'Please pack less' say baggage handlers

[whereishome]

I used chalk for the three years I taught overseas. And that was in a highly developed G8 country.

 

[anat0l]

Packing less per se is actually an excellent idea. In practice, however, we need to be a bit more down to earth.

I'd like to think that baggage handlers are employed with a mutual understanding between them and their employer that they may be required to lift items up to 32 kg in weight. Moreover to that, with the correct cooperation of airline staff that flag bags to that effect, no baggage handler should be expected to lift an object by themselves which is in excess of (I think) 23 kg.

On top of this, even with those stipulations, it would make more than enough sense to follow appropriate handling protocols, like large sized items requiring assisted lifting. That kind of thing doesn't need an orange heavy tag to be flagged - that's just common sense...and OHS. More astute planning of handling shifts will prevent further injuries; lifting 23 kg bags for eight hours a day is clearly not healthy. 23 kg isn't heavy when you only have to carry it for a few minutes, let alone pulling it along with a trolley handle. When you're virtually tossing them around and handling around 200 such pieces at a time, we'll see how 23 kg feels for you.

And baggage handlers having a high chance (and/or incidence) of mechanical injury? Sheesh, where's Captain Obvious when you need him??? Even with all the technical and mechanical aids that conceivable technology and semi-infinite funding can buy, I still think that fact would be true. What an idiotic premise to base an argument.

Of course the airlines are just going to lap up this whole campaign, since less baggage = less weight = lighter planes = less fuel consumed = big $$$ savings. Another call for Captain Obvious.

The only injuries there will be around the world will be heart attacks if people are flash forced to carry a bag of merely 15 kg. It will probably happen, but it won't be welcomed with open arms...open claws, maybe.

And I know what some of you are thinking - I already travel at 15 kg or less, or I travel with hand luggage only. Well, lah-di-dah...

 

[Keith009]

Well, I'm already on to my 2nd suitcase this trip, and counting...

 

[drron]

Last time I checked, they still use it. Some may have whiteboards and markers, private schools may have more.

Most government schools don't have all the luxuries remember.

And i'm not that old. I'm old enough to have used computers regularly in high school (and indeed knew more about them than the teachers did at the time, and probably still do).

Windows 95 was the order of the day when I was at high school, let's just leave it at that

What a young fellow.We weren't even allowed to use calculators in my day.A slide rule was OK.

 

[drewbles]

What a young fellow.We weren't even allowed to use calculators in my day.A slide rule was OK.

heh well these days the calculators that *are* allowed puts the ones we used to use to shame. If you had enough cash, you were allowed the 'new fangled' ones that did fraction calculations. The ones they use these days do full graphing and makes a coffee for you after the fact

But I digress. Back On topic (and my father would have said the same as you )

 

[UP4014]

I think baggage handlers are a bit in the same situation as the cleaners in an office building or at least the one I work in. (BT Tower in Sydney if anyone interested)

They get the blame for a lot of stuff they didn't and don't do.

I once had the handles ripped of a bag (airline paid to have it repaired) and when I asked how it happened I got taken around the back to the conveyors and shown where it actually happened and how.

The handle got caught in a converyor belt fendor and between one of the baggage handlers seeing it get caught to the time he got to it somone's oversize and over weight box of saucepans came around and the mass of box simply took my bag along with it leaving the handle behind. A number of other "normal" cases bumped past without incident.

So, I'm all for lighter bags after actually being shown how it works, I take more smaller ones these days rather than a single heave one if needed.

Back to my first paragraph....

Matt

 

[drewbles]

I think baggage handlers are a bit in the same situation as the cleaners in an office building or at least the one I work in. (BT Tower in Sydney if anyone interested)

O/T but which floor? I used to work for Concert/BT/AT&T back in 2000-2004

The cleaners were good back then. They would even take large-waste away when labelled correctly.

 

[UP4014]

O/T but which floor? I used to work for Concert/BT/AT&T back in 2000-2004

The cleaners were good back then. They would even take large-waste away when labelled correctly.

level 10 - I'm not part of one of the telcos. A strange twist is I now work one block form where I went to school.

 

[JohnK]

Sure I feel sorry for baggage handlers but it is also very hard to pack light especially if I bring back some presents for mum.

If I travel for 2+ weeks then I need to pack somewhere between 15kgs-23kgs. Sure I can split the load between a couple of bags but then I need to carry a heavier load as carry-on.