Hand luggage in emergency evacuation
 

In other threads, concern has been expressed at the unwillingness of passengers to disembark without their hand luggage, thus potentially, endangering others.

As a thought, modern cars have a central locking facility: could this not be applied to aircraft overhead lockers?

It would still leave some passengers with hand luggage in their possession, but if operated as soon as the emergency is known, would the sheer unavailability of access not encourage the majority of passengers to accept defeat and just get off the aircraft?

Am I being naive or is it technically too difficult?

Or would it delay passengers as they tried to open the lockers or argue with cabin crew about their need for said hand luggage?

Though that raises an interesting point, folk who rely on prescription medication are told to carry it in their hand luggage so it is accesable at all times, but are then told to leave it behind in the event of an emergency when some might just need it most or certainly afterwards.

Survived aircraft evacuation but died from lack of drugs afterwards!

Erm .....

Surely in the event of an emergency requiring the whole nine yards, slides 'n' all, there would be more than enough medical personnel available on the ground to triage those in need to medical assistance from those who don't.

So your "interesting point" is somewhat moot I would suggest.

"Am I being naive or is it technically too difficult?"

Probably against someone's 'uman rights governor :*

With respect, that may well depend where said emergency takes place. There are some countries where I'm quite confident I could get prompt access to the meds I need and there are many countries where I would have serious doubts that this would be the case. Luckily for me I don't need to take my bag but can quickly extract my meds from it.

I was pointing to those that may not be immediately needed, fine some or equivalent may be obtainable in some areas but one I'm on has limited availability and at about £1500 for a week's supply is not the sort of thing that can be picked up at a local phamacy

As someone on serious meds I'll take my chances that once I get out of the aircraft the first responders will take my word for it and that some tablets will be available. So if you're in my way in an emergency move. Or be moved ;)

After the OZ accident at SfO I posted a question that went unanswered. Of course every accident is different but if I left my bag onboard how long could I reasonably expect to wait before seeing it again?

Having as answer to that would allow me to decide if I should try and get my stuff or not.

If you are afraid of your medication being stolen or getting lost, carry it on your body. There are small bags with a waist-band or bags you can put on your belt, like the ones used for pocket cameras. It will be no hassle during an evacuation if you keep that belt-bag on.

So what would you prefer, get out and then deal with lost passport, med, wallet phone etc

Or not get out at all but safe in the knoledge when they find your body it will be easy for the authorities to identify your remains?

Out my way i'm comming through

Agreed. As someone who travels on airliners at least every second week, if there is an evacuation I am getting off the aircraft a lot quicker than I got on it.
In such circumstances I couldn't care less if I lose my passport or laptop. I carry my wallet and keys on my person.

A mandatory six month jail sentence for anyone on possession of a trolley case, for reckless endangerment, should cut down the numbers after a bit of publicity.

Agreed. No matter how long it takes to get you bag back, or how important the contents of the bag are, nothing is as important as the safety of yourself and your fellow passenger.

There is nothing that will stop people reverting to learned behaviour and taking their carry on with them ... when I'm on short or long haul, I have the essentials either on my person or in a small (waist bag size) in the seat pocket or somewhere within arms reach.

• Passport/ID
• Wallet with plastic and cash
• Any medication I might need
• Mobile phone
• Boarding pass etc.

Fortunately, I've not had to make an emergency exit as yet but I am ready to reach the exit by hook or by crook.

I love the waist bag idea put forward by those that assume medicines come in small packets!

So going back to my expensive stuff, a supply for a week would fill most small waist sized bags (the box is 150x100x100) then there is the insulin to keep cool which if in a bag worn next too the body would get too warm, and not forgetting the other 4 drugs i need (though these are in smaller packets)

So come on what is the revised suggestion?

Well could I respectfully suggest, again as someone who is on medication for life, that whatever it is it's not blocking the exit while you recover your carry on.

Well, yes, but surely that's the very point ......

In the event of an evacuation, you do not need to take a week's supply of medication with you !

I read what you said above about it being expensive and "rare" medication, but in this day and age, its not beyond the whit of man to courier you something, either domestically or internationally ... and for that item to be with you the same day or next day at the latest. Your travel insurance would no doubt help take care of organising it and pay the associated costs !

I'm afraid I'm with the others here who have said that I don't give a toss what you are fetching out of the overhead locker ... if you're blocking my way during an evacuation, I'm not going to be politely standing there waiting for you to finish rummaging about !

At the very least you should consider just putting your essential de-minimis medications into a plastic bag and sticking it in the seat pocket infront of you so that you can instantly grab it without any faffing about.

Even if you don't want a bag around your midriff, there are other options. I fly wearing cargo pants. Enough pockets for my phone, wallet, passport and keys without being uncomfortable.

I also always keep my shoes on until at least passing 10,000ft on the way up, and from the descent down. Should the worst happen, I'm not fumbling to get my shoes on or having to run through broken wreckage in socks or bare feet. It makes me cringe when I see folk taking their shoes off before the doors are even closed. Not that I have anything against socks on a plane, just don't think it's a good idea until you're cruising.

Agreed jackieofalltrades, I also do that with shoes.

For those that need to carry, say, 48 hrs of meds. Perhaps a kids size backpack? That could sit at your feet under the seat in front. For emergency evac, you could sling it over one shoulder but it would not be big enough to block other people, or to bash them?

Further, make sure that you have duplicate documentation for all your meds in that mini rucksack. I take important travel documents as paper and scanned as PDF on a USB memory stick so that I can print off copies from any computer. I may have also uploaded those files to a password 'box' online. This includes details of my travel insurance and numbers I have to ring if things have gone really bad. If your meds are time critical, consider wearing a medic-alert braclet - even if only when flying.

Including a scan of your prescriptions and a covering letter from your doctor would be easy. If things went bad rescuers would find the copies of your meds in the mini bag (with your name on the outside) and that would also state the regimen. This would speed their being able to identify your condition and provide remedy.