According to my friend at Ryanair:
Ryanair rules for hold baggage are 15 kg per passenger, and excess baggage fees are €6 per kilo.
The check in staff member who takes in the highest excess baggage fees that day gets let off home around 45 mins early!
Sometimes, some members of O'Learys blue scrunchy army take in €800 a day in excess baggage, EACH! He has his ground staff for free!
Not to mention the monthly competitions between check in staff for the highest monthly excess baggage totals.
Yes heavy handbaggage IS dangerous, and a very valid safety regulation. How would you feel if you or your small child had a 15 kilo samsonite wheeler fall on their head!
Have noticed myself about the Americans bringing on everything into the cabin, particularly the backpackers going camping! Would have thought the land of lawsuits would have put a stop to this by now.
Did have one yank who started taking photos as photographic evidence after somone opened the overhead bin and his little son got face planted by someones massive wheeler!