I am sorry for the situation but I think it points out a bigger issue, especially in the USA.

I don't understand why people bring their huge bags on the plane and then try and cram them into the overhead bins when the airline will, for FREE no less, take your bag from you at the very beginning of the trip and deliver it to you at the very end of the trip. Of course, there are the odd hicups but these are rare and I'd imagine a person could fit any absolute necessities in a bag that would "legally" fit into the overhead bins.

This is what happens in every other country I've traveled. There are never calls to "bring the bags that wont fit up front to be checked". Since most of my travels are international it was quite a shock to take 2 trips last month exclusively within the US and see just how many bin hogs there are. People bring huge suitcases on the plane and expect to have room for them in the overhead bins, all to save the precious 10 minutes it takes to retrieve a checked bag at the end of a flight...it's nuts!

Check your bags people!!!