Baggage handlers file grievance -- “He’s making us look bad,” union rep complainsPHOENIX - Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin personally delivered 10,000 bags to US Airways customers yesterday, eliminating a backlog that had lingered since computer and weather issues created problems for the airline last month.
The sequence of events started when US Airways lost one of Tomlin’s checked bags while he was on his way to Phoenix for NFL meetings. Despite promises from the airline that the bag would be delivered within four hours, it never appeared at Tomlin's hotel. Tomlin went to the airport, spotted his bag behind the counter, and dug it out of the pile himself.
“I kept getting the run-around from their call center and the people at the airport. I saw my bag and took it,” Tomlin said. “Then I started tossing bags to other people who were standing there waiting. That’s when some airline people showed up.”
“We could have had him arrested for going behind the counter, but we decided to put his talents to use instead,” US Airways spokesman Michael Chwastyk said. “We gave him a free ride to Philadelphia, handed him van keys and a map, and he took it from there.”
Tomlin sorted the bags, loaded them up, and started driving. Tomlin said the deliveries went smoothly. “Everyone was really happy to get their bags, and I made a ton of money in tips,” he said. “My biggest problem was when I got to the homes of Steelers fans. Everyone wanted to talk about the 3-4 defense, Big Ben, and Joey Porter. I would have liked to discuss my coaching philosophy with everyone individually, but I knew I had a lot more stops to make. Most people understood.”
Tomlin had planned to return to Phoenix tonight, but he is on standby for US Airways’ last flight out of Philadelphia. “Maybe I should have stayed in Minnesota,” he said. “There, I could fly on Northwest.”
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