Inconsiderate Yahoos and Their Carry-On Bags.

Everyone knows that most of the airlines are now charging most passengers for checked baggage. One result – entirely predictable – is that more and more passengers are lugging their bags aboard when they fly.

Another result, also predictable, is that people are now bringing more than the required minimum size and number of carry-on bags aboard. Most get away with it because the beleaguered flight attendants don’t want to be convenient targets for the increased resentment all this nickel-and-diming has generated among passengers.

But the increase in carry-on bags has also brought another scourge to air travel.

(photo from National Geographic Traveler on line)

Many airlines ask passengers seated in the rear of the plane to board first. That includes the thoughtless creep assigned to seat 36B in the rear of the plane, who stops just back of the first class section and stuffs his two oversized carry-on bags into the bin above row 8. He does this for his personal convenience, of course, because when we get to our destination, he won’t have to drag his bags down a crowded aisle for the length of the plane.

Unfortunately, as a consequence, when the person assigned to row 8 finally gets to board, there’s no room in the bin above his seat and the poor sod has to drag his carry-on bag to the rear of the plane before he can find available space in an overhead bin.

Then when the flight lands, like a salmon heading upstream, Mr. Row 8 has to work his way back through all those passengers hurrying to deplane in order to retrieve his bag. As a result, the entire deplaning operation is confused and no doubt takes longer.

What can be done about this latest among the ever-increasing number of annoyances with which air travelers must deal? As far as I can tell, not a damn thing.

But whenever possible, I’m still taking Amtrak!