Sunday afternoon I flew YVR -> SFO on United. Like all United flights these days, it was 100% full and I experienced something new: The FAs were rigorously enforcing the 'one bag in the bin, one bag under the seat in front of you request.'

In fact, it was more of a rule than a request, with FAs confronting people when they put two items in the bin and demanding that they put one item under the seat in front of them. At 6'3 and working for a company that won't pay for an E+ upgrade I need every inch of space under that seat in front of me, so luckily they didn't notice when I put my small rollaboard *and* my small backpack in the bin above. Is this new? Are all the carriers doing this? Was this just an overly enthusiastic purser demanding this of her cabin crew?

I think this is quite common on flights that are very full. I don't think I've ever seen a FA demand that someone put one item under their seat, but I have seen FA's who watched passengers try and put two items in the bin ask them to please place their second item under their seat.

This rule doesn't apply to DYKWIA's.

A beef between OP and his employer. Why should another pax suffer a gate-checked bag because neither the pax nor the employer are willing to pay for E+.

I'm in precisely the same situation as the OP, yet still manage to survive flights with one of my carry-ons under the seat in front of me.

Thumbs up to the FAs
Thumbs down to the OP.

I didn't realize that tall people were designated by the ADA to have special needs that preclude them from following carry-on rules that everyone else must observe.
I hope the FA's attention to this becomes commonplace in all cabins on all aircraft.

I often put both items in the overhead, but my handbag goes on top of my rollaboard, thus taking up no more real estate in the overhead than just the rollaboard. I would not want anyone else putting their bag on mine (their bag might be heavy, have liquids that leak etc.) so what harm is it doing to have both up top?

I guess it depends on the size of the objects in question.
Does your second item ever prevent another passenger from placing their jacket into the overhead without having to smash it in?
Given the crowds on planes, it might be easier to enforce a rule for all passengers rather than having the FAs examining every second article a passenger wishes to place in the bin to ensure equal treatment.
I would think that it's not a problem to place a second item overhead once all passengers are boarded and it's clear that there is room for the second item.
By the way, in your own post you suggest that someone else might put a bag on top of yours. Therefore, you are admitting that your second item may block someone from putting their one item in the bin. So you kind of blew your own argument.

I'm seeing this more and more as fights tend to be full these flying days.
About 1/2 way through the boarding process, the FA's start announcing that only the larger bag in the overhead and smaller bags under the seat in front of you since "We are running out of overhead bin space".

I'm usually goofing around with my laptop carry-on bag anyway so I put this under the seat so I can get to it easily during flight. I'm only 6'1" so I deal with it. We all have to share what little space there is.

I am happy to read this. I wish FAs WOULD enforce this. Everyone should place one under a seat and one above.

@OP - Now, I''m only 6'2 but I always have a backpack under the seat in front of me. I do fine in E-. I don't know though, maybe it's that extra inch to 6'3 that throws it off.

I can and do object to someone cramming something in on top of my soft sided rollaboard. Last trip I had framed canvasses in my bag, at other times I have had fragile pottery, fragile glass items etc. Thus I will say something if someone tries to cram their bag, duty free etc on top of mine. Only I know what is in the bag, and what is fragile etc and I don't know if they have e.g. a leaking water bottle etc in their bag. My small handbag on top, placed there by me, with no liquids in doesn't break things, doesn't damage things. I personally would never put an item of mine on top of someone else's - I would think that rather rude tbh. If someone asked if they could lay e.g. a suit jacket over, then that's another matter because a) they asked and b) the jacket, laid carefully, would normally be fine - although I've seen 'jacket crammers' as well.

Out of interest, what about a Canadian flight in winter, when winter coats are as bulky as rollaboards? I normally pop my coat under the seat in front (given it is squishy and my feet can squish under it), and a second item overhead (as it wouldn't fit under the seat along with the full length winter coat. What is the correct thing in this instance?

+1! That is so irritating. I always watch my bag during boarding to make sure people aren't cramming their crap on top of mine. A coat is fine, but anything else gets a scolding from me in quick order.

I travelled in the last week (on Frontier) and an announcement was made prior to boarding and on the aircraft that passengers should put their carryon in the bin and their 1 personal carryon under the seat in front of them. As one of the earlier boarders, I got to see how it all worked out for the rest of the passengers. In both of my flights, there were some people that tried to cram both of their carryons in the bins, others complied with the announcment and for a select few, they didn't have a carryon. All the bins were completely full long before the last passenger every left the gate area. It is amazing to see what people try to get on the plane. The gate agent even offered to gate-check anyone that didn't want to bring their rollerboard onto the aircraft. I am sure there were several (especially the later boarders) that had to gate check their bags.

I just shake my head and wonder how some people would have survived in the days before overhead bins!