Bags
Thing about the bags is that for many people it may represent an enormous difficulty to replace the contents. I don't mean cameras, or a bit of money. However, all credit/bank cards, all money, passport, driving license, mobile phone, contacts book... Everything except say a few paper hankies, some mints and $3.50 in change. It has been my practise when travelling to put all critical material in my carry on bag and to look after it very carefully.
Perhaps the airlines should advise passengers to ensure that they have such items in a moneybelt or similar? The prospect of being trapped in an airport in some random country, without any resouces at all, at some random time of the day or night, without any clue as to what help might be offered is quite scary to me. Of course death is quite scary too! I can appreciate why some passengers are tempted to take their stuff. I feel *certain* that no airline will look more favourably on any passenger who altruistically abandoned their stuff, against another passenger who is fully equipped with their critical kit.
It is the old "tragedy of the commons". It will make *no* practical difference to *me* if I take my stuff so I may as well. Of course if 199 other people take their stuff and I have to wait behind them then it *will* make a difference to me, however I cannot do anything about them so I may as well look after No. 1.