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

But then you can’t open them in the event of a fire.

Window hammer ? But you still have the problem of a drop to the ground if you aren't at ground level. That's before you consider people who may have mobility issues and rely on a stairlift ...

When I was a student, the fire alarm went off at the main educational campus. It was a very modern building, so plenty of fire exits. I proceeded to my nearest one down the stairs as directed. Got to the bottom of the stairs to find a small crowd of people milling around, and two girls loudly panicking because we couldnt get out because the "doors are shut". They'd got to the exit first, seen the doors were shut, assumed they were locked, and then everyone else had taken their word for it.

I stalked past in a temper and just pushed the doors open, and everyone streamed out.

Terrifying though. In the event, it was a very minor fire, easily contained, but what if it hadn't been?

Nobody knows how they'll react in an emergency. You just have to hope that fire drills and first aid knowledge and common sense will kick in for you, but until you are in the situation you don't actually know.

There was a child knocked down by a car outside a church here a couple of years ago when Brownies had just finished and Guides was waiting to start. Leaders of both groups plus a good number of parents were there. The first to react to tend to the child and call an ambulance were two 14 year olds who had been practising for a first aid badge so had been reading their what to do guidance that night. Everyone else froze for at least a minute or two.

@floribunda18 I'm sorry for your loss, but your want to take this thread down is unreasonable. Many posters are reflecting on what and how they take luggage and documents on board a plane . If this leads to one life being saved it's worthwhile.

It's certainly made me think, I may also recall this in an emergency, who knows?

I'm hoping MN do not take down this insightful post.

@Backinthebox your posts are very enlightening. Thank you

I like the idea of bins that lock. "In the event of an emergency landing the overhead bins will lock permanently. You will not be able to retrieveyr beginnings and your immediate departure could save those behind you". I think we have misery sight of the meaning of a human life. A gentle reminder like this could help

Is this the best you can do, OP? Look for blame in a tragic situation that you were nowhere near and not any part of? Shame on you. I'm glad that most posters aren't indulging you.

I too like JellyBabiesSaveLives's suggestion of automatically-locking overhead lockers.

I'm sad for the families of those lost, the survivors too - and those having to sift through the wreckage; what a horrendous situation.

Locking overhead bins are great until someone tries prying it open in an emergency and ends up in a fight with the person behind them who needs them to move.

Onboard luggage allowances should be made much smaller with a larger allowence for those with babies or are disabled and need to bring extra things with them.

Locking overhead bins are great until someone tries prying it open in an emergency and ends up in a fight with the person behind them who needs them to move.

I think pre flight instructions that the bins will be locked in the event of an evacuation should go some way towards mitigating that ?

If they're not able to be opened then passengers need to move to the exit and leave. Flight attendants could be behind, herding the passengers out. Or, passenger has the option to sit back down and try their luck once everybody's out, maybe?

Like every other disaster, there's learning that comes out from the mistakes and bad planning - hopefully. This shouldn't be allowed to ever happen again.

Like every other disaster, there's learning that comes out from the mistakes and bad planning - hopefully. This shouldn't be allowed to ever happen again.

The reality is changes will be made, and then over time weakened - possibly removed - as being too costly.

It is panic, and no-one can possibly say what they would do in that situation or if they would have behaved differently. To say they deserve to be prosecuted and there's a special place in hell for them is bloody ridiculous. You can't say how you would behave in the same situation.

It's like when people are in peril in water/drowning; they go into panic, and will grab hold of anything to try and survive, or anyONE. They will climb on top of someone to try to save themselves, even their own rescuer. On a first aid course once, we were told 'never jump into dangerous waters if you see someone drowning, unless you are trained as a lifeguard, because you will risk your own life, as many people will climb over you to save themselves. (Obviously different if it's your own child or a very close loved one..)'

It's all very well judging people and pouring scorn on people, when you have never been in that situation yourself, but you have no idea what you would do. Moreover, it's possible that the people who got out (who got their overhead bags etc,) had no idea that passengers at the other end of the plane were in so much danger and peril.

@HuntIdeas YABU.

I think pre flight instructions that the bins will be locked in the event of an evacuation should go some way towards mitigating that ?

Leave your belongings is a standard part of every emergency drill in planes and buildings and people still stop for bags and coats so adding locked bins isn’t going to suddenly change that

Leave your belongings is a standard part of every emergency drill in planes and buildings and people still stop for bags and coats so adding locked bins isn’t going to suddenly change that

And I thought I was the cynic here ?

I am aware that they tell you in the announcement to put your own drop down mask on before helping a child put theirs on. What they don't tell you is that if you help your child first, you may lose consciousness before you ever got yours on.

I am aware that they tell you in the announcement to put your own drop down mask on before helping a child put theirs on.

So far, so good ...

What they don't tell you is that if you help your child first, you may lose consciousness before you ever got yours on.

Not quite sure what the point is here ? What difference does that make to the preceding instructions ? Aside from the fact that it simply adds to complexity, it's a sad fact the more information people have, the more conspiraloons will find to talk about, and thus more excuses for people to disregard the original advice.

Because I suspect many parents would ignore it and help their child first. They need to tell people why.

Because I suspect many parents would ignore it and help their child first. They need to tell people why.

Ah, like vaccinations. I see, now ....

The announcements should say that 'not following the recommended instructions which are for everyone's benefit, could result in a prosecution'.
Then you can charge the ones who didn't do it.

The announcements should say that 'not following the recommended instructions which are for everyone's benefit, could result in a prosecution'.

Or death ....

I've been in a train fire with a full carriage once.
We were told to evacuate quickly. Everyone stopped and picked up their luggage to the train guard hopping up and down and almost squeaking at people to just get out.
People don't think past more than "I'm getting out" and go into auto drive and do what they do to get out normally-hence picking up the cases etc before they leave. As we waited for further instructions people were looking down at their baggage and wondering why they'd spent time retrieving it.
We were furthest from the exit and nearest to the fire and had a baby and toddler, so it was pretty scary in some ways.

We'd just discovered dd1 had chickenpox about 20 minutes previously (didn't even know she'd been in contact with it) and dh had a work laptop which had some fairly high security stuff on it. He had to leave it on the train, but he stood with an eagle eye checking no one touched it from the position we could see.
That made a very interesting conversation with the train management once they'd stopped panicking and the fire was out. They did go and fetch the laptop as soon as the fire department said they were safe to do so.

People act strangely in emergencies and even if drilled, can‘t deal with commonsense changes to the established programme. I remember a fire alarm (thankfully false) at a previous workplace. Instead of leaving via the nearest exit, people were milling about and arguing about which door to use - the nearest one or the one that they had used on previous drills, which was further away? Even one of the designated fire marshals was faffing. It only stopped when I opened the door and yelled „You lot. Out this door. Now!“ And then later, the fire marshall chap complained because I was rude. Better rude and alive than polite toast.

On another occasion, when we had to evacuate a vehicle in an emergency, I‘m afraid I was a seat Didn’t stomp on anyone but my instincts to get out just took over.

Sorry - meant to say - I was a seat climber.

It’s just unbearably frustrating and very scary that people can cause the death of yourself and your family by blocking the exit.

Noone is blaming the passengers that panicked but in my personal opinion there’s a difference between panicking and being an inconsiderate dickhead

What kind of person gets out of an emergency like that and demands a refund then complains coz he didn’t get one within 40mins

Your mind does strange stuff in an emergency.

I’d been out for lunch with my family in a large shopping centre. It was shortly after the Manchester arena bomb and there were armed police around, laughing and joking with the public.

As we were finishing our lunch, the fire alarm went off and the message to evacuate came. My first thought was terrorism.

I have three young children. I looked at them and thought, I can’t carry them all. I had the baby in a sling when the alarm went off, and I grabbed my eldest by the wrist, and I ran. As I ran I was processing that I couldn’t get my middle one out, and hopefully my husband could. But I was reconciling myself to having done the best I could to save as many of my children as I could.

Obviously it was a false alarm (minor kitchen fire I think) but I still feel horrendously guilty.

I’m probably a terrible person.