Sorry, but it’s not “their” fault! It’s our fault as an industry.
we fly around with full cabins and almost empty baggage holds because we have made it more expensive to check a suitcase in than it costs the passenger for their actual seat! Whereas once the shelf above the head was for the placement of Chapeau’s and other fine millinery. It later evolved into a horizontal cupboard for the stuffed donkey to accompany the Sombrero and later for industrial strength fabric closets for a complete backpacking adventure across the globe!
On top of this we bombard the passenger with a constant stream of menacing messages about keeping their baggage with them at all times less we will destroy it and bring about much wrath! Don’t forget! Don’t let it out of your sight! Societal evolution and the messages that we impart mean that their perception of their very existence is either in their hand or stuffed in those cases above their heads.
I am not sure why then we are so surprised when every evacuation video (helpfully videotaped) shows the passengers fighting to save their loved things with as much verve and vigour as they might save their children (perhaps more so!) I don’t recall many old film reels of passengers banging on the baggage holds to repossess a weeks worth of dirty underwear after fleeing down the slide! It’s the industry that needs to evolve because the passengers already have!