Originally Posted by subject2load

I really would like to think that (as suggested) it was indeed a case of crew removing the said items due to turbulence, rather than 'theft'. I guess we will never know for sure.

But .....if the latter, then yet another sad illustration - amongst many ! - of the way in which air travel's transformation, from an almost niche activity enjoyed by a wealthy few to one available to the masses, has brought with it occasional tacky behaviour from a percentage (albeit happily a still-small percentage) of those masses.