No offense taken. My opinions are based on my own personal bias having been stuck behind people trying to put a much too large and heavy bag in overhead storage. Seeing people put apparently fragile packages in the overhead only to have someone else shove a largish piece of luggage into it and oh well, stuff breaks, tempers flare. I just don't want to deal with it any longer. Exceptions can be made for meds and the like, but for the traveler who just wants the convenience of skipping baggage claim while inconveniencing everyone else on the aircraft, I have no sympathy.

Yes, the airlines need to do better with baggage, that's a separate topic.

Note that carryon dimensions are programmed to shrink. Maybe we need a subforum entitled "Equipped to survive airline travel."

The airlines are charging exorbitant fees for checked luggage and then providing wretched service for same. Until that problem is significantly improved the airlines won't be able to reduce carryons without severely angering their core customers.

Medications and other important identity documents could be placed into a smaller bag that has a clip on the end, so if you have time, you can grab the bag and clip it to your belt or put it around your wrist if long enough.

If everyone does their job, every single aircraft can be evacuated within 90 seconds with half the exits blocked:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIaovi1JWyY - A380 Emergency Evacuation Test.

Edit: Video from a documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gqWeJGwV_U

Big If. Part of the passenger's job is to not delay at all because if everyone delays just a tiny bit to grab something they are slowing the next guy who slows the guy following him and so forth. If everyone gets out without delaying to grab bags (just the carrying of which slows everything down even more), the guys at the back of the pack have a chance. Just my opinion.

"...Sorry, but my laptop is more important to me than your life."

What a sad indictment of our society these days. We've become entirely materialistic and disconnected.

More and more, it seems we deserve what's coming.

Especially if they are wearing a numbered vest, knowingly participating in a timed evacuation drill, and appear to be substantially more vigorous that the last bunch I flew with.

So artificial it is hilarious. It would be far more pertinent to see footage of actual passenger behavior in real crashes.

Delta simulator
http://youtu.be/QVQRVd0i6Wg

767 crash in 1993 (slid off the far end of the runway)
http://youtu.be/KqJ3XQJf9ok

Can't find a video of it, but there have been research where volenteers would get a small reward if they get of the plane quicker. Chaos, people climbing over chairs, people getting jammed at the door and a lot slower evacuation...

Evactuation from a plane (but also other things) is a very complicated study. The behavior of people really depends on the design of the aircraft, behavior of other, trained crews and how immediate the danger is felt by people.

How true, and it is good to see air crews receiving realistic training. While I haven't had anywhere the experience of Montanero in actual emergency exiting, my employer has given me several sessions, since I flew frequently on non-scheduled commercial (charter fixed wings and helos). Training was interesting, especially emergency helo departures from an airframe rolled upside down in the water.

If only airlines gave such training to all their passengers - probably not going to happen.

I suspect that in most emergencies, we will be back loading the lifeboats on the Titanic, seeing selfish behavior balanced by considerably more altruism and genuine sacrifice....