on Monday at CLE, a gate agent stopped me from boarding because i
- dragged a roll-aboard
- wore a backpack, and
- carried a shopping bag in my hand

the shopping bag had my lunch in it.

i'd say this is VERY gray-area territory -- although from the GA's perspective, not so much. he said "I could lose my job!"

His colleague said "You're going to have to consolidate." although she didn't even really look at my item, her head was down the entire time.

I got annoyed -- yes you could say this is "pushing it" but I was on a five leg trip, same shopping back in my hands every time, 4/5 not a word, and this 1/5 a zealous stickler made me get down on the floor and shove my shopping bag into my backpack.

Of course the minute I got on board I expanded again.

The idea that he would "lose his job" for letting me on with that bag is so completely ludicrous, and I told him so. No need to pull out the hyperbole, yeesh. Maybe just a lesson learned / expectations set: 4 out of 5 times this will be fine and 1 out of 5, not.

But next time this happens, I'd like to be armed with some HARD FACTS. I can't seem to find any link that describes what exactly is a "personal item" - and thus, whether my bag of food counted as a second personal item or just...something else...like a bulky coat, let's say.

I recall seeing somewhere on the TSA site that an additional item allowed through security besides "one carry on and one personal item" is food intended to be consumed in flight but now I can't find that again.

Anybody have a link? Is this written down somewhere? Have a similar quandary?

As always I am very aware of the pettiness of this little detail but here we are, on a forum discussing every little detail