‘United Breaks Guitars’: A Passenger’s Fight Song*
Travel Blog • Eva Holland • 07.08.09 | 2:15 PM ET
After watching from the plane window as United’s baggage workers damaged his guitar, and then having his compensation claims denied, one musician is taking his battle with the airline to YouTube. Check it out:
“United Breaks Guitars” received nearly 140,000 hits in its first 48 hours on the web. Think it’ll make United take notice? (Via Matador Nights)
Update 2:13 p.m. PT: Per CBC, United has issued a statement in response, complete with bad pun: “This has struck a chord with us. We’re going to contact him directly.”
Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.
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Grizzly Bear Mom 07.08.09 | 2:59 PM ET
Here’s my submission:
“Oh I came from Alabama with my guitar on my knee,
but ‘cause I flew United, its now in pieces three.
On UnIted, oh won’t you cry with me?
I trusted you with my guitar, but now its in pieces three.”
everybody sing!
By the way, those stop span read books are getting hard! It’s bad enough that I’m visually and dexteritively handicapped!
Jim Benning 07.08.09 | 11:42 PM ET
A fine addition, Grizzly Bear Mom.
This is a pretty catchy song. I could see a whole new genre of music videos emerging.
Bing Futch 07.12.09 | 12:17 PM ET
A similar story to Dave’s, but involving Northwest Airlines and a mountain dulcimer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x50pJe_QvQQ
gory bateson 07.15.09 | 3:02 PM ET
United may break guitars, but Southwest doesn’t. Check out “Southwest Never Broke My Guitar” at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1SMcaVekVE