I've had to wait in the security line for over an hour before. That is proof security is not about terrorists - if it was you would not be allowed to stop until after they verify you don't have a bomb with you. Those lines are a perfect place for a terrorists to kill a lot of people.

Perhaps it is not a universal truth but I have certainly been in situations where my boarding card was not accepted because I was at the entry gates to security (where you scan your boarding card) less than 30 minutes before boarding.

This was in Amsterdam Schipol.

That must have been some kind of local rule. There's no such rule in the US.

Not a compelling argument, I will always make sure this doesn't happen.

And I also distinctly remember being unable to drop my bag at EWR for being "too late" to do so.

Always better to be early, so people will factor that in.

> And I also distinctly remember being unable to drop my bag at EWR for being "too late" to do so.

That is indeed a universal thing when you have bags to check. I just don't consider that a "have to" since you don't have to check a bag to fly.