Originally Posted by
be_rettSEA
Policies are in place for a reason.. While in this instance an FA or gate agent certainly could've probably taped up the bin and departed sooner, making exceptions for certain "non-essential" repairs could easily lead to safety issues on items that are more serious if shortcuts are taken. It may seem ridiculous, but I'd much rather wait a bit for knowledgeable, certified team members to ensure all is good to go, than have someone assume and run into a dangerous situation later.. Unlikely for a closed bin, but too easy to let smaller issues snowball into larger issues that are "okay to just handle with what you have on hand and go" that lead to a major safety issue if you let things get loose.
I agree that a slippery slope can be a dangerous thing, and commercial air travel is so incredibly safe today because of strict adherence to rules and policies (and not winging it). I also think that crew members would be fully capable of taping the bin shut, and if it popped open inflight or was broken by some passenger inflight, they presumably would do just that and not divert the plane to the nearest airport with a certified mechanic.
Like the OP, I am somewhat surprised that there wasn’t a local mechanic available. Perhaps an Omicron-related staffing shortage?
Many years ago I was on a UA flight from Jackson Hole to Denver. Something with one of the engines was kaputt and the pilot announced that they had to get a mechanic to come in from town to take a look. While deplaning to wait in the terminal, people were joking that Joe from the local Ford repair shop was on the way with his tow truck. The crew bought everyone pizza and after a few hours we were good to go. Joe apparently knew what he was doing
