My idea of problem-solving...

Worked one leg to San Francisco yesterday morning, arriving around 10 in the morning.  Had a nice  (meaning I slept) 13-hour "dayover" and worked the redeye back.

While we were boarding the redeye flight, I noticed a Man with Three Bags.  He had a suitcase, a backpack and a tote bag.  He never should have made it past the Gate Agent and the Flight Attendant at the boarding door with the extra carry-on bag, but he did.  He put all three bags in the overhead compartment.  I very sweetly asked if he could put the small tote bag under his seat.  He said "Why?  there's plenty of room."  I replied that the flight was expected to be almost full, and that I'd put it up for him if there was room after the other 130 people boarded.  He said he wasn't going to move it.  I said, "Okay, we'll do it your way."  and I walked away to help others.  (I was very nice, not confrontational, and just didn't want to deal with him...)

Fast forward, towards the end of boarding, a family came onboard.  Their seats were separated...Mom and their 7 year-old were seated in two seats together, and Dad with Toddler sitting in one seat together, a couple of rows back.  Dad was a big dude.  He was sitting in an aisle seat.

The young lady in the middle seat next to Big Dad was also a Big Girl.  They were all squeezed in there very tightly.  Toddler was rambunctious.

I noticed that the Man with Three Bags had an empty middle seat next to him.  I moved the Big Girl  that was next to Big Dad and Toddler to the empty seat, next to the Man with Three Bags.  This gave Big Girl relief from not sitting next to Big Dad and Rambunctious Toddler.  This gave Big Dad some relief with space, and a seat for Rambunctious Toddler after take-off.

The only one not happy here was the Man with Three Bags.  Oh, sorry...