15/12/2025

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MONDAY | DEC 15, 2025

How security has stripped joy of travel T HERE is a moment in every long-haul traveller’s journey – after the thrill of booking has faded but before the

destination’s embrace – when most of us face a universal trial: the security checkpoint. It is no longer a mere formality but a layered, often invasive ritual that has steadily chipped away at the dignity and privacy once associated with crossing the world. My recent flight from Kuala Lumpur to New York via Dubai on Emirates was a stark, uncomfortable reminder of just how far the notion of travel has drifted from being a pleasurable pursuit. Even after passing through X-ray machines in Kuala Lumpur and again in Dubai, my fellow passengers and I were directed to a makeshift tableau of utter exposure just before boarding for New York. Rows of tables were set up in full view of the terminal, where officers instructed us to lay out the entire contents of our hand luggage. Every pocket, large and small, was rummaged through by probing hands and fingers. Under the fluorescent lights, our most personal effects were displayed like market wares. Toiletries, confidential documents and even carefully folded undergarments – matters that should remain private – were splayed for scrutiny, not just by security personnel but by any passing or waiting passenger. Those wearing jackets were subjected to a manual frisk – a procedure that felt less like a security measure and more like a forced, public undressing. The burning question in that moment was: Why? Was this a strict, non-negotiable mandate from US Homeland Security, a condition for landing rights on American soil? Or was it an excess of caution by the airline or Dubai airport – a staged performance of vigilance designed to pre-empt any conceivable blame? The answer was lost in a fog of opaque regulations, leaving the traveller feeling powerless and violated. We are told it is for our own safety – an excuse that has been repeated ever

Travel was once synonymous with freedom - the expansion of the mind through the movement of the body. Today, that movement is hemmed in by a labyrinth of paranoid protocol. – BERNAMAPIC

“We must question whether the relentless erosion of our privacy and the normalisation of dehumanising treatment is truly the price of security or merely the symptom of a system that has lost sight of the humanity it is supposed to protect.

to evade such measures. Travel was once synonymous with freedom – the expansion of the mind through the movement of the body. Today, that movement is hemmed in by a labyrinth of paranoid protocol. We submit, of course, because we must. But we should not submit silently. We must question whether the relentless erosion of our privacy and the normalisation of dehumanising treatment is truly the price of security or merely the symptom of a system that has lost sight of the humanity it is supposed to protect. The journey should inspire wonder, not a weary sense of resignation. Until we demand a smarter, more respectful balance, travelling will become a painful chore rather than a memorable experience. Dr Bhavani Krishna Iyer holds a doctorate in English literature. Her professional background encompasses teaching, journalism and public relations. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in counselling. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

failure of hospitality and a corruption of a nation’s welcome. For the business traveller on a tight schedule, the tourist brimming with anticipation or the family embarking on a dream holiday, such treatment casts a long shadow over the entire journey. It transforms the traveller from a guest or customer into a potential suspect – a nuisance to be processed. The message is clear: you are a problem to be managed before you can be a person to be welcomed. The grand irony – the bitter pill at the heart of this lament – is the questionable efficacy of it all. How many real, imminent threats are actually uncovered through these public unpackings or the harassment of weary passengers? Statistics suggest the yield is vanishingly small. Yet, the industry perpetuates a cycle of performance, a “security theatre” in which the perception of safety is prioritised over efficiency and respect for the individual. We strip off belts and shoes, surrender our liquids and open our most private bags, all the while knowing that the truly determined will find ways

since the seismic shift in global travel after Sept 11, 2001. While no reasonable person disputes the need for safety, we must ask: At what point do the costs to our privacy and personal dignity outweigh the diminishing returns of these exaggerated displays? This incident is not an exception but a symptom of a broader, global malaise. The security apparatus has expanded, yet its human element often reflects a culture of suspicion over service. Nowhere has this been more evident than at London’s Heathrow Airport, where the frustration of the process seems to have seeped into the demeanour of many border and security officers. Impatience has become the default and rudeness is commonplace. I have witnessed officers barking orders at confused elderly travellers, shouting at families juggling infants and carry-ons, and employing a tone of sheer contempt that turns a simple queue into an episode of anxiety. This institutional roughness is more than just an annoyance; it is a profound

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