Baggage handler slammed after viral video shows guitars violently tossed on tarmac

27 Mar 2026 By foxnews

A viral video showing an airport baggage handler tossing guitar cases roughly onto the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport is sparking outrage online and larger concerns about how airlines may be handling passengers' belongings.

The clip, reportedly filmed at Los Angeles International Airport, appears to show an airport worker roughly throwing multiple guitar cases from a luggage cart onto the ground.

College student Nick Ruiz, 21, who filmed the incident, said he spotted the scene while walking through Terminal 4 after arriving from Los Angeles, news agency Jam Press reported.

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"The whole situation felt wrong," Ruiz told the agency.

He said he began recording his video out of concern for the instruments.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," did not personally observe the incident but watched the video. He told Fox News Digital that while the video may appear shocking, this type of handling is not uncommon, in his experience.

"Airlines usually say behavior like this is unacceptable when a video comes out, but it's actually fairly standard," Leff said, expressing his point of view.

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He noted that checked baggage, even when labeled "fragile," is not always treated with the extra care some might expect.

"Bags are designed to protect their contents," he said, adding that flight passengers should avoid checking high-value or delicate items whenever possible.

"Probably the number-one photo I see most often [on] social media about airlines is damaged bags," he said.

The video quickly gained traction on social media, with many viewers criticizing what they described as careless handling of expensive equipment.

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"Absolutely disgraceful," one user wrote on TikTok.

"It's the fact that it takes the same amount of effort or less to place them down calmly," another user wrote.

Many commenters shared similar frustrations, highlighting both the financial loss and emotional impact.

"That's easily $3,000 of equipment, by the way," a commenter wrote.

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"As a musician, this breaks my heart," another user noted.

Others said the clip helps explain why luggage and fragile items often arrive damaged after flights.

Airlines are required to accommodate musical instruments either as checked baggage or carry-on items, depending on size and space availability, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For larger instruments that cannot fit in overhead bins, some airlines allow passengers to purchase an additional seat to keep the item with them in the cabin.

The department recommends that travelers who check their instrument mark the case as "fragile" even if in an instrument-shaped case.

Fox News Digital reached out to Los Angeles International Airport for comment.