Bag rules in airports can feel pedantic at the best of times. But one thing traveler Amanda Gallant didn’t expect was to be shamed for her bag being just 1 pound overweight.
In the viral TikTok, which has garnered over 80,000 views, Gallant (@amanda_gallant) began by saying, “I actually can’t stand it when people are just unnecessarily rude.”
“I am at the airport right now, and I was checking my bag in. I know the rule is your bag has to be under 50 pounds. I’m very aware, OK? My bag was 51.01, so it was one pound over,” she explained. “[The worker] goes, ‘You need to take something out of here because it’s one pound over.”
“I was like, ‘Oh really? Is there any way you could let it slide?’ She goes, ‘No, I can’t let it slide.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ She says, ‘Or you could pay $100.’ I was like, ‘No, no. I’ll take something out.’ She goes, ‘Yeah, you shouldn’t have bought all that stuff,'” the traveler recalled.
Amanda didn’t immediately respond to BroBible’s request for comment via email.
Commenters Share Their Thoughts
In the comments, TikTok users made it clear that they understood Gallant’s point of view. “I don’t get the 50 pound limit because if you just pay the $100, why is it good all of a sudden?” one asked. “That’s crazy! Mine was 50.5 they let it slide,” a second added. “I don’t get what a difference 1 pound makes and what would paying $100 do? Ridiculous.”
“Airports are going to put themselves out of business,” a third added. “How is 1 pound anything?!”
However, there were also those commenters who played devil’s advocate.
“So if you know… and you’re aware… why would you just pay? Instead of making the employee have to tell you no…” a fourth asked.
“I completely understand you and how that felt incredibly rude but opposite side of the coin .. she probably has dealt with some incredibly entitled people considering Coachella just ended,” a fifth pointed out. “But she definitely shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Southwest Airlines Changes Checked Baggage Rules
Southwest Airlines, which recently issued a new checked baggage fee, is an example of a specific airline that has caused similar issues for TikTokers. In the case of Chinaa Orr (@chinaaorr), she ended up having to pay an extra $200 to get her bag checked in. This was despite the fact that her bag was technically underweight. In a viral TikTok, she explained that the problem with her bag was its dimensions.
“Now, they’re measuring your bag, and if it has a certain dimension for the length, the width and the depth, they’re gonna make you pay an extra amount of money for it—on top of the fact that you have to pay the $35 to check your bag,” she said.
She then held up a pretty standard-sized luggage bag and added, “So if your bag is similar to this size, be careful. They’re measuring bags now, guys.”
@amanda_gallant “You shouldn’t have bought all that stuff” ???