Alternative to airlines' new luggage fees

Not being a frequent flyer, I didn't really give much thought to the news that many airlines were now going to start charging passengers to check their luggage. I recall thinking, "Wow, that sucks", but since I can't really afford to fly anywhere these days (I can barely afford to drive across town), I didn't ponder the situation all that much. Well, I just ran across an editorial piece that offers an alternative to this new fee... start charging passengers for carry-on items instead.

It's absolutely brilliant. Think about it. Under the current plan, the luggage fee only applies to checked baggage, not carry-ons, so that means people are going to start packing as much crap as possible into large backpacks and such, then drag all that mess through the security check points, further slowing down an already annoyingly slow process (and inefficient one, I might add). And after all that, these "carry-on" monstrosities are going to be lugged onto the plane, making boarding/disembarking a logistical pain in the rear. I'm not even sure there is enough overhead storage capacity to handle it.

Check out the article for a more in-depth explanation of the alternative plan's benefits:
article: Airlines are charging for the wrong bags