indicate the instrument's value, but it doesn't matter.
I'm disappointed, Southwest Airlines. We all know customers can't see how their personal possessions are treated out of view, but to engage in this kind of behavior when the passengers inside the plane are watching is simply beyond belief.