I refer to Expect Strict Checks At Upcoming Events In S'pore (Life, May 24).

While attending events at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, National Stadium, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, I have been observing the way the security staff check bags.

They insert their "sticks" in the bags, give it a good stir and then say, "Okay, go". How that helps at all is something that baffles me.

Last year, I went to watch a series of World Cup qualifiers that the Singapore team played at the National Stadium. At one of the matches, the bag check line was long and the match was about to kick off.

All I did was to raise my voice when I was approaching the bag check counter and the staff let me pass without even batting an eyelid. The rest of the people followed my lead. This just goes to show how tough the bag checks really are.

For these large-scale events, scanners (handheld and X-ray ones) need to be deployed.

Considering the threats people face these days, being overprepared is better than being underprepared.

Dogs also need to be deployed to sniff out undesirable substances.

Unfortunately, this will mean spectators have to arrive early in anticipation of the longer time needed for bag checks.

Stewart Sanjay