It sounds obvious, but incidents around the world show that too many passengers still try to grab their belongings in the middle of an emergency. Evacuation slides can be punctured or slowed by hard-sided suitcases and roller-bag wheels, which is why crews shout “Leave everything!” as they deploy them. When people stop to retrieve their carry-on luggage, narrow aisles clog, emergency slides can be damaged, and precious seconds are lost. You might think it’s only a few seconds, but those seconds could be critical for someone behind you who can’t move as quickly. As airlines update procedures and messaging, the challenge is not just logistical but cultural—getting passengers to accept that in a real evacuation, the safest souvenir is making it off the plane alive.