Originally Posted by
Tafflyer
I had the dreaded SSSS last summer. I was in F and boarded as the first passenger. I was travelling alone so could not palm off my luggage to anybody else. The idiot that performed this charade spoke in unintelligble tones and asked really stupid questions, most of which were personal and none of his business. I made the mistake of telling him so meaning the charade took until well into general boarding.
So, my advice would be to have as little hand baggage as possible, make sure any mobile devices are not only charged but switched into standby but security protected so that they cannot be opened without your presence. Be polite but do not let them intimidate you into answering any questions not related to your journey or visit. I found questions to marital status, where I had travelled in the last 6 years, how many kids I had and where they lived totally inappropriate and without purpose. Bear in mind, these people are not part of any government agency or empowered for anything other than the security of the aircraft you are entering. If you do not want questions about religion then don‘t tell them you are on a cheap ticket originating in CAI.
It really is simpler to answer the questions and not worry about what they are - the purpose is to see how you react, whether you can provide an answer instantly (and let's face it, everyone should know if they have children ...), and whether there's any sign of nervousness. That's why the questions are actually entirely appropriate - they are ones that everyone should be able to answer with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The questioner really doesn't care what the actual response is, and nor will they record it anywhere for posterity - if you claimed to only have two children when it's really three they're not going to know, but they might later trip you up with a supplementary question.
IMHO, even suggesting to the OP that they should refuse to answer certain questions is bad advice.