Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Airport worker goes viral over ‘real-life Tetris’ baggage handling skills

TikTok users have repeatedly watched the ‘strangely satisfying’ clips

Benjamin Parker
Thursday 13 April 2023 04:21 EDT
Comments
More than half a million TikTok users now follow the exploits of @DJSugue
More than half a million TikTok users now follow the exploits of @DJSugue (TikTok/@DJSugue)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A baggage handler has become an unlikely hit on social media by showing off his impressive skills working in the cargo holds of aircraft.

Canadian TikToker DJ Sugue, who is based at Vancouver International Airport, has garnered a surprise fanbase as he follows the journey taken by passengers’ bags from check-in desk to cargo bins, with users described them as “strangely satisfying”.

His “real-life Tetris” stacking skills are among the reasons he’s reached more than 620,000 followers, while he can also be seen doing press-ups and crunches in the cramped space below deck on a Boeing 737.

His insights include how long it takes to load the aircraft. According to DJ Sugue, loading a full passenger plane can take between 20 to 30 minutes, with each piece of baggage arriving on a carousel known as a “luggage snake”.

“We can speed it up too or slow it down,” he says, depending on the difficulty of the consignment.

The speed of a job largely depends on the shape and type of cargo, with heavy two-wheeled duffel bags being the “worst”, he says, adding that life would be easier if everyone travelled with hard-top, rolling suitcases.

One user on TikTok said that the job “seems so tiring but fun at the same time”, to which DJ Sugue replied that it was “a great workout”. A number of users asked how they could get this job.

Another said that their claustrophobia would never allow them to work in such a confined space, though the airport worker reassured them that “you get used to it”.

DJ Sugue also drives “push tractors”, pushing jet planes out for takeoff and marshalling arrivals into the bays.

“If you were wondering how an airplane reverses from the gate,” he titled one video showing Air Canada’s Auckland service being piloted on to the runway by his tractor.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in