A system that encourages bad behaviour

I flew home to London from Paris yesterday.

British Airways being British Airways we'd been put on a bus to get from the terminal to the actual aircraft.  Me being me I'd let other people off the bus first, so I was the last passenger to board the (full) plane.

I was sitting in row 11, not at the front and not at the back and as I'd only been away overnight I just had the one carry-on bag.  Of course there was no room remaining in the overhead compartments near row 11.  Without a hint of an apology the cabin attendant told me that I had to find space further down the plane, somewhere near row 18.  Now I'm faced with a choice: either I acquiesce (which means I'll be going against the flow to get my bag and pretty much be the last person off the flight) or I make a fuss.

So without actually raising my voice I make my displeasure known.  This isn't right.  Why should I potentially be the last person off the flight if I'm sitting in row 11?  I turn my problem into the BA guy's problem.  He reads the situation pretty well.  He offers to stow the bag himself and bring it back to row 11 after we land.  I can virtually hear the thoughts of my fellow passengers: -

"Pushy bloody Australian."

At Heathrow the cabin attendant is as good as his word, he brings me back my bag and I'm happy.  Another passenger, who was obviously told the same thing as me when boarding, then asks that his bag be retrieved as well.  It's too late: the seatbeat light is off, the aisles are suddenly full of passengers and he has to wait.

I don't like being that person.  I hate having to make a fuss.  I hate the whole idea that it's the 'squeaky wheel that gets the grease'.  That if I don't behave badly and turn my problem into someone else's then I lose.

Systems that reward bad behaviour should be avoided.  Unfortunately air travel is full of them.