The size and weight of bags is important to others around the airport. When in security, if a late passenger was rushing for a flight, they would often be sent with all their baggage through passport control and security direct to the gate.
At security of course all the bags were X-rayed, now it is a known ploy by regular passengers to travel with too many and over-loaded bags and arrive at check-in just as the flight is about to close, thereby avoiding the excess baggage charges that other less canny passengers have applied to them.
At security, the plan is to "drop" the bags and run for the archway detector. The security operative at the loading end of the X-ray machine will simply leave them where they were left, it is not unknown for an unattended baggage security alert to follow this action, his/her job is to ensure correct spacing not to lift heavy bags (that are not supposed to exceed 9kg) 4 feet off the floor, security staff are not insured for it either, and many an unwary staff member has been off work for some time (unpaid) for ignoring this.
When the panicking passenger is sent back to attend to his own lifting, with a pointed cool gesture of "on here please" they often need to be reminded that it was they who packed so much in their bags, just exactly why do they expect other people to handle them for them. There are other methods of getting over-weight bags on to an aircraft, by using a little fore-thought and sending them as cargo, for which they can be collected and delivered, at much lower rates than check-in excess baggage.
Experience; is something you gain, just after you needed it most.
When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you. But because in that brief moment while the coin is in the air. You suddenly know what you are hoping for.
