MAN check in staff are pretty swift to seek to place hand baggage in the hold and to charge for the priveledge. Waiting in the check in queue last week, at least 4 out of the 5 passenger groups in front of me were dispatched to the ticket desk to pay for excess baggage (although in this instance it was quite justified), but they do have a reputation for being a bit 'keen'.
Issue is easily resolved by dropping your bag into the baggage sizer as suggested, which sits quite conveniently at the exit from the queue to the check in desk itself.
As for the skipper in question, well................
