A couple of points here.
First, with regard to arrest. Not everyone speaks the same language. How do you arrest someone for ignoring an announcement made in a language they don't speak? Or if the flight attendant is yelling "leave your bags" during an evacuation, what's to say the passenger even heard them in the noise and confusion? Any lawyer worth his salt is going to get that thrown out.
Locking the bins? Not going to work. Most people won't get it through their heads that they're locked (even if there's a big red sign), and at least some of those who do will just keep pulling on the bins figuring they can force them open - and further blocking the aisles. And savvy travelers who do know they can't access the bins are just going to shove more stuff under their seats.
So what's the answer? Best answer would be to separate the passengers from their luggage. A good start would be to stop charging for checked baggage. Yes, passengers will probably still want to keep their valuables with them, but surely there are many who are only lugging all that stuff into the cabin because they don't want to pay extra.
The next step might be to allow the passengers to bring their "carry on" to the door of the plane and have it placed in the hold from there - and then on landing have the bag returned to them as they disembark from the aircraft. Much less risk of something being lost or mishandled that way. I know that in the past I've flown on small commuter flights where a bus drove you out to the plane, you handed someone your bag, and then you climbed the steps. When you landed, you came down the steps, grabbed your bag, and went into the airport. No way for things to be lost or mis-routed.
Separating the passengers from their bags would also have the added benefit of improving security.
Last edited by jugofpropwash; 5th Aug 2016 at 02:32.