What should passengers do with their belongings during an emergency aircraft evacuation?

During an emergency aircraft evacuation, passengers should leave all their belongings behind. The flight attendant in the Delta incident was heard repeatedly instructing passengers to drop their stuff, emphasizing that backpacks and even phones should be abandoned. When flight crews give these instructions, they're not joking - the priority is getting everyone off the plane safely and quickly. As Cheryl Cassone points out, passengers carrying items can slow down evacuations and potentially endanger lives. When instructed to check for fire or evacuate, passengers need to follow crew instructions immediately without concern for personal possessions. The simple instruction from Harris Faulkner sums it up perfectly: "Just get off."