I think that you will find that you are asked the questions when you check your bag in no matter when or where you actually checked yourself in.
The issue is with cabin baggage and I believe that the airline has to have asked these questions somewhere along the line, even though your cabin baggage will be extensively screened on the way through security.
It is just another example of how regulations have not kept up with actuality. New regs are put in place but noone ever seems to bother to cancel the out of date ones that are being replaced. Mind you, this seems to be endemic in our society as a whole.
