United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube

Lemdog · 07-09-09, 06:50 PM

The Short Version:

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour. Dave Carroll saw his Taylor guitar being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. He discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people he communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate him for his loss. So he promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that he would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.

Here is the first.

It has received 650,000 hits in three days.

KillerCannibal · 07-09-09, 06:58 PM

Awesome. Great way to stick it to these sonsovbitches!

Dr Mabuse · 07-09-09, 07:09 PM

Sons a bitches!

Chrisedge · 07-09-09, 07:11 PM

I wouldn't check a $100 guitar, let alone a $$$ one.

bwvanh114 · 07-09-09, 07:33 PM

Awesome.

pedagogue · 07-09-09, 07:45 PM

Catchy!

Mordred · 07-09-09, 08:16 PM

For a song about an airline breaking your guitar, that's pretty damn good.

reverie · 07-09-09, 08:37 PM

That's actually pretty cool (the song, not the guitar incident).

Poink · 07-09-09, 08:39 PM

That's pretty awesome. And the first "flight attendant" chick with the short dark hair is cute.

Mordred · 07-10-09, 12:34 PM

This song is now at almost 1.5 million hits after 5 days. I'm guessing they recoup the cost of buying a new Taylor several times over with the increased exposure they'll get over this.

Kittydreamer · 07-10-09, 12:49 PM

ok that's funny

Sdallnct · 07-10-09, 12:51 PM

Great song!

And while I agree I would never check anything that expensive, and I'm sure the airline is falling back on "not being responsible for expensive items" if they were truly throwing them around....they should pay. That is not being broken in the "normal, expected handling of luggage".

Numanoid · 07-10-09, 12:53 PM

United has apparently apologized and has even asked Dave Carroll's permission to use the video as a training tool.

12thmonkey · 07-10-09, 01:11 PM

Stick it to the man!

Great stuff!

TLwizard · 07-10-09, 01:26 PM

Apparently NPR was discussing this earlier today or yesterday.

Great song!

bdshort · 07-10-09, 01:26 PM

That's awesome!

I wonder if he had his guitar in one of those normal flimsy looking guitar cases or something designed for airplane travel. I know if I was carrying something like that I'd have it in a pelican case or something!

Wazootyman · 07-10-09, 01:31 PM

I wonder what it must have been like in the PR department of United when this hit. One of the companies I work with had someone make a video outright attacking them, and they were kind of scared of it going viral, but thankfully, 1. The person who made the video is an idiot and 2. If it does go viral, all it will do is virally prove he's an idiot. Oh, and 3. it wasn't nearly so catchy!

Regardless, they still had me write some crisis statements for them.

wendersfan · 07-10-09, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Numanoid

United has apparently apologized and has even asked Dave Carroll's permission to use the video as a training tool.

Something tells me this won't change United's behavior one bit. They were just unlucky enough to do this to a musician who had the means and ability to get his story out. Most of the time they could get away with ignoring the problem and I imagine they'll continue to count on those odds.

Heat · 07-10-09, 01:32 PM

Wow, that was a well-written song and a well produced video!

Save Ferris · 07-10-09, 01:47 PM

some other airline should run this song in a commercial. If they cant use the words, the orchestral version will do

The Edit King · 07-10-09, 01:49 PM

THEY BROKE A TAYLOR???

wendersfan · 07-10-09, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Edit King

THEY BROKE A TAYLOR???

Yeah, Taylors are really nice guitars. Really nice. And this one was apparently custom made for the guy. If it were me I wouldn't be satisfied unless they let me beat the baggage handlers to death with a baseball bat.

edclem · 07-10-09, 02:22 PM

that song is awesome.
I have to wonder: did he use a flight case? If so: they really have to try to break the thing (not that I'd put it past the baggage handlers), but a decent flight case should protect the instrument from all but deliberate damage. That said, I don't think there's a chance in hell that I'd check a Taylor.

pedagogue · 07-10-09, 02:26 PM

Have you seen how some of those bags get tossed......?

Pistol Pete · 07-10-09, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Numanoid

United has apparently apologized and has even asked Dave Carroll's permission to use the video as a training tool.

He should license it to them for $3500.

Here's the entire story.

07-09-09, 06:50 PM	#1
Lemdog DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sittin on the dock of the bay Posts: 2,277	United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube The Short Version: In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour. Dave Carroll saw his Taylor guitar being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. He discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people he communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate him for his loss. So he promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that he would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. Here is the first. It has received 650,000 hits in three days. __________________ Warning!!! This post may be NSFW.

07-09-09, 06:58 PM	#2
KillerCannibal DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 8,075	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Awesome. Great way to stick it to these sonsovbitches! __________________ Top 10 most-wanted BD titles:Blue Velvet/Once Upon A Time in the West/Jaws/Mulholland Dr./Battle Royale/Videodrome/Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla ('74)/Beyond the Valley of the Dolls/Phantasm/Death Wish

07-09-09, 07:09 PM	#3
Dr Mabuse DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge... Posts: 9,560	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Sons a bitches! __________________ "I cannot tell if what the world considers 'happiness' is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness" - Chuang-tzu

07-09-09, 07:11 PM	#4
Chrisedge DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: Part of the Left-Wing Conspiracy Posts: 4,582	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube I wouldn't check a $100 guitar, let alone a $$$ one. __________________ DVDTalk Member #1758 since: 06-09-99 I Hate Blockbuster chrisedge.com My first post I can find here My Countdown Counting down to: My Next 360° Show! 117 days 8 hours 44 minutes

07-09-09, 07:33 PM	#5
bwvanh114 DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,364	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Awesome.

07-09-09, 07:45 PM	#6
pedagogue DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 26,277	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Catchy!

07-09-09, 08:16 PM	#7
Mordred DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 9,153	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube For a song about an airline breaking your guitar, that's pretty damn good. __________________ PSN: MordredKLB \| last.fm \| Music Ratings: 2009 2010 "Mordred is a very smart man." - JasonF

07-09-09, 08:37 PM	#8
reverie DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,137	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube That's actually pretty cool (the song, not the guitar incident). __________________ "I'm thinking we'll rise again." -Malcolm Reynolds SERENITY You Can't Stop The Signal

07-09-09, 08:39 PM	#9
Poink Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: near chicago Posts: 370	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube That's pretty awesome. And the first "flight attendant" chick with the short dark hair is cute.

07-10-09, 12:34 PM	#10
Mordred DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 9,153	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube This song is now at almost 1.5 million hits after 5 days. I'm guessing they recoup the cost of buying a new Taylor several times over with the increased exposure they'll get over this. __________________ PSN: MordredKLB \| last.fm \| Music Ratings: 2009 2010 "Mordred is a very smart man." - JasonF

07-10-09, 12:51 PM	#12
Sdallnct DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Home again, Big D Posts: 10,981	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Great song! And while I agree I would never check anything that expensive, and I'm sure the airline is falling back on "not being responsible for expensive items" if they were truly throwing them around....they should pay. That is not being broken in the "normal, expected handling of luggage". __________________ Live Free. Dine Well. Drink good beer. Home Theater Build

07-10-09, 12:53 PM	#13
Numanoid DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Down in 'The Park' Posts: 21,692	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube United has apparently apologized and has even asked Dave Carroll's permission to use the video as a training tool.

07-10-09, 01:11 PM	#14
12thmonkey DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Frankfort, IL Posts: 5,767	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Stick it to the man! Great stuff! __________________ My DVD Collection Free The West Memphis Three Eamus Catuli! Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie Facebook

07-10-09, 01:26 PM	#15
TLwizard DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: New York, NY Posts: 2,094	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Apparently NPR was discussing this earlier today or yesterday. Great song!

07-10-09, 01:26 PM	#16
bdshort DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: The Last Frontier Posts: 3,770	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube That's awesome! I wonder if he had his guitar in one of those normal flimsy looking guitar cases or something designed for airplane travel. I know if I was carrying something like that I'd have it in a pelican case or something! __________________ PSN: bdshort

07-10-09, 01:31 PM	#17
Wazootyman DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,968	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube I wonder what it must have been like in the PR department of United when this hit. One of the companies I work with had someone make a video outright attacking them, and they were kind of scared of it going viral, but thankfully, 1. The person who made the video is an idiot and 2. If it does go viral, all it will do is virally prove he's an idiot. Oh, and 3. it wasn't nearly so catchy! Regardless, they still had me write some crisis statements for them. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/FallAwakeFilms

07-10-09, 01:32 PM	#19
Heat DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 14,012	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Wow, that was a well-written song and a well produced video!

07-10-09, 01:47 PM	#20
Save Ferris DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 11,120	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube some other airline should run this song in a commercial. If they cant use the words, the orchestral version will do __________________ this weeks horoscope: "The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

07-10-09, 01:49 PM	#21
The Edit King DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: I'm Still Alive in Los Angeles Posts: 25,408	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube THEY BROKE A TAYLOR??? Last edited by The Edit King; 07-10-09 at 01:51 PM.

07-10-09, 02:22 PM	#23
edclem DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 2,752	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube that song is awesome. I have to wonder: did he use a flight case? If so: they really have to try to break the thing (not that I'd put it past the baggage handlers), but a decent flight case should protect the instrument from all but deliberate damage. That said, I don't think there's a chance in hell that I'd check a Taylor. __________________ No TV and no beer make Homer something something...

07-10-09, 02:26 PM	#24
pedagogue DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 26,277	Re: United Airlines Breaks Musician's Guitar, Solution Youtube Have you seen how some of those bags get tossed......?