San Diego, California – A viral video from San Diego International Airport has sparked frustration — and confusion — after showing passengers climbing onto a stopped baggage carousel to clear a pileup of suitcases themselves.
The clip, filmed Friday evening by a traveler named Taylor from New York, quickly racked up more than 12 million views. In it, two women can be seen perched on the carousel, reaching into the chute to manually pull out stuck bags as onlookers cheer them on.
The caption over the video read: “What government shutdown?? These local baddies said we’ll do it ourselves.” Many viewers assumed the chaos was linked to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing federal shutdown.
But airport officials say that’s not the case.
“The events depicted in the video followed a baggage carousel jam and were unrelated to the government shutdown,” a San Diego International Airport spokesperson told Newsweek.
Taylor said she started filming after waiting roughly 40 minutes for her luggage and realizing no staff were nearby. “No one at the airport was even in sight to help until they saw the girls doing it themselves,” she said. “I filmed because I was annoyed with the airlines and the government and wanted to share with my group chat what they might be in for when traveling this week.”
The viral moment comes as travelers nationwide feel the impact of the shutdown. TSA and FAA workers — both federal employees — have reported delays in pay and reduced staffing, causing longer security lines and scattered flight delays.
President Donald Trump on Monday ordered all air traffic controllers to return to work, threatening “substantial” pay cuts for those who do not.
