Viral Video Shows Rough Guitar Handling at LAX

A viral video captured at Los Angeles International Airport has ignited widespread concern among musicians after showing a baggage handler roughly tossing multiple guitar cases onto the tarmac. The incident, filmed on March 16 by 21-year-old college student Nick Ruiz, depicts the worker unloading the cases from a transport cart near Terminal 4, allowing them to pile up and roll on the ground. Ruiz, who was waiting for a flight home to Connecticut after a vacation in Los Angeles, said the scene unfolded near a Boeing 777 that had just arrived from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Ruiz told reporters that the handling felt careless, prompting him to start recording immediately. "The whole situation felt wrong," he said. "My instinct was to start filming. I hope your guitars are OK." The footage, posted to TikTok under the username goyamariacookie, has amassed more than four million views in less than a week, drawing sharp criticism from viewers. Comments flooded in, with one user calling the actions "egregious" and a "fireable offense," while another estimated the equipment's value at around $3,000 and expressed heartbreak over the potential damage. Many...