Connection dragons??
 

Waiting at the gate for a flight from T5 recently, saw an agent point to her screen and say to a colleague "only 10 bags need finding to hold check" and off the colleague went into the group 3, 4 and 5 queue to do just that. Seemingly, a target for them to find.

I much prefer the approach in post #2

The OP's experience would have me foaming at the mouth :mad:

I was sitting at the gate in ZRH the other day, wearing very casual clothing, with my standard rollaboard bag and was targeted whereas various suits with similar bags around me weren't. Told her I was taking it with me, mentioned nothing that could make me a "DYKWIA?" and she moved on. Not sure if she assumed I was status less and/or down the back as I didn't look like I'd just stepped out of my MD/CEO office or suchlike.
Nothing said when I boarded with group 1 and sat down in 1F.

Had a couple of other times recently where they've announced, generally, that "the plane is completely full and would you like to gate check your bag?" After boarding is finished, 1/3rd of the plane is empty.

I just go landside now for connecting flights. After the last time I used airside flight connections, I vowed never again. Staff are ill-mannered dicks at security and it takes longer and is more stringent than anywhere else I've been to so far whilst remaining in a secure area and connecting to say a domestic flight.

What's so ''weird'' about that?

OP's experience seems to be unpleasant (I assume that when you say "regular" carry on, you mean that it fits the BA allowed dimensions), and I much prefer gate staff to try and ask for volunteers. That said, for what it's worth, not trying to be a moral police here, but personally, I'm always left puzzled and a bit uneasy with FTers' tendency to refer to various airline personnel in lounges, check points, etc as "dragons". Some are nice, some are not, but I find the term rather gratuitously disparaging. It's just a normal job and most of them try to do it well.

When I read stories like this it makes me sigh. It's not particular to BA, most airlines are doing similar things and really they've bought it on themselves.
They start by charging for checked-in bags.
Many passengers start bring their bags into the cabin, with far too many bringing the proverbial kitchen sink with them.
The airlines are surprised when there's suddenly insufficient room in the cabin for everyone to stow their bags.
Planes leave late because of all the faffing around dealing with all these bags (including the kitchen sinks).
Dragons are sent out into the crowds at the boarding gates to pressgang people to give up their bags.
Wasn't all this so predictable?

Well I'm glad I don't fly very often if flying regularly makes me see events like that as being 'weird'. :D

Reminds me of an LCY->EDI flight where they were labelling bags with yellow tags to go under the seat in front. A gate agent came up, who to my annoyance had skipped past the large number of suit-wearing bankers. First I showed her my boarding pass (which she ignored) and said "no thank you". She proceeded to tell me I must take a yellow tag. Then I pointed out the boarding pass again and she said being in business made no difference. I pointed again and and she said no, being gold made no difference. I pointed again and finally it dawned on her I was in row 1 and there wasn't actually a seat in front to put the bag under.

Me too! Assumptions annoy me greatly. I dont think Group 1 should ever have to check in cabin baggage at the gate.

Yep. It seems that there are more and more reasons not to go through INT-DOM connections at T5.

I also saw two people that were the row in front of me on my previous flight get to the Flounge 10 mins after me doing this. Maybe it was quicker landside. Maybe they went shopping.

If they are going to 'target' anyone, they should first 'target' with those who already have checked baggage, which they must know from the 'system'. Those folk already need to go to the baggage claim it so would be no extra inconvenience to have their carry-ons checked too.