To think that these passengers should have criminal charges brought

[HuntIdeas]

After the tragedy of the Aeroflot flight where 41 people died, it sounds like other passengers stopping to get bags out of overhead lockers might have delayed the evacuation and caused some of the deaths!

AIBU to think that the passengers who deliberately took the time to stop and get bags out of overhead lockers, delaying evacuation of passengers behind while the aircraft was on fire, should have criminal charges brought? They directly caused some deaths!

Obviously, in reality it would be difficult to prove who caused what. However, just talking about bringing charges and making it a criminal offence to retrieve baggage in emergency situations would maybe stop other passengers from doing it next time

@Jellybabessavelives I think you’re a genius! Such a simple solution which would probably solve a who,e load of issues

@daisydoesnt my wheelie case which is the maximum size fits under easyJet seats, I was quite surprised.

Yes - I saw footage of people walking away from the plane with suitcases and thought WTF?

I can count at least 7 bags

I had the same thought as you OP. Obviously rationally I know it’s not feasible to prove anything or hold individuals accountable

I've always thought that the lockers should be controlled by the cabin crew, and locked during landing/take off and when turbulence occurs. That way it stops muppets scrabbling about in them and being a general pain in the arse.

Would also stop anyone trying to get their luggage off in situations like this. Unthinkable.

I can't believe that people think its Ok to excuse it though

Nobody has said they behaved well - they have just said that you can never know how you'll behave in an accident or emergency situation until you're there and it's happening. It's all very well to say you'd be calm and walk off nicely but you could just as easily have a panic attack, be thinking of how to contact your children/husband/parents or go onto autopilot. Equally you could just freeze and not even manage to walk forward.

What does casting judgement on someone's behaviour in a life/death situation actually achieve? If you were in a similar situation and froze/had a panic attack or did something completely out of character, would you like people to judge and criticise you?

Would also stop anyone trying to get their luggage off in situations like this. Unthinkable According to trade press articles about this it is quite normal!!

Following the Emirates crash in 2016, where the same thing happened (although, thankfully everyone was evacuated), I have always booked seats close to the exit and keep my purse and passports in my handbag which I put under the seat in front. No harm in being prepared!

It's awful, but I agree with PP who said that they probably all went into shock and autopilot - the human mind is a strange and complicated thing.

Would also stop anyone trying to get their luggage off in situations like this. Unthinkable.

Well, clearly they would as it's quite a well-documented thing to happen. The photos show people with their luggage (multiple people, so it's not just one person who's done it), and posters on here have reported similar things when they've been involved in accidents too.

Or maybe they had sentimental or cherished items or important documents that they didn’t want to leave behind.

What object could any person own which would be worth more than another person’s life?

People on MN will try to justify literally any behaviour for the sake of being contrary sometimes.

It’s interesting that so many of you are passing judgement based on a situation you are statistically unlikely to have ever been involved in. Apologies to those who have been through an airplane crash, your views are obviously much more informed.

I stopped my car once to get a young woman out of her smoking car that had hit a tree. Pulling her clear as I feared an explosion she demanded I go back for her alcohol as she had been on her way to a festival....
After ringing the services I rang her dm who arrived and didn't even thank me!! Hopefully shock and not that she was so ignorant...
Nowt as queer as folk in a disaster.

I saw the “overweight” man article who was bleating about wanting his money back

To me he doesn’t look that overweight

But he is incredibly selfish because the first thought he had is not “oh god I was the last survivor” but “ I want my money back”

He stopped to get his luggage too

People on MN will try to justify literally any behaviour for the sake of being contrary sometimes Yes. They completely ignore evidence of a behaviour when it is presented too!

Pot
Kettle

People on MN will try to justify literally any behaviour for the sake of being contrary sometimes.

It's a well-known phenomenon! It's not something we've just made up

JellyBabiesSaveLives

I wonder if they could make Automatic locks on the overhead lockers that switch on whenever the seatbelt sign is on. That would work in an emergency, and also stop all the idiots who stand up and start getting bags out the second the plane has landed normally but is still taxi-ing

Now that is a great idea.

Or maybe they had sentimental or cherished items or important documents that they didn’t want to leave behind.

As opposed to the people who lost their lives ..... FFS

Thanks for the non Sun link Soubriquet

That’s ok

I can’t bloody remember how to do links now though

I used to be cabin crew and I am not surprised at how selfish people can be on an aircraft. I had an elderly passenger die on a flight once and some people complained that the crew were taking to long to serve drinks They would have heard the calls for a doctor or nurse, saw the crew moving through the aircraft with first aid kits and a defibrillator and heard an announcement asking them to be patient in the circumstances but they needed a G+T...

GOT IT!

clicky link

It is really unpleasant to start blaming people for their behaviour in a life and death emergency, especially before any sort of proper investigation. As has been said already people behave differently in stressful situations. You need to take human factors into account. It is easy to say in the cold light of day how you would / should behave.

Studying this issue compassionately may lead to things improving such as locking the overhead lockers but purely blaming people is just mean and does not improve safety.

If you accept that people do not behave rationally in an emergency/ crisis situation, how is them KNOWING the overhead bins are locked going to stop them from trying to open them? Locking the overhead bins will only make matters worse, some people will still try to get their luggage out, even if they are locked and can't be opened.

Removing overhead bins all together is the only way to prevent aisles getting blocked in an evacuation situation. There is no reason to have overhead lockers other than for our (passenger) convenience, but safety should take priority over convenience.