Opinion
I was frisked at Sydney Airport. The worst thing was how long it took
Lee Tulloch
Travel columnistI was cleaning out my handbag the other day and I came across a folded piece of paper that I’d been carrying around for a few weeks.
“Consent to search form”, it reads.
There’s no point getting shirty about delays at the airport security check.Credit: iStock
I’d been issued it in early February at Sydney domestic airport, where I’d been thoroughly searched after the 3D scanner identified me as having something that might have been a bomb strapped to my front.
I went through three times and each time the device showed a large patch across my chest to my waist. I was wearing a button-through linen shirt and loose pants, and I’d removed anything metal on my body. I don’t have any artificial joints or a pacemaker.
I’m grateful for efficient airport security. But it’s inconsistent throughout the world, including in Australia, where some airports now don’t require you to take out your laptop and liquids when your bags are going through the X-ray machine, and some do.
Even within airports, as I discovered recently in Sydney international, some lines have the newer system which can scan laptops and liquids in the bag, and others don’t. I guess the more sophisticated technology is still being rolled out. And that’s fine, if confusing.
It’s unpleasant to have an officious security officer yell at you because in this one instance you didn’t take out your laptop, but in most cases I find these people have the patience of saints, as bewildered travellers hold up lines emptying all kinds of ephemera out of their bags just as they’re putting it on the conveyor belt.
Travel is stressful and we sometimes do silly things when distracted. It’s pointless getting mad at anyone, travellers and security staff alike. After all, what do we lose in the transaction? About 30 seconds of delay in getting through at the other end.
For some reason, the newer 3D scanners that use non-ionising millimetre-wave technology usually identify a hot spot under my arm, which requires further scanning with a handheld device. Ultimately, I’m always let through. I’ve heard that the culprit can sometimes be as nondescript as a deodorant that contains minerals.
In this case though, the “patch” was the size of a Viking warrior’s shield. It was politely explained to me that I’d need a frisk search.
The government’s Home Affairs page is clear on the process. “Where you need a frisk search, you will be asked for your consent to this process. If you consent … you will be offered the option of having it conducted in a private room. A screening officer of the same gender will conduct the frisk search. They must ensure that the frisk search … preserves dignity and treats all travellers equally.”
You have the right to refuse, but you’ll be denied entering the boarding areas.
I agreed to everything, but I didn’t expect the process to take so long. First, I had to wait while a second female officer was found. Then we had to wait until a room became free. When the room became free, I had to fill out and sign a consent form, which had to be co-signed and witnessed. Details such as my driver’s licence were recorded.
In the room, I was patted down and the hand-held scanner was used again. Same result. The two young women were lovely. We considered together what the culprit might be. “Are your buttons metal?” one of the women finally asked.
Bingo! My plastic-looking shirt buttons were indeed metal, which explained the large area pinpointed. Reports were finalised and I was asked if I wanted a copy of the consent form. I said yes. I soon regretted it, as I had to wait another 10 minutes while a supervisor was found to verify the document.
But the thoroughness of the search was impressive. I didn’t find the questions invasive. It wasn’t physically intrusive. At every step I was asked for my consent and the procedure explained.
In 2022, journalist Louise Milligan and several other women travellers expressed concern about the sexist way women were being treated by male security staff at Australian airports. They had valid complaints.
Everything about my experience this time was respectful, painstakingly so, which made me think that Australian airports have taken those women’s criticisms on board.
What’s your experience?
The secret to staying calm through the process is to arrive at the airport with plenty of time before your flight. Otherwise, metal buttons and other rookie errors can turn into a bigger inconvenience.
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