I see your point, I do agree that it's best to go into any situation assuming good faith. The problem is that the airline industry and those sorts of big corporations have already proven that they do not generally act in good faith (at least in the countries I have experience with – UK, AU, US). They have already lost the trust and the responsibility is on them to rebuild it.
While I agree the airlines are untrustworthy, when passengers are evacuating a plane, the airline industry, the CEO, etc. are not there. It's just the passengers, and it's up to the people there to create trust.
The idea that it's ok to risk life and limb for possessions, because the airline hasn't been trustworthy, seems to me to be part of the trend of absurd victimhood and its omnipresent flip side, lack of personal responsibility. If I risk life and limb for posssessions, that's on me and me only.
> Unless I actually think I'm going to die ...
I think those are the situations they are talking about.