PHL: City of no 'brotherly' bag love

[EyeInTheSky]

I just witnessed a pathetic sight. Came in from PIT to PHL this afternoon. Had a few minutes to observe the ramp guys in all their glory just ruin a red bag.

When plane pulled into B9 there were about seven bags on a bag belt loader aircraft right. Anyway, "US BAG BRO" driving the loader starts heading off at a fast pace -- a 26" red TravelPro-type bag falls off. "Bag Bro" didn't see it but finds he can't go very far because a truck is in the way. So "Bag Bro" backs up the loader over the red bag which ends up going into a puddle of water. He turns the loader and leaves -- doesn't even bother to get the bag. There are at least a half-dozen ramp guys in trucks or around the plane -- I saw a bunch of them look at the bag, but nobody could be bothered to pick it up -- this went on for five minutes. Finally, someone comes out from under the plane and picks up the bag -- it's completely soaked and bent up a bit. The guy proceeds to throw the bag on top of a very wet luggage cart and he drives off where the red bag falls of yet again. How tall are those bag carts about six feet maybe?

Anyway, I feel sorry for the owner of that bag;it's ruined and I bet the clothes inside are soaked. A few other people on my plane saw the whole thing as well. This was absolutely pathetic!!!

I hope my bag makes it to Europe in good shape. If not, Eye will be very angry! 🙁

Later,
Eye

 

[JS]

Wow. I haven't seen things quite like that, but I have seen the rampers gab on their cell phones, presumably saying things like "know what im sayin" and "oh no he di-in't" while the passengers sit there wondering why departure time came and went with nary a word from the crew.

 

[crushed]

When you pay industry low wages you don't get the type of employees who can work unsupervised.
Unfortunately, US still manages like it's 1988 and doesn't require that it's ramp managers be plane side for the operation.
Not that a PHL manager would have done anything though........

 

[dexter]

The Philly manager would be on his/her cell, step over the bag and continue to make calls to get someone to pick it up! They just don't care. Doesn't anyone GET IT !

 

[avion]

i ve worked baggage service and let me tell you its not just US in PHL.. its everyone. you talk to the other airline front line fleet baggage etc they say the same thing... PHL IS A HELL HOLE.. and yes even WN has it issues but you wont hear anything from them.. because at WN everything is LUV... yeah right PHL is not the city of brotherly LUV... not by a long shot. but i have known many a great co workers in PHL who have left and still keep in touch with those who are still around.. you have to give them BIG time credit for sticking it out in PHL. the next time you go through there say hi and say thanks for putting up with this BS and you may get a smile

 

[dexter]

Correction, you will get a SMILE. If it weren't for the passengers boosting the morale the operation would most definately decline alot faster.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

I hope my bag makes it to Europe in good shape. If not, Eye will be very angry! 🙁

Later,
Eye

First I must say thanks for still flying us, but second I must ask why in the world would you want to subject yourself to the unneeded stress that connecting through PHL brings...

Why not fly someone else?

 

[roosterfish]

this is what happens when you hire a bunch of kids that just barely graduated from a ghetto high school. there are morbidly obese people, and mentally retarded people working on the ramp as well...it doesn't make sense. i understand that we are unskilled labor, but you can't hire just anybody for this job. a lot of managers are clueless...and most of them have barely been here for more than a year. you get what you pay for.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

this is what happens when you hire a bunch of kids that just barely graduated from a ghetto high school. there are morbidly obese people, and mentally retarded people working on the ramp as well...it doesn't make sense. i understand that we are unskilled labor, but you can't hire just anybody for this job. a lot of managers are clueless...and most of them have barely been here for more than a year. you get what you pay for.

Yea, but you forget...this is the golden cash cow no matter how bad it screws our customers and we will absolutely not do one thing to relieve the overstressed situation in PHL PERIOD..

What did Kirby say a few weeks ago, We know the problems PHL brings but we just have to stick with it and make it work....

Well Tempe just doesn't get the point that it's a s good as it's gonna ever get....

 

[Dog Wonder]

Yea, but you forget...this is the golden cash cow no matter how bad it screws our customers and we will absolutely not do one thing to relieve the overstressed situation in PHL PERIOD..

What did Kirby say a few weeks ago, We know the problems PHL brings but we just have to stick with it and make it work....

Well Tempe just doesn't get the point that it's a s good as it's gonna ever get....

Doesn't seem to be working yet.

Throw another Manager/Director/VP onto the fire.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

They will continue to pour money into PHL until there is a change in management at the top----these people are convinced that this airline will not survive without keeping either the current number of flights or increasing the number of flights in PHL...

According to them reducing the flights in PHL even slightly would cause our company grave harm-----

It's really a dead issue at this point and it is what it is with this management!

 

[Hot Nuts]

Please send this entire story to http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/conta...ationsform.aspx

BTW we hired that guy from New Jersey and all the others are from Delaware...

My idea is to have the backs of the uniforms of all the rampers/"below the wing folks" to have their last names on them...like firefighters. In BIG 6 inch letters so you could get the guy’s name and we can offer him a job a McDonalds....


Hot Nuts

 

[freedom]

you get what you pay for.

geez that's horrible , it just goes to show , if you pay your workers more they might actually CARE when they do their job .... otherwise you'll most likely get the bare minum out of them . i've seen that happen to bags before and it's not a pretty sight when the passnger finally gets their bag .

 

[roosterfish]

DRAGGING BAGGAGE UNDER MACHINERY HAPPENS IN EUROPE TOO. CLICK HERE

 

[CaptBud330]

I suppose I don't understand. Why does the pay determine the quality or quantity of work performed. If you accept the job with the salary known up front, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the employee to give 100%.
Let's assume at $8.00 an hour, he/she worked at 50%. Would raising the salary to $16.00 be enough incentive to get 100% out of them? I would bet my next SS check it wouldn't. I was always led to believe an honest days work for an honest days pay.
Perhaps Philly needs a dose of work ethic and accountability for personal performance.
These are just the mindless ramblings of an old fart though.