The airlines contract with these companies. It sounds like your issue may be with Continental airlines. They likely are the one who sets the rules in EWR. In CVG, Delta runs the show, and give the 'rent a cop' their marching orders. While you and I might question how much they know, they do know more than the traveling public, on average. Airline's do not want massive bags (such as 26" carry-ons) to get all the way to the gate. It creates extra work for the gate agent to tag them - and if you haven't noticed yet, gate agent staffing is typically 1 agent for each 200 passengers. Stop the bag while it's still close to the main ticket counter.

Do you dispute that the airline has a rule about the maximum size of a carry-on bag, and your 26" bag is in violation of the airline's policy? You, as a professional, and as someone who's not paying their way should be the LAST person to get upset about this - you knew the rules, you intended to break them, and you were stopped.

I understand the logic of 26" bags on RJ's will go to the bin anyway, but . . . what if you had a HUGE bag, the kind that a family of 4 checks when they put all of their stuff into 1 MASSIVE bag? Clearly, this beast doesn't comply with the carry-on size restrictions of the airline, but, if it's going to go into the bin of the RJ anyway . . . see the point?

26" bags are checked bags. When you're working, there are rules that are not applicable to you (3-2-1 rules, etc). The 'bag that's too big to fit be a carry-on' seems to be one of them (though I can't find where this exemption actually is). As a passenger, if you need to use a bag that's too big to be a carry-on, don't be upset when someone contracted by the airline specifically to monitor the size of carry-on luggage stops you. They did their job.

Did I just write a defense of the airport 'rent a cop'?