About 20 years back, I was booked on an EZY back from AMS to EDI that got canned after handing in hold bag at check in & getting airside. Getting to the gate for the replacement service, my backpack was picked out for weighing - WELL over 10kg. "This will have to go in the hold sir." Cue long discussion that I actually had 2 seats booked on the cancelled flight one for me, one for the backpack.
This was to make sure the sensitive electronics, test data and my laptop didn't leave my sight [closest I've ever been to the diplomatic courier with the handcuff to the briefcase...] It was also arranged directly with EZY's head office. Very officious gate agent would not allow the backpack on with me as-was. It HAD to go in the hold, so I very slowly & deliberately unpacked everything that couldn't go in the hold & handed it over, almost empty & it was duly tagged & put in the hold.
The cabin director / purser then chose that moment to appear & took one look at the stack of stuff I'd piled on the desk & bless her cotton socks asked how I'd managed to get it to the desk without a bag. During my explanation, the words "by special arrangement with your head office" slipped out at which point she lifted the phone, dialled an international number & quoted my booking reference at which point everyone became supremely helpful.
Didn't get my backpack returned (until Edinburgh - it wasn't confiscated
), but did get a 100 euro voucher to get a replacement bag from the Schipol shopping centre. It's a very nice, bag, and probably weighed in at three times what my unintended hold luggage weighed.
Back to gate, no issues, no comments, waltzed on to aircraft and was fed some very choice miniatures all the way back to Sconnie Botland to be reunited with both parts of my hold baggage.
Absolutely mad, jobsworth application of a cabin baggage weight policy - not complaining was nearly poured off the plane on arrival and I still have a very fine heavy duty week-away sized holdall that's been through the baggage handling systems of most of the major airports in Europe with barely a mark.