An interesting article from Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/tech/wire/2000/...ges/index.html

Anyone get a damaged parcel this Xmas?


Airline workers played basketball with X-Mas packages

Dec. 20, 2000 | EAGAN, Minn. -- Three baggage handlers were suspended Wednesday by Northwest Airlines after they were shown on television treating holiday packages like basketballs.

"We were embarrassed and disturbed by their actions," said Northwest vice president Dirk McMahon.

News footage shot by KSTP on Monday showed the three taking packages off a plane at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, tossing them over their heads, behind their backs, high into the air and into a bin. The videotape also showed one of the packages crashing to the ground.

KSTP said one of its news crews stumbled onto the pre-Christmas scene while working on another story. It said the airline workers were playing with the packages in plain view.

"We are concerned their behavior tarnishes the hard work of their fellow employees who handle millions of packages every year and do so with the care and concern these items deserve," McMahon said.

I saw that on the news last night - very funny. This happened to be caught on tape...just imagine how often this goes on.

Well, years ago when I worked at UPS around Xmas it was soooo helish that this type of behavior was common. I once played "baseball" with anther guy using a poster tube and small box that turned out to most likely have been a poorly packaged lightbulb. Can you say Whoops.

With the dot.coms today I don't even want to think how bad its gotten since I quit 10+ years ago.

In defense of the workers, the container they were loading was at least 6 feet high. How else were they supposed to get the packages in there without throwing them over their head?

This is Northwest's fault, not the employees.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by RandyM:
In defense of the workers, the container they were loading was at least 6 feet high. How else were they supposed to get the packages in there without throwing them over their head?

This is Northwest's fault, not the employees.<HR>

According to an article at cnn.com:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/TRAVEL/NEWS/....ap/index.html

"Northwest officials said that normally an employee goes inside a large bin to stack the mail, or one side of the bin is lowered. Neither was done, the tape showed."

I'm surprised! I thought they all took great care of them and treated the packages like they were their own. *sniff*

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Regards...
Drinker of much Pepsi, trainer of Dingo's and Jack's Aussie Moonshine importer...
John 3:16

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Fhrx:
I'm surprised! I thought they all took great care of them and treated the packages like they were their own. *sniff*
<HR>

HA!

At my local post office the damn postal workers will turn around right in front of you and throw your box 10 feet into a big bin. I have no illusions about how stuff is treated once it leaves my sight, given how it's treated while I can still see it.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ian Reid:
Three baggage handlers were suspended Wednesday by Northwest Airlines after they were shown on television treating holiday packages like basketballs.
<HR>

I can't believe that they weren't fired on the spot. I guess that tells you how much Northworst cares about their customers.