Yup. Hence the page of “Last call for passenger xxx. If you do not report to the gate immediately your baggage will be unloaded and the flight will depart without you”.
US domestic airlines are still very sloppy about security, despite all the propaganda. Bags and passengers should ALWAYS be on the same flight if the rules are being followed. Suicide bombings might seem commonplace nowadays, but they are still much less of a threat than ‘traditional’ bombings.
One Christmas several years ago I flew into Regina to visit my family, and my bag wasn’t there. I reported it and gave the address where I’d be - in Weyburn, 70 miles away. They called the next morning and sent it down in a cab! We gave the driver some of my sister’s homemade chocolates for strength on the drive back.
I always follow Duckster’s advice about keeping a few necessities in my carry-on. Another trick is to put in a large freezer bag or two to dump your pockets into before reaching the metal detector.