cmeyer54

Sorry folks, but I need to vent. On a recent flight to Boston, I was delayed by over an hour at my departure city due to mechanical problems with an aircraft that was parked at 'our' gate. As a result, what should have been a 2+ hour layover at O'hare turned into a 23 minute sprint from the end of one corridor to the end of another. When I arrived at the gate, I was told to board immediately and just find any space in the overhead bins between the door and my seat. Well, as you can imagine, there was precious little space. I had only a 22" carry-on and my briefcase. There was adequate space in the bin just above my seat...if only the owner of a plastic bag that appeared to contain a couple of tee shirts would move it into a smaller space in the adjacent bin. I asked politely whose bag it was and the passengers looked at me as though I was speaking in a foreign language. I asked politely again since I didn't want to move anyone's possessions without their knowledge or permission. A third question brought no response so my bag had to be checked. My question to you is....are airline passengers ruder these days or just ignorant???
Would you have moved the small bag to another bin next door?

Dick

did you ask for assitance from a flight attendant?

They could have moved the small bag to the adjacent bin.

Anonymous

You're kidding, right? You held up the whole plane, having to make arrangements to check your bag, because you were afraid to move somebody's bag with their t-shirts??? Try some assertiveness training.

Sunshinesue

Maybe you could have brought it to the attention of a flight attendant and had him/her handle it.

chasechow

I would have moved it, I bet that would have gotten you a response!

I'm not sure if people have become more rude or not. I've run into my share of rude, and on the flip side, very nice passengers. Guess it depends on the passenger and the day.

starrsville

I would have moved the plastic bag in a heartbeat - without asking for owner identification. I don't remember asking anyone first before I shift items.

Very probably, the owner of the bag was many rows further back on the plane. I watch that happen all the time and it just ticks me off. Passenger stores item in an overhead bin nearer the front of the plane and then move further back to their seats.

seetheworld

I would have moved it. People move stuff in those bins all the time. I don't see moving something as being rude. However, when people place their bag in the *center* of the bin, that's a bit inconsiderate because it's really a pain for someone else.

suze

I would have moved it without even thinking or asking. People move stuff around all the time in overhead bins.

TheWeasel

I'd bet Starrsville is correct, and the owner of the bag wasn't seated anywhere near it.

I wouldn't waste my time asking a FA for help in moving a bag w/a couple of T-shirts. I'm trying to envision a plastic bag with a couple T-shirts that would cause such a commotion - I know I always seem capable of stuffing another couple of shirts in my bag, so if we're just talking a couple of T-shirts couldn't you just stuff this bag between your carry-on and the one next to it? It's not like it wouldn't get squished around anyway once the plane takes off.

Neopolitan

Yea. Just move the other stuff and get going. But I think the funny idea above is that instead of holding up the plane, cmeyer should have gotten a flight attendant. Huh? On many flights, trying to get the help of an attendant when about ready to depart could take another half hour!

jimcolorado

I thought that I was the only one to be angry at the inconsiderate use of the overhead bins. More times that I can count, I have seen somebody board a plane, cram everything they are carrying into the first bin they come to and then walk away to their seat in another part of the plane. And while we are on the general subject, it really gripes me to see somebody race to get ahead of the "by row" boarding process, when they are sitting in the first couple of rows of the plane. Meanwhile 30 or 40 people who are sitting in the back of the pane are standing waiting for this jerk to put away his stuff, take off his coat, rummage around for a pillow and blanket, etc.

starrsville

Those would be frequent flyers. When boarding "by rows" you have to wait until your rows or zone is called - unless you are a frequent flyer.

They are usually business travelers who have helped airlines stay afloat (and flying) since 9/11.

Anonymous

Usually the frequent flyers get really early boarding and are all settled; the people that jim as referring to are hoi polloi like the rest of us; they just like to jump the line as much as possible. Perhaps they're afraid of not being able to find a place to put their carryon.

KT

Anyway, frequent flyers or not (and I agree that they're usually not), they don't need an advanced degree to know enough to step out of the aisle while loading the overhead so that other people can get by. Or do they?

Neopolitan

Well, I'm one of those frequent flyers who often has a seat pretty far up, but I DO know not to block the aisle. What I think is funny though is sitting in row 7, watching people coming down the aisle and saying to themselves, "we're in row 37", then stopping to look at the number for each row taking forever to move to the back of the plane. If you're looking at row 7 and you're in row 37, do you really think it's necessary to stop and scan each row's number to see if you're there yet? How much intelligence does it take to guess that the next row after 7 will be 8 and your row is still 29 rows away?

Gekko

Airlines should require that all "roller bags" be checked. All of them. That would solve the the overhead problem.

Rude people bring on massive "carry-ons" that they can't even carry. The airlines shouldn't allow it.

starrsville

All righty then, gekko.

GoTravel

I always shift around overhead stuff.

In all honesty, infrequent travelers don't really understand how to pack the overhead bins.

A_Traveller

Shifting smaller bags around the overhead bin is common practice - no need to ask anyone for permission of assistance - just do it. Of course, it's not right to simply remove someone else's belongings and leave them in the center of the aisle - that's rude and the subject of another thread several months ago.

What irks me is watching some travellers place their bags in the bin "lengthwise" immediately after the FA announces in very clear language to place the bags in "wheels first". It's like they are totally oblivious to everyone and everything around them. By the way, I'm a frequent flyer with elite status, I know enough to get on the plane, store my bag in the bin and get out of the aisle as quickly as possible (rarely taking more than 10 or 15 seconds, if that). Why it takes people seemingly 5 minutes to do something so simple is beyond my comprehension.

lizziea06

I like to book my seats as close as possible to the front of the plane so that I can deplane as quickly as possibly once we arrive. I deal with inconsiderate use of overhead space by trying to be among the first to board in my "zone" once it's called by the attendant. I agree that it is so annoying to see people put their bags in lenghtwise instead of wheels first. I'll stop carrying-on my roller bag once the airlines stop losing checked luggage.