Double bass blogger Cyndy sent me a link to a recent post of hers that features truly horrifying treatment of a double bass by a baggage handler. She was fortunate to capture this double bass beating on video–who knows how many times this kind of abuse happens with no documentation whatsoever.
In the video, this baggage handler character yanks her bass off the conveyor belt, tosses it extremely roughly bridge side down into the baggage cart, banging it against the wall a few extra times for good measure, and then proceeds to pitch bags against the trunk. Watch and see how the case bounces around as the bags bang against it.
click to watch Cyndy’s video of double bass airline pummeling
They hold all the cards
Cyndy is actually quite sympathetic to the baggage handler in her post, noting that a 100 lb. bass case is the last thing in the world that this guy probably wants to see at the end of the day, and noting that her bass wasn’t harmed at all from this incident. She should be a sponsor for her bass trunk company (I can’t tell from the video whether it’s an SBS bass case or a Gage case… or some other model I don’t know about), and that company should use this video on their website as a testimonial to its durability!
To me, this kind of treatment of a bass is completely inexcusable, and this guy should be fired for handling fragile items that we have paid extra to ship ($320 or more in excess fees round-trip for many airlines).
Think about it:
- -we have to fly as double bassists
- -we have to bring our instruments
- -“they” hold all the cards
- -“they” can charge what the want
- -“they” provide no promise of safe handling
- -we have virtually no recourse when this sort of thing happens
- -it’s getting worse, not better
I’ve dealt with this garbage as well
I had something similar happen to me at Midway Airport in Chicago. These baggage handlers can ruin our livelihood and do so on a daily basis to double bassists (and other instrumentalists) with no compunction whatsoever. The American Federation of Musicians continually promises to “improve” the situation. Doesn’t look like much improvement to me, eh? At least she got the “privilege” of getting on the plane–some bassists are being turned away at the gate.
This situation is ridiculous. Solutions, anyone? Driving, I suppose, though that only works for certain locations, and $4.00+ gas makes that prospect even less appetizing than it was before. How will this rapidly declining situation affect auditioning, summer festivals, touring, and other sorts of musical travel?
We’re musicians–we have to travel. That’s what the vast majority of us do. Even after paying hundreds of extra dollars to get our instrument on the plane, having to open it up for inspection, and being subjected to intense scrutiny and suspicion, we have to deal with this? What if we complained? We’d be hauled off and detained. Thanks, airlines! Police states are great!
Rabbath on airline travel
When I interviewed François Rabbath on Contrabass Conversations, he lamented the plight of bassists and how these airline workers can destroy our livelihood without a second thought. Here’s a link to the particular segment where Rabbath talks about airline travel. It’s definitely worth a listen:
François Rabbath on airline travel (MP3 audio)
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That’s assuming that you can even get your bass onto the plane. One of the bassists from Honolulu came over here to the Big Island and had to borrow a bass here because the airlines wouldn’t let him bring it over. Not even for extra fees. Just said no.
And, unfortunately, we don’t have the option of driving between the islands yet.
there was nothing wrong with the way they handled it. It was in a hard protective case. They are built with protection in mind. If you are that sensitive don’t travel with it. Only take gigs where you can drive. I know it is your job (Probably) but you have probably banged it more then that guy did getting into the elevator or into some of the change rooms. I used to trasport a Contra Bass clarinet and a baritone sax on the bus in Toronto when I was in highschool. They survived and like you said, so did yours. Do you think drums, baby chairs, bicycles, golf clubs, etc get better treatment? Don’t think so. Why do people always try to blame other people for everything else.
I was told never mail anything marked “Fragile” as that box is further away and the sorter actually has to throw it further. It is like playing stocks, if you can’t loose it, don’t play.
It’s a 10 year old David Gage trunk and I’ve flown with it about 20 times without incident. The bridge has been reinforced with metal strips on the outside. I take it in to Gage for a structural checkup every few years or so.
On this last trip, for the very first time, I had a bit of trouble getting them to take it at BWI. It was just a tiny bit over their 100 pound limit. There was absolutely nothing I could do to lessen the weight. It was the worst feeling ever. I was on the edge of losing it and I had know idea what to do. Then suddenly I saw the turn screws that hold the wheels on and suggested to the check-in person that I could unscrew the wheels and check the wheels separately. I guess at that point she realized I wasn’t going to give up, or maybe she finally felt sorry for me, and she wrote “99.5” on the weight tag and charged me the extra $50.
Apparently the 100 limit is a BWI policy, not a SW policy. I kind of feel like I’ve lucked out for the last time, but I really hate the thought of not being able to bring my bass with me anymore. I guess I’ll be doing a lot more driving in the future.
FWIW, the bass trunk always ends up bridge side down. There is no point in worrying about that. The bass is strapped inside the trunk, surrounded by airbags and padding. It would have to bounce around quite a bit within the case for any damage to occur.
Also, I want to apologize for misspelling the word “no”. Duh, I should have proofread.
i am sympathetic to you and your instrument because I use to play a baritone horn and I play the clarinet, I know how much instruments cost. We are not trained to handle these double basses but we assumethat we place them falt surface down. We also do not get a heads up that we have such an instrument coming off. Everything labeled with a bag tag is just a bag. We don’t get detailed reports. Perhaps if we get such info, we can bring an extra cart, especially because they become scarce and we need to preplan for it. I will bring this up in our next meeting with our managers. Sorry for the unfortunate incident.