The Unknown Dangers of Overhead Bins
On my recent flight back from Singapore there was an incident that caused concern. A man sitting in an aisle seat was hit on the head by a bag with duty free items that had fallen from the overhead bin.
I heard a large bang and looked around and saw an older man holding his head and another man picking up a sealed duty free bag with two cartons containing alcohol, one was clearly identified as a bottle of Scotch.
The overhead bin was open and I could see it was full of roller cases and when the man who picked up the duty free bag tried putting them back in the locker there was no room. They were sitting on the edge just waiting to fall. It is possible the person who got hit on the head was the one who stowed it there and probably at the last moment since the man that opened the bin would not have known it was there. This is another reason why everyone who uses the same bin should know what is in the bin and how the luggage and other items are stowed.
The problem is compounded by passengers taking too many bags and other items into the cabin especially loose items that are stacked on top of roller cases when lying flat instead on their sides and also on top of backpacks and duffel bags, or just standing upright in front of the luggage in a perilous position.
This incident brings to light the dangers of overhead bins. There are many questions that have to be answered to make them safer.
- Do you know where you have stowed your luggage?
- Do you remember what’s in the overhead bin?
- Have you and others stowed the luggage properly?
- Do you know the proper time to access the bin?
- Can you reach and see into the bin?
Another question is; should items like duty free alcohol be stowed under the seat instead of the bin where they could fall out of? I think this would be the best solution, leave only roller cases and bags that can be set sitting upright or stowed tightly together in the overhead bins. If the bin is half full then there would be no issue like in the photo above, where there was only a backpack and no other items placed there.
During turbulence and hard landings there’s always the possibility overhead bins can open, depending on how severe the jolting is. Another reason why luggage, etc., should be packed securely and firmly in place and the bins not over filled with loose items that may move or fall out.
When too many people, whether from the same row or from adjacent rows, all pack into one overhead bin there’s a higher likelihood the bin will be accessed more often during a flight. With each person not knowing what is stowed there, who has stowed it and how. Every time the bin is opened it’s an opportunity for something to fall out and hit the person sitting in the aisle seat.
On another flight I witnessed a man who couldn’t remember where he had put an item he required for his baby. He looked through six overhead bins. Granted he was a tall fellow and could see inside while he opened them slowly. In the case I mentioned above the man that opened the overhead bin wasn’t as tall and couldn’t see right into the bin. I don’t think this was an issue but it was the location and how the duty free items were stowed, standing upright, in front of a roller case and on the edge ready to pop out when the door was opened.
I hope people understand the implications explained here. Overloading or badly stowing items in the overhead bins may have serious consequences, painful ones, and injuries that could even require hospitalisation.
Cheers
