I agree that the OP's FA should have politely explained the rules.
However, the flip side is that the FA's have to fly a number of flights per month. After 9/11, the relative innocence of the industry is gone. FA's have to look for "suspicious" individuals, might have to defend themselves from attackers or fight off shoebombers, and/or deal with mentally ill individuals whose families negligently let them travel alone. Not to mention that all of them lost colleagues and friends on 9/11...
You can't blame them for being a bit paranoid from time to time!