Dear Editor,
On Saturday, November 8, my suitcase was flagged at security at CJIA while passing through the scanner in the departure area. An officer asked for my passport, then placed it deep inside the pocket of her skirt—fully out of sight—and walked away. When she returned, I asked whether it was standard practice to carry a passenger’s passport on one’s person. In years of regular travel around the world, I have never seen this.
She replied that she could put it “anywhere.” Already at risk of missing my flight due to an inordinate traffic delay at Land of Canaan, I chose not to escalate. A second officer—apparently a senior—overheard and asked what the issue was. The first officer explained my concern while still keeping my passport in her pocket. The senior officer then stated that, in her position, she would make me stand aside, ignore me, process all other travellers and let me miss my flight “to show me.”
This is an abuse of authority. A passport is a sensitive, state-issued document that should be handled with basic professionalism—secured, logged, and visible—not tucked into clothing. I was also concerned about hygiene and contamination: anything previously in that pocket could have transferred to my passport. At a security checkpoint, this is a legitimate worry.
The dismissive attitude, compounded by the senior officer’s threat, suggests a troubling culture of impunity at CJIA. I left genuinely worried about what might come next—up to and including something incriminating being placed in my luggage. Travellers deserve procedures that protect both security and the public, without intimidation.
I hope the relevant authorities will review and clarify proper handling protocols for travel documents, and retrain staff accordingly. No passenger should be threatened for asking that their passport be treated with the care it requires.