Canadian musician gets attention of United Airlines over broken $3500 guitar.

[madfloridian]

Run time: 04:37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo   Posted on YouTube: July 07, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 11, 2009 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 2125

 
Airline Revenge Video Becomes Internet Hit

The song recounts Carroll's yearlong struggle to get compensation for what he calls "a vicious act of malice" at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago last year.

Carroll was flying between Halifax and Nebraska when he switched planes in Chicago. The passenger next to him noticed baggage handlers tossing guitar cases outside the plane.

Carroll's Taylor guitar required 1,400 Canadian dollars (US$1,200) in repairs. He said it still doesn't play the way it used to but he keeps it for sentimental reasons.

The 41-year-old songwriter spent the past year trying to get compensation from United Airlines. When the airline refused to take responsibility, the songwriter made the humorous music video and posted it online.

And from the You Tube page where it is posted.

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didnt deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise. Follow me at http://twitter.com/DaveCarroll . Video Produced by Curve Productions of Halifax, http://www.curveproductionsinc.com.

[dipsydoodle]

1. K & R.

.

[rcrush]

2. I hope he doesnt back down

Even if United finally offers to pay his $3500. Refuse the money and keep shitting on United. They are a fucking horrible airline and deserve everything they get.

[madfloridian]

3. You Tube...about the only way to fight back against things anymore.

Great song.

[nilram]

11. The revolution will not be televised. But it will be on YouTube. nt

[slackmaster]

4. LMAO! Good revenge.

:rofl:

[freethought]

5. A $3500 Taylor!!

My god! I would have needed to be put into a straight jacket!! I get uneasy when someone I don't know or someone who doesn't play handles my $260.00 Yamaha acoustic!!

[jazzjunkysue]

18. Instruments can get into the tens of thousands, easily. $3500 is actually not much.

[enlightenment]

6. Brilliant!

Good luck to all!

[Lost-in-FL]

7. That was a great song! Thanks! nt

[madfloridian]

8. He got a call from the Oprah show

That is mentioned in the first link above.

That is real talent. To be able to put words and feelings to music about such a situation, and do it clearly and with a smile.

[jgraz]

9. Catchy tune.

Too bad they didn't break his momma, his dog or his pickup truck. He'd have a number 1 country hit.

[tblue37]

10. That's gonna leave a mark. nt

[Karenina]

12. These goon have been destroying instruments for DECADES.

Someone with a cell phone camera needs to catch them in the act. And THEN it must be explained to them how they're targeting the WRONG PEOPLE.
This song needs to go viral.

[madfloridian]

13. Very interesting....I am keeping tabs for a reason about the unrecs.

On the Greatest page this has 10 recs. Here it has 8.

Hey, I don't care whether it is on greatest or not...just keeping track of unrecs and why they are used.

I had a huge number of unrecs against a few of my posts the first day or so, some of them simple posts without a real POV and no reason to unrec.

Just observing.

Hmmm...

[madfloridian]

14. Here's the group's website.

http://www.sonsofmaxwell.com/

And a site of this guy's music with short samples. Nice music.

http://www.sonsofmaxwell.com/albums/dave-carroll-perfect-blue

[scubadude]

15. I posted this on Thursday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6027038&mesg_id=6027038

I love that song, it's been in my head all day!

scuba

[madfloridian]

16. Sorry I missed it. You are right...the music sticks in your head.

:hi:

[scubadude]

22. I sent an email to him appologizing for the people of Chicago.

There's no excuse for what happened to that guitar, and many other peoples things for that matter. I've often wondered why baggage handlers throw down bags when setting them down is actually easier. I don't know why they do it but it's got to stop.

Hopefully Mr Carroll will get a hit out of his song and United gets serious about training and enforcing good baggage handling.

Scuba

[madfloridian]

23. That was a nice thing to do.

:hi:

[scubadude]

24. It's a great city, and I don't believe we should let our reputation

rest on the actions of a few "bad apples". O.k. I'm trying to be a little funny and Ironic there! :bounce:

Thank you,

Scuba

[jazzjunkysue]

17. It's a standard problem, because instruments don't usually fit in the inside compartments.

My guitar friend asks the cabin crew to put it somewhere inside the plane and they always do. Most of them get it that your instrument is like your own limb, but it shouldn't require the purchase of an entire seat.

But that's exactly what Yoyo Ma does: He buys the adjacent seat for his cello.

[madfloridian]

19. The baggage guys were seen tossing the cases around outside the plane.

So there really is no excuse for carelessness like that.

Apparently he was inside the plane and the person behind him saw them throwing it.

[Karenina]

21. They won't always allow that.

A schoolmate went to pick up his cello by the neck and discovered it sheared off. These days airline cases for large strings are virtually impenetrable. But THAT won't stop them from getting lost...

My case fit into my backpack so the task at hand was persuading security to KEEP THEIR MITTS OFF IT.

[mrbarber]

20. Kudo's for him.

To bad most Americans wouldn't dream of fighting.

"But that's exactly what Yoyo Ma does: He buys the adjacent seat for his cello."

That is AWESOME