Asked To Check Your Camera Bag at the Gate Before Boarding? Just Say No.

Photography Tips

When flying, I always pack my electronics and fragile camera equipment in my carry-on luggage, with the assumption that it will be safer and treated with a little more respect than some of the checked baggage I see get tossed around and beat up by exhausted airline workers. I’m always a little panic stricken when asked to check my carry-on at the gate because of a lack of space in the overhead containers. Up until now, that fear seemed a little unjust but, as it turns out, travelers should have a little anxiety when asked to trust someone else with their precious cargo:

Ouch. The video, which was filmed by Air Canada patron, Dwayne Stewart, shows a baggage handler dropping gate checked luggage approximately 15 feet from the top of a movable stairway into a container below. Air Canada insists its protocol is to have each bag walked down the stairs into the container, not dropped. (Via PetaPixel and CBC News)

Carry On Luggage Being Dropped Off Movable Stairs

Accusations, of course, are flying around the internet with equal amounts of people blaming either the baggage handlers or Air Canada. Regardless of who is at fault, one thing is for sure: be careful when packing your photo gear, and be even more careful when trusting others with its safety!