Bags
IMVHO as SLF, part of this is down to the airlines themselves. Charging punters for checking bags encourages them to take as much in to the cabin as they can. It might be better to stop charging for checked bags, and impose a much tighter limit on materials permitted in the cabin (eg. a laptop bag, baby needs or medication bag), which could easily fit under a seat and not be a hold-up in an evacuation, even if grabbed. The overhead bins could then hold the IFE boxes.
Part of the checked bag issue, however, is the hassle factor in having to check bags at departure, and wait hopefully and patiently for them to emerge at the other end. Waiting 40 mins at EWR for a bag to come off an aircraft parked at the closest stand to the terminal building does not engender confidence in anything changing there, however.
Perhaps the safety demo / video should also advise passports and wallets be kept on the person, and shoes on, whilst the passenger signs are on at each end.
I do not condone any evacuating passenger taking the time to get their roll-aboard out of the overhead, but if you remove the temptation, you remove the problem.
In any event, well done to all the crew, ATC and firies. All out & OK, best possible outcome. Voices on the tape all calm & professional in what must've been a fraught period.
And I suspect Lomapaseo's comment might've been tongue-in-cheek; what a standard SLF might think.
Last edited by Taildragger67; 10th Sep 2015 at 01:07.
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