Mile King,

Good luck trying to get a fully automated baggage drop off. Isn't "security screening" supposed to be one of the things that the agents do when they check you in? Who would ask you those "important" security questions?
I think the questions are a waste of time, but putting the cynicism aside, I would hope that airlines do give their check-in agents some kind of training to watch for activities or behavior that would indicate a higher than normal security risk.