Very much agree. I would have no expectation of getting anything back, and people travel with some of their most important items: passports, visas, credit cards, laptops, phones.

Unless I actually think I'm going to die, i.e. if it feels like it's more cautionary, I'd be very tempted to grab my essentials.

Trust is absolutely the thing that needs to be built. Trust that I'm going to be taken care of, trust that I'm not going to have visa issues without any ID, trust that I'm going to be compensated, fast, if I don't get my expensive possessions back.

> speculate that Japanese passengers expect to promptly get their stuff back while North Americans know they are effectively throwing it in the garbage, and so are more tempted to grab a few things

If this behaviour were isolated, this hypothesis would make sense. Given it exists in a broader context of Japanese altruism, I’d say it’s just a fitness advantage to having a high-trust, rule-following society.

Also, in Japan do you sometimes have trouble getting a social security card and/or birth certificate to the point of being completely unable to do so the way you do here?

I was a bit surprised by this take, because I never questioned you would get the luggage back if it survived. Having looked into it more I was pleasantly surprised that even in cases where the airplane was severely damaged luggage was returned.

If you remember the "Miracle on the Hudson", they actually carefully dried everything and couriered it back to the owners. Far beyond what I would expect.

https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=7629396&page=1

> Japanese passengers expect to promptly get their stuff back while North Americans know they are effectively throwing it in the garbage

If the plane has crashed and people are fleeing for their lives, I doubt people expect to get their bags back.

That’s one hypothesis.

The other hypothesis is that some cultures may be more attached to things. Yet another is that some cultures might have problems following orders.

i would bet you they would still not grab bags even if they had no credible reason to think they would get it back.a significant minority of Americans are quite selfish/individualistic

On the right track.

Baggage handling should be controlled by the FAA to ensure safety in emergency situations.

Agree, If you're caught running with a bag from a plane (as we've seen on video): zero eligibility for "survivor benefits", $50,000 fine for endangerment, plus 100% liability for any injuries of those behind you.

No need for grave consequences, just mandate the destruction of any personal baggage after an evacuation and add a hefty fine to boot.

If it's all gonna get destroyed no matter what, there's no reason even to try to take anything with you.

If dying doesn't stop them, fear of punishment by law won't either. That's if they even know about the law.

> would support a law that imposes grave consequences for airline passengers found to be in possession of personal baggage following an evacuation

My preference would be for a massive fine and one-year flight ban for the first offence, and triple that fine plus one year in jail plus lifetime for a second offence.

In all cases, you’re personally responsible for your injuries and those of anyone behind you.

Oh god, this is what they'll implement eventually. Each passenger will have to put their bag 15 rows down from their seat.

Easy, Satan.

> the proper response is punching them in the face and throwing them onto the ground so people can step over (or on) them

The proper response to anyone doing this is jail time and a flight ban. The person with a bag delayed everyone by seconds. The person having an emotional breakdown will cost folks minutes.

Don't make this an emergency-only thing. It needs to be every flight during takeoff and landing. Otherwise people will be confused why they can't open the bin during evacuation and fight with the attendants, etc.

A more comprehensive set of policy changes:

* All tickets required to include one checked bag in the fare. Less pressure on overhead bin space and less tendency to have one big bag instead of a personal item with important documents.

* Overhead bins lock during takeoff and landing. And it needs to be a sturdy lock, not something that a lunatic can pry open and entice the entire plane into trying to break their stuff out.

* Fine passengers that take luggage during an evacuation. $5k + the value of the item. That makes it so that even people with valuables should leave them behind. And people complaining about their $5200 fine will be mocked for risking everyone's lives for $200.

* Evacuation tests for new seating arrangements must assume that all personal items and accessible overhead items will be taken unless that is rendered impossible by policy or locks.

Lives are at stake; it doesn't matter if you get your bags back and that isn't hard to understand. Also, if the plane is on fire, you're probably not getting them back.

> After drilling into passengers nonstop to never leave their bags unattended is it any surprise passengers don't leave their bags unattended?

That's while going to your flight in an airport. I don't think anyone confuses the situations.

Do we need to wait for a tragedy before we do something? Good on the airlines and regulators for recognizing a burgeoning problem and taking action before (hopefully) it leads to unnecessary deaths.

I think the article says the goal is evacuation in 90 seconds with half the exits available, but that it hasn't been achieved yet.