Originally Posted by
Djokison
Agreed, I'd say it's hard to miss. Generally the FA's don't seem to care, but if one tells you it's not allowed, (s)he's just following the rules.
And they may have been given a heads-up about FAA inspections, which might explain why this was the first time in years the OP experienced this. FAs definitely don't want to be caught letting things slide when this happens.