Why Aren’t Passengers Who Evacuate With Bags Being Punished?

I seem to recall a plane burning at Tokyo airport a few years ago and no fatalities. I think the conclusion was that the flight attendants did a great job of herding the cattle. It is a tough sell when people don't see any signs of danger and attendants are not taken as having any real authority. Take their photos and publish them on media.

All it takes is one entitled idiot to screw up an evacuation and people will die. FAA should push some law that holds those who do not obey the emergency rules accountable with huge fines/jail time.

If you obstruct my path to an exit during an emergency, I'm going to push you out of the way or walk over you. Any other time, I'll gladly help you get your bags out of stowage. I participated in a simulated evacuation in 1999 and remember the chaos of trying to get out in the dark. Based on that experience, I now try to sit as close as possible to an emergency exit

Isn't there a federal law about not following instructions of the flight crew? Passengers are told during the safety briefing that they should leave bags behind in case of evacuation. Seems taking bags during evacuation is ignoring flight crew instructions. The same penalty should apply. Even my flight attendant friends agree.

Lockable overhead compartments…….locked for Takeoff & Landing. O2 & med kits excepted. If they are going to act like toddlers, treat them as such.

None of the measures spoken of here today really addresses the core reasons people have for not wanting to leave their belongings behind. A complete lack of confidence in airlines to reimburse passengers for loss of property fairly and promptly. Restore that confidence and passengers will be much more willing to leave possessions behind.

In an emergency situation, any passenger reaching for the overhead locker will quickly find my footprint on their back.

There absolutely should be consequences for passengers who evacuate with bags. It's not that they don't value their own lives; it's that they don't value others'. I keep my passport and wallet in my pocket except while at cruise. That way I'm not tempted to take anything in hand in the event of an emergency evacuation. It also makes it easier to overpower any selfish fools in front of me delaying evac because they are trying to get a bag out of the overhead bins.

They definitely should be punished. They could cost someone their life by delaying, plus can hurt themselves going down the slide with backpacks/luggage. What you have in those bags is NOT worth your life or the life of another passenger. I label these folks as IDIOTS!

When it happens at an airport, then the airport police should arrive soon enough to arrest those are carrying bags. And after the pax are removed from the area, any baggage left on the ground should be destroyed. I doubt this policy would have to be executed very often before selfish assholes get the message.

Hyflyer1950 proposed a solution: All overhead bins can be locked in the case of an emergency evacuation. Passangers are informed about that and don't even need to reach for the bin - it is locked, basta. Grab your kids, your iphone and leave the plane.

Personally, I think a fine should be charged, but only if the luggage in question does not contain needed medical equipment or medication. Saving your favorite pairs of shoes isn't a necessity.

Time for the FAA to OUTLAW Luggage in the cabin. take the damn bins out and only allow a small item that fits on the floor under the seat. As long as they are allowed to bring the entire contents of their home on board and they do not listen to Crew Members this crap will continue right up to the loss of lives.

Yes they should be punished and Vry Harshly! In an emergency for an Evacuation, your Belongings are replaceable. Someone's life is not! Why would some of these people feel so entitled that they are willing to Risk Someone else's life... A Good punishment would be a $25,000 fine for starters and give them some Jail Time to think about it! If it doesn't fit in your pocket before the evacuation starts, then it should stay behind. That includes Pocket Books, Laptops, anything that you carried on is replaceable....

As harmless as that looked didn’t mean it couldn’t turn into something much worse in a moment. Frankly it would have been better if the pilot had said something like they are evacuating due to possible fire or explosion and the passengers would have made sure no bags got off.

The FAA really needs to look at real life evacuations and do unannounced evacuations drills with real passengers. I believe they had 90 or 120 seconds to evacuate the plane and I’m pretty sure it took longer than that. Start fining the airlines and manufacturers when evacuation targets are not met and you will see changes real fast. Don’t allow them to use the defense they can’t control passengers. If passengers know if they bring a bag down an evacuation slide they will be banned from flying again they won’t bring the bag down. If the manufacturer knows they will get fined they will make sure to include enough emergency exists that people can get off and that the bins lock so people can’t bring them if they want too.

absolutely, it slows evacuation of all passengers. and selfish persons taking luggage could be denying others evacuation when a catastrophic event may be brewing, though not seen by passengers

Nothing new entitled people doing what ever they want as usual. YOU CANNOT FIX STUPID. Proven here was on a 777 and saw one person boarding with a huge back pack on smacked a lady in the head never even said excuse me.

The two-bag carry-on is way too generous. I'm surprised the airlines aren't grappling for the dough they lose by making you check your bag. Besides, it's like some people are moving in. First, let's hoist the bag up. Then let's take off the coat and get situated. Maybe the items don't go under the seat until it's time for take-off, and then you find the guy next to you is resting his head on your lap to angle stuffing in his belongings. Repeat the process in reverse when deboarding, holding up the line again. Hobo Haulers are the worst.

We are told, by the airlines and airport security, to carry our medications with us at all times in our hand luggage. We keep ours in our underseat bags.
So, in view of the lovely caring and considerate comments below, what are passengers supposed to do who have their medications in those bags.
Evacuation is a very stressful time. So is it fair that a passenger could survive the evacuation but die of a heart attack etc., due to their extremely important medication being in the underseat bag at the bottom of the ocean or incinerated in the crash. You think that it is fair that a passenger, whose three week holiday supply of medications, is expected to leave them behind with no expectation of an early rescue.
N.B. Question marks are not allowed in any posts.

My comment wasn't published because of invalid characters. Really. A questionmark is not a valid character.

It's bad enough to lose your luggage - be it carry-on or checked - in an aircraft fire on the ground. It's worse to get out of it alive without your cell phone, ID, credit card and driver's license (add to that list your medication if it's essential). Worst of all is to not make it alive because you had tried to recover all your carry-ons.
Good news though: you only need to keep these thin, lightweight essentials with you in a fanny pack at all times when flying, and will be just as safe when the need for evacuation arises, leaving all the other stuff behind.
I would not even need to waste time looking for or carrying stuff if I had to evacuate one day: I always have the above described fanny pack on me at all time when flying.

There are too many electronics on board nowadays. People work from takeoff to touchdown and are afraid of losing their work. I agree with the idea of move it or lose it. Nothing is irreplaceable.

“This can be attributed to a major culture difference, as Japanese prioritize things like social other…”

Social other? Lmao.

Only 2 possible solutions I see - either no carry on bags allowed, or lock the overhead bins, and do not unlock them for evacuation.

Idiots.

They should be heavily fined. I guess they would rather die with their things than live having to shop to replace the potential loss of personal items. Plus, no consideration or concern for other peoples lives. Intolerable.

I like the idea of lockable overhead compartments, but think that it is important to include strong warnings in the pre-flight announcements that the compartments will auto-lock. Also, the announcements and the emergency info cards should have LARGE, very clear warnings about strong penalties.
I also would support the compartments being locked until the captain turns off the no seatbelt signs on arrival. Stop the disobedient rush to deplane!

SAFETY BRIEFING. In case of an emergency... do NOT take carry on items as they may impede the safety evacuation process. Violators are subject to Federal Regulations as id smoking in the lavatory.

I flew internationally for 40 years. I wore Columbia fishing shirts or a jacket and I kept all my money and passport in my pockets. Also did not take shoes off until we well established in the climb. Carried a small flashlight when it was still OK. Did not take melatonin. All advice I received back in the day from a seasoned flight attendant. I saw first hand the results of melatonin when we returned to Houston (after about 3 hours and the meal) due to a mechanical problem and one person could not get himself off the plane because he had taken melatonin with his meal.

FIRST: let's BAN the folks who are caught by TSA with weapons from ever flying again. And as to the question of the day: what if I have my purse on my lap- why can;'t I carry it out? Men have their id's and cc's in their pants. And I also agree 100% with NX211.

Flogging them with bamboo reeds would help.

so so happy I don't fly anymore.... every other week for 20+ years... now? happily staying away from the mad crowds at airports...phew!!

I suppose that bag of medicines isn’t really that important after all. Insulin, easy to get ahold of at any airport. Heart meds? Same. Etc etc. My corporate computer - they won’t mind if someone else gets their hands on it. Maybe just let those who leave their bags behind get off first, then those who want to grab their stuff before deplaning can go. I heard no mention of “those needing assistance and parents with babies” going first either.

As the flight attendant he's them to the slid ditch the bag to the side. They'll never miss it

The same reason people who take forever to get their act together to board and deplane are not fined. Talk about your entitled idiots and toddlers!!

No longer allow the carry-on of duty-free alcohol either. Literally, what a "flaminng" disaster that stuff could turn into!

absolutely,

Recently flew YVR to LHR with BA. As we queued on the airbridge, a heavy steel frying pan fell out of a plastic bag that the passenger in front of us was carrying. The guy had so much carry on, he literally couldn't handle it all himself.

The same frying pan fell on the floor another two times as we made our way to our seats, before finally falling out of the overhead locker one last time. If it had landed on someone, it would have seriously injured or killed them.

My question is why someone carrying a heavy steel frying pan is allowed to bring it on board. It's not useable during the flight, and presents a serious safety hazard.

I bet in an evacuation, the same passenger would have been reaching for his frying pan first.

Maybe it's time to change the certification requirement, so it can take into account each passenger with 1 bag.

Easy jet only allows overhead bin usage for a fee. Airports are some of the most monitored area's in the world. If you want to charge people a penalty for taking a bag during an emergency, they can be tracked down. But all the airlines have to agree on this. Part if the flight attendants message could be: If you try and take your overhead bag during an emergency, you will be charged a $1000.00 fee. The TSA can and will track you down, so don't try it.

Anyone who evacuate the plane with baggage should be arrested onsite and charged with attempted murder. Maybe a long prison term might get their attention.

God help the person in front of me who prevents us from evacuating during an emergency. I will knock them down and walk over them. Lives could be in danger. Let them suffer the consequences, just not the rest of us.