Baggage Handler

The Baggage Handler (or Baggage) is a small airport tug featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Design[]

3D Universe[]

The Baggage Handler is presumably based on an older Clark CT towing tractor, with a flattened design.

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the vehicle is designed as an open-air, single-seat airport tug, where the front end is rounded and features a small bumper at the bottom and a square-shaped grille with four separations in the center, while the sections beside it house circular headlights and small indicators above. The front engine compartment is relatively large and mounts what looks like an exhaust on the right-hand side. The driver section is situated behind the engine compartment and is offset to the left, with the steering wheel centered to the seat, and with small dials on the right, followed by a small luggage compartment with guard rails and cases. The rear section assumes a slanted shape on the upper half and a flat end on the lower half, having small marker lights on the rear surface of the luggage compartment, large red tail lights with a tow hitch on the lower half, and a large bumper at the bottom. Both renditions spawn in a white primary color around the body, although the GTA Vice City Stories rendition may spawn in other colors as well.

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the vehicle largely remains identical, albeit with several changes on the model: the front bumper is mounted at a lower height and the grille has an additional separation, while the engine compartment has an openable hood and a longer exhaust with what seems to be a rain cap. There are also vented details on the lower sides and grab handles near the driver compartment, as well as the corresponding fuel cap on the left-hand side and a small box on the right-hand side of the driver compartment. The luggage compartment mounts an amber beacon that flashes at night, while the compartment itself may appear empty or with a large toolbox, a small case and earmuffs as separate extras. On the rear end, the upper half features a small handle in the center and circular tail lights on the edges (consisting of upper main/brake units and lower reverse units), while the lower half adds black/yellow warning stickers beside the hitch (with the hitch able to tow a Baggage Box, its open variant or Tug Stairs). The vehicle is only seen in a light gray primary color applied to the body.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]

The Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars rendition receives a longer frontal engine compartment in order to better scale the vehicle to gameplay. Regardless, when driven, the driver appears oversized due to a minuscule driver compartment. In the PSP version of the game, the Baggage Handler is surgical green, whereas in the DS version, it is white.

Performance[]

3D Universe[]

The slow speed, weak construction, and poor handling of the Baggage Handler make driving one of these on a heavily traveled, high-speed thoroughfare extremely treacherous. Furthermore, the Baggage Handler is highly susceptible to damage from weapons, to the point where close range shotgun blasts can physically move the vehicle. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, however, it has considerably better speed and handling and, while still not recommended for freeway travel, is a quick and efficient mode of transport from getting from the airport to a safehouse or other location via surface streets. Its best use is as a substitute for walking, being slower than a car, yet faster than running.

All renditions of the Baggage Handler use an electric engine according to the files, although the GTA San Andreas rendition features a small, petrol-like engine. In GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories, the vehicle uses a single-speed (CVT) gearbox, an AWD layout and little to no engine sound, while in GTA San Andreas, it uses a three-speed gearbox, a RWD layout and a noisy engine shared with the Tug.

3D Universe Overview[]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]

While nothing much has changed in the Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars rendition of the Baggage Handler, speed and handling have been tweaked slightly, although it is still a slow vehicle.

Gallery[]

Design[]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]

GTA Chinatown Wars rendition, iOS version.

Locations[]

Since the Baggage Handler is an airport vehicle, it can be easily found around these facilities, either parked or driving around the hangars and runways.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

• It can be found in various areas inside the Escobar International Airport:
  • One is parked near the helipad.
  • One is parked beside some baggage boxes south of the terminal.
  • One is parked between a ramp and the western wall of the terminal.
  • One is parked between two hangars in the west side of the airport.
• It can be found driven near Fort Baxter Air Base.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

• Los Santos Airport, one is parked halfway between the Dodo and the Shamal parked there.
• It can be found in various areas inside the Easter Bay Airport:
  • One is parked in front of the closest hangar to the Maverick.
  • One is parked beside the hangar where the Dodo and Rustler are located.
  • One is parked to the east of the terminal.
  • One is parked in front of the hangar south of the control tower.
• It can be found on the roads next to airports, especially when leaving the airstrip.
• It can be found inside the three airports, circling around buildings, along with Tugs.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]

• It can be found in two areas within the Escobar International Airport:
  • One is parked beside the southernmost hangar in the west side.
  • Two are parked at the end of the curved runway next to Fort Baxter Air Base.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]

• It can be found inside the Francis International Airport.

Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]

Grand Theft Auto Vice City[]

• Sunshine Autos Import Garage - The Baggage Handler is on of the 24 vehicles wanted by Sunshine Autos for its import garage. Placed on the fourth and final list.

Oversights[]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

• For some reason, despite the vehicle having no roof, it is impossible to shoot out the driver.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]

• There is a glitch where if the player melees, tasers or chainsaws a driver while he is still on the vehicle, he will die, but stay in an awkward position. If the player tries entering the vehicle, the driver will either fall off or drive away, suggesting that the player, when attempting to enter, knocked his foot onto the gas pedal, although the player is not supposed to be able to do that (tested on the iOS version, PSP version, and DS version. This will not work on the iOS Lite).

Radio Stations[]

• In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Baggage Handler plays K-JAH West.

Trivia[]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

• Security Guards of the Patrol Invest Group can also be seen driving Baggage Handlers as their "gang car".

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

• The Baggage trucks sometimes spawn outside the hospital next to the Las Venturas Airport. This is strange, because a Baggage truck has no real reason for being in the parking lot of a hospital. This is because of the vicinity the hospital is located (the airport), which makes industrial and airport vehicles more common in traffic.
• Doing sharp turns with luggage carts attached can sometime cause the luggage carts to be thrown away with great force. The same applies to the Tractor and the Tow Truck when attaching large vehicles.
• When the player reverses the Baggage with a cart attached while making a reverse U-turn, the Baggage will do reverse donuts without the player's control.
• At night, all the beacons of the Baggage Handler will still flash even if there is no driver.

See Also[]

• Tug - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas equivalent.
• Airtug - Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V equivalent.
• Ripley - Large airport tug featured in the HD Universe.

Navigation[]