I haven’t flown in about four years, so that was before all the current “people going off” that the airlines have been experiencing more frequently, lately.
About 20 years ago, I went to California and when we were coming back, we were among the last to board and the stewardesses announced that the luggage holds above the seats were all full, so any carry ons would have to be checked in baggage check. One of the passengers who was also last to board started yelling that the reason why the holds were all full was that the crew wasn’t enforcing the one bag per passenger rule. Some airport security came and escorted him back up the tube, never to be seen again. I had a private conversation with one of the baggage handlers and explained that I had a shopping bag with some breakable stuff and I said my skeleton goblets aren’t going to surive in the baggage hold. He said “don’t worry, I’ll find room for you” and he took the shopping bag and found space in the overhead. That was the closest I ever came to witnessing anybody acting inappropriately.
@Nomore_lockout: Driving cross country might be an adventure, but if you had limited time off work or you weren’t getting paid for any time off work, spending 5 or 6 days driving each way wouldn’t be very practical.