This is arguably one of the most shocking scenes you will ever find on a luggage carousel. In a six-second video (embedded below) on TikTok, user @sosafoods shows multiple bags going around with a brown substance all over them. Her caption reads: “It was the worst thing I’ve ever smelled in my life. They didn’t even tell us!!! @VirginAtlantic”
@sosafoods It was the worst thing I’ve ever smelled in my life. They didn’t even tell us!!! @VirginAtlantic ♬ Oh No No No – Music Falcon
Another passenger shared photos on X with the caption: “@VirginAtlantic you are sht! literally! How are all these bags covered in human sht! Floor staff saying they can’t provide wipes new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to “write an email to customer team”. All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag :L #jfkairport #NY”
@VirginAtlantic you are shit! literally! How are all these bags covered in human shit! Floor staff saying they can’t provide wipes, new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to “write an email to customer team”. All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag :L #jfkairport #NY pic.twitter.com/uvdvHIsenI
— views my own (@pip_tazobactam) July 14, 2025
@pip_tazobactam followed up with “Really bad customer service too nobody knows what’s going on. One great guy has taken initiative and is spraying people’s bags. He obviously doesn’t get paid enough for this!”
— views my own (@pip_tazobactam) July 14, 2025
Of course, the first question is how the heck did this happen? And then, why in the world would the workers place these bags on the carousel and soiling it for any other bags that follow?
I wasn’t the only one as user @Juls on TikTok commented: “Sooooo the workers SAW that and decided they should go ahead and PICK THEM UP & LOAD THEM on the cart and then PICK THEM PICK & LOAD THEM on the conveyor belt????? Like nobody ever thinking something is not ok?????”
@melancholy said: “I actually would have to go full Karen”
@AngelEyes692 suggested: “That’s considered biohazard waste and is to be handled properly. Call the board of health notify them and ask what else you should do. File a complaint with TSA. Don’t touch your bag. A major clean up is required including the carousel.”
Virgin Atlantic placed the blame on JFK Airport and said it wasn’t biohazard. They told the Daily Mail “the substance was grease from a broken pipe in the terminal. We’re aware of a New York JFK system failure that affected the baggage of a small number of arriving customers on July 14. We’re working closely with the team at JFK and local authorities to ensure the issue is resolved. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to affected customers.”
I would have been ticked off too and wished I had wrapped my baggage in the plastic wrap you often see on baggage coming off of international flights.
In fact, one of my readers who is a ramp agent for Delta Air Lines said, “We are seeing more and more luggage wrapped in plastic. These are the worst! They are impossible to stack in the bins because the luggage slides off them. They cause avalanches of luggage and also we need to be able to access the bottom and side handles on luggage. The new luggage wraps are also getting more popular.” He also noted “I’m going to be honest when they cover the side handles and bottom handle we toss those bags off the belt loader and let them hit the ground. We are not giving bags TLC that are wrapped in plastic.”
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