What price cheap seats?
The totally predictable and entirely understandable consequence of charging for hold baggage is for passengers to attempt to take it as hand baggage. As ever, most passengers don't read the conditions (who does?) and check-in and gate staff are given nothing but hassle when they try to control excessive baggage. The problem is then transferred to the cabin. This results in arguments with "space invaders" (those who place their bags anywhere), delays, missed slots, missed connections and worst of all, injuries like those described earlier.
Solutions available are 1. Enforce the carry on policies or 2. Re-consider the charge for hold baggage. But no airline wants to be the first to do this (airline marketing people are not known for their strength of character or backbone). I just hope we don't injure too many people before we sort out this mess.
My part in the process to support check-in, gate staff and cabin crew whenever they have to deal with excessive baggage. I'm not going to go flying with carry on baggage which has not been properly stowed. But in doing so I annoy those people who have stuck to the limits who I delay and really p!ss off those who try to put hold baggage in the cabin. Fortunately I'm not paid for popularity.
So until we do the job properly (whichever route is chosen) this problem will be with us for the foreseeable future. Welcome to the race to the bottom.
PM