Right. But the reason the people in back are not moving is because people in front are opening up the overhead bins and grabbing their bags. This is typical of the flight culture today. Me first. Let me cram as much stuff in my enormous suitcase and shove it in the overhead because I sure don’t want the hastle of checking my bag. And damn right I am going to retrieve my precious bag of clothes in a crash. Screw those people in back - let em roast. It’s like the scene in the Focker movie. People are nuts about their stupid bags.
I just heard about a passenger in the back saying she grabbed her bags and went out the hole in the back.
And to use this opportunity to rant —
Airlines charge for checked bags, and lose them. And the TSA always wanting in your panties and bags ....
So people carry on instead. No Brainer.
Then there is a safety issue of these bags all over during passenger loading and unloading. And the ‘cabin door’ checking, where they take larger carry ons and put them some where. But they are stacked by the passenger entry door (with wheel chairs and baby strollers, etc.) to plug up things during loading and unloading.
Meanwhile, some ‘smart, seasoned’ travellers stash their carryon (carry on, not carrion) in the overhead up near the front, as they proceed to their seat in the back. This is very convenient for them, but a PITA for all else.
I consider this a recipe for disaster, caused by greedy airlines.
With this mindset of ‘protect your stuff’, and the ‘prepare for landing’ stress to get out of the plane — I would predict that people are thinking that Number 1 priority = get my bag!
So taking their bags is to be expected.
Not smart, not safe, but expected given the circumstances.
“Right. But the reason the people in back are not moving is because people in front are opening up the overhead bins and grabbing their bags. This is typical of the flight culture today. Me first. Let me cram as much stuff in my enormous suitcase and shove it in the overhead because I sure don’t want the hastle of checking my bag. And damn right I am going to retrieve my precious bag of clothes in a crash. Screw those people in back - let em roast. It’s like the scene in the Focker movie. People are nuts about their stupid bags.”
Totally agree. In an emergency situation you cannot exit as quickly with a big wheelie bag as you can without it. Even carrying a laptop will slow you down as you need to grab the handles before sliding down the slide. Even if you think you can get out safely, what about the people who are minutes behind you? This is a microcosm of the “I got mine” culture.
One time, I was walking down the street while an abulance was blaring its siren but all traffic was stopped. A few minutes later I arrived at the scene of the blockage ... a 70+ well-dressed man with his fashionable wife were slowly taking their time to park while the whole world behind them was stopped. The ambulance was probably two cars behind them. I chewed out the guy and his wife and they were utterly dumbfounded. He had the perfect parking spot right in front of the fancy restaurant and he wasn’t going to waste it getting out of the way of someone who might have been having a heart attack.
My only regret is not taking down his plate and calling a local reporter from his hometown.
From the photos it looked like the overhead bins had popped open during the crash spilling luggage everywhere.
You're not like all those other people.