The absurdity of baggage

I don't know how many rampers post on here, but I've been thinking lately. It occurred to me how absolutely absurd the entire "baggage aspect" of airline travel is. It seems to me that more time, energy, manpower, and resources are spent simply moving the 50 pounds of crap people have to bring with them when they fly, than the actual passengers themselves. I mean, you look out the window at an airport, and all you see are carts of bags, and people moving bags, and bags bags bags. The entire operation is basically just dealing with bags! At every airline, by far the largest workforce are the ramp agents. It seems like SOO much effort is required to just deal with the STUFF people bring with them, more so than anything else.

And going beyond that. What is it about human nature that requires us to bring so many items along with us when we travel? If you really think about it, it's sort of strange. We can't go anywhere without bringing along a bunch of "stuff". Why is that exactly? I understand that we NEED some fundamental things, but overall I think people have a strange need to have to travel with a bunch of their crap.

Imagine a world where people didn't do this. You'd have airlines operating very efficiently and cheaply, because the costs associated with the baggage is a major burden on airlines.

I wonder how many people would fly a "no checked baggage allowed" airline?

Well, don't forget what you're NOT seeing is the cargo that's already been loaded on most other carriers.


Having said that, George Carlin's "Stuff" fits the bill, here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLoge6QzcGY

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mayor @ Dec 23 2008, 12:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Well, don&#39;t forget what you&#39;re NOT seeing is the cargo that&#39;s already been loaded on most other carriers.[/b]

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I don&#39;t understand what you mean.

that&#39;s just the cargo STUFF that&#39;s going to the stores so pax can buy more STUFF to check for their next flight!

we almost make a game of seeing how little STUFF we can each take on a 2 wk trip--our rollaboards are med/small (less than 20") and I get a handbag or sorts (no giant tote or anything like that--because of course, guys have to give the femmes all their little STUFF to carry)
The real secret is to visit places that have really cheap laundry facilities, like Asia! and if you can&#39;t wear a pair of shoes with more than half your clothes, don&#39;t take them!!)

I think I&#39;m amazed how much STUFF people take form place to place. Haven&#39;t they ever heard about nomads? They don&#39;t have much STUFF becuase they aren&#39;t so stupid as to have to take anything more than necessary!! If they just took the minimum STUFF, they could stop at a store and buy the other STUFF they need in a destination (henceforth the need for CARGO, which means retail jobs but if they aren&#39;t checking luggage STUFF, maybe airlines won&#39;t need rampers?--OH NO!!)
My brain is smoking...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mrs767er @ Dec 23 2008, 01:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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that&#39;s just the cargo STUFF that&#39;s going to the stores so pax can buy more STUFF to check for their next flight!

we almost make a game of seeing how little STUFF we can each take on a 2 wk trip--our rollaboards are med/small (less than 20") and I get a handbag or sorts (no giant tote or anything like that--because of course, guys have to give the femmes all their little STUFF to carry)
The real secret is to visit places that have really cheap laundry facilities, like Asia! and if you can&#39;t wear a pair of shoes with more than half your clothes, don&#39;t take them!!)

I think I&#39;m amazed how much STUFF people take form place to place. Haven&#39;t they ever heard about nomads? They don&#39;t have much STUFF becuase they aren&#39;t so stupid as to have to take anything more than necessary!! If they just took the minimum STUFF, they could stop at a store and buy the other STUFF they need in a destination (henceforth the need for CARGO, which means retail jobs but if they aren&#39;t checking luggage STUFF, maybe airlines won&#39;t need rampers?--OH NO!!)
My brain is smoking...[/b]

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Well as for the cargo that is already loaded, I have definitely seen it because I&#39;m the one who loads it, AND the bags (I guess that&#39;s what threw me because I figured everyone knew that I was a ramp agent).

The absurdity of "stuff" in general is one thing, but the prevalence of it in the air travel business stands out to me. It just seems so insane to me that the biggest aspect of an airline&#39;s operation is the baggage. Imagine a restaurant with 5 chefs and 6,000 people working the coat room.

The biggest culprits in air travel without a doubt are the FEMALE pax. LMAO. They load everything into two huge bags. I&#39;ve seen it. ALL THE TIME. Who are the biggest shoppers? FEMALES. Go to FIFTH AND SAX in NYC and what do you see there carrying huge shopping bags from all over the world? FEMALES. LMAO. And where do you think they take their shopping goods back to? ALL OVER THE WORLD. And how do they get it there? ON AIRPLANES. And what&#39;s the biggest hold up on the lines with confiscated items? Check it out. Lotions, lipsticks, perfumes, deoderants, and once in a blue moon, you may see a bottle of old spice that belonged to a man, but in the mix is all FEMALE ITEMS. I swear, when I travel with my wife, she takes the whole pharmacy with her. Bags full of drugs and you would think for a three day getaway, we were going to stay a month somewhwere. If we cut down on female travelers, I guarantee you that the airlines would run alot smoother as you say and you poor bagage handlers could be back in your break room playing poker and watching NFL longer. (Looking over my shoulder to see where the wife is.) Super dooper LMAO!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Dec 24 2008, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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The biggest culprits in air travel without a doubt are the FEMALE pax. LMAO. (...) If we cut down on female travelers, I guarantee you that the airlines would run alot smoother as you say and you poor bagage handlers could be back in your break room playing poker and watching NFL longer.[/b]

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*ooooooooooh! *smacks &#39;palms upside the head* http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gif

I just managed a week in the UK with a single rolly carry-on, and came back only with a second lightly packed over the shoulder bag (WBC and two carry on limit FTW!)

I managed to get by (liquid wise) with the one quart 3oz bag of bottles (and I did shower every day fwiw!) and full compliment of war paint.

Some people just need to learn how to live lightly! http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...R#>/tongue.gif

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (num1bearsfan @ Dec 23 2008, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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I don&#39;t understand what you mean.[/b]

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As you work for WN, I know that you don&#39;t load nearly the cargo amounts that the legacy carriers do.

BTW, I think you answered your own question when you wondered how many people would fly on a "no checked baggage" airline. NONE is the correct answer.

I realize that people should pack lighter, but you&#39;ve got to have SOME different clothes with you. Think of young families travelling and consider how much stuff they have to bring.....strollers, diaper bags, kids clothes, etc. It&#39;s not easy.

And, why is it insane that the biggest aspect should be the pax baggage? We are, after all, in the business to get them from point A to point B. Why shouldn&#39;t their baggage go with them?

Go to Acapulco with only three sets of clothing for a three day stay. Here is what will happen. You will be walking all over that town, getting sunburned out the ying yang. Come back to your hotel for a while after you been out all morning and suddenly, your cloth is all wet. Now you gotta put something else on. Can&#39;t get by with only one set of underwear, t-shirt, socks per day in a tropical joint. You just sweat walking one block because its so hot buddy. Night time you want to dress up a little. It&#39;s not like the states where you go into a restaurant with sneakers and tang tops. Think of air travel like this. You don&#39;t send men into combat without weapons, ammunition and lots of it, batteries for radios, meals ready to eat and water. You could be pinned down for hours in the desert sun by a heavy force that outnumbers you and the fight gets worse when you get low on ammo and low on water and food. Now you become a desert rat just waiting to get smoked out. Don&#39;t get caught with low ammo. Don&#39;t get caught without your provisions. Don&#39;t get caught with your pants down because you didn&#39;t prepare for your situation. For us in travel, don&#39;t get caught an underwear too short, pair of socks, without shaving gear, deoderant, money, credit card, pens, documents. And don&#39;t forget too. People travel to go SHOPPING and of course, this all has to come back with the person. Example. Fifth and Saks, Macy&#39;s. Right? Ladies?

wow--I can&#39;t even recall the last time I shopped at a mall, much less a Macy&#39;s or similar...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mayor @ Dec 23 2008, 10:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Having said that, George Carlin&#39;s "Stuff" fits the bill, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLoge6QzcGY[/b]

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http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif Thanks for the link Mayor, off now to get some more stuff.....and I&#39;m talking "good stuff". http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif