That's a great trip report for a clearly awful service. Could we just chalk it up to inexperience (on the part of the check-in process in HNL) and hope that things get better? I would hope so. Of course, this is without saying that HP did service HNL in the good old days.
Not very many airlines have the "remember to check you luggage through ag. screening before getting in line" sign posted at their check-in counters. People always (including myself--I forget once in awhile) to do so.