An American Airlines employee is going viral after a video shows them pushing a wheelchair down a baggage ramp, causing it to flip and tumble in the air before being caught on the tarmac.
In the clip, the employee at Miami International Airport can be seen shoving the wheelchair down the metal shoot with such force that it flips over it and onto the ground.
@haez93 Dang, after i saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs i had to get it on film. That is not what id call “handling with care” for someones mobility device…. #AmericanAirlines #handlewithcare #mobilitydevice #wheelchair ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
“After I saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs I had to get it on film,” the TikTok user @haez93 who posted the clip wrote alongside the video. “That is not what I’d call ‘handling with care’ for someone’s mobility device…”
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The clip has been viewed over 1.7 million times in three days and has garnered quite a reaction from concerned users on the social media platform.
“Imagine what we don’t see,” one person pointed out. “I feel like the luggage handling should always be on full public display.”
“This makes me want to cry,” another said emotionally. “I can’t believe people are so cruel.”
According to data reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, it’s estimated that about 1.5% of mobility devices transported by airlines are mishandled.
In 2022 alone, there were 11,389 incidents reported on the 741,582 wheelchairs and scooters transported by airlines.
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American Airlines confirmed that the airline was aware of the incident and video in a statement to Thrillist.
“We recognize how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us,” an American Airlines spokesperson told the outlet. “This visual is deeply concerning and we are gathering more details so that we can address them with our team. We will continue to work hard to improve our handling of assistive devices across our network.”
Entrepreneur has reached out to American Airlines for further comment.
