A TikTok clip showing a baggage handler at Los Angeles International Airport throwing guitar cases from a luggage cart onto the tarmac has drawn a wave of anger online.
Nick Ruiz, a 21-year-old from Connecticut captured the event. He said he was on his way home from a quick trip to Los Angeles on March 16 when he saw the instruments being launched and began recording. “The whole situation felt wrong,” Ruiz said. “My instinct was to start filming.” He captioned the clip, “I hope your guitars are ok,” according to The Sun.
In the footage airport employees are seen tossing guitar cases from the cart with force. By the end of the clip at least six guitars are on the concrete.
“Absolutely disgraceful”
Commentators called the moment “absolutely disgraceful,” with one person calling it “a fireable offence” and another estimating the pile at “easily $3,000 of equipment.” Others stressed that the concern was not only about cost but respect for passengers’ belongings regardless of price, saying it should not matter whether an item costs $100 or $5,000.
The clip revived longstanding unease among musicians and travelers over checking sensitive gear. Some argued that even protective cases cannot always prevent harm when items are thrown or dropped. Federal rules specify that carriers must accommodate musical instruments under certain conditions, including allowing customers to buy an extra seat when an instrument exceeds carry-on size.
Airlines such as Delta state that “guitars and smaller musical instruments like violins or flutes will be accepted as your free carry-on bag item,” while advising passengers to use cases that meet durability standards. Those guidelines exist alongside practical constraints on the ground, and travelers often face limited cabin space or other circumstances that leave them little choice but to check valued instruments, with some opting for hard-shell cases, additional coverage, or even purchasing a separate seat to reduce risk.