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SALT LAKE CITY -- Recent events have revealed a rather bizarre contrast in attitudes among two classes of government employees assigned to America's airports. Inside the terminal, we have over-vigilant security agents patting down six-year-olds, while up above in the control tower, its nap time.
Related:
Concern growing over TSA pat-down of 6-year-old girl
Concern is growing among parents, experts and now a Utah congressman over the pat-down performed on a 6-year-old girl by a TSA worker at the New Orleans airport.By now, you've seen the video of the frozen-in-fear blonde girl undergoing a pretty thorough frisking in New Orleans, and you've heard about the latest example of an air traffic controller - this time in Reno -- dozing off on the job.
The New Orleans incident has given Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz fresh ammo in his fight with the TSA on what constitutes a balance between ensuring passenger safety, and respect for individual dignity. He's offering a bill that would ban pat-downs of minors without parental consent, which seems to be an eminently reasonable notion after watching the New Orleans video.
In another eminently reasonable development, the person in charge of the nation's air traffic controllers has demonstrated a rare respect for the concept of accountability by resigning his post.
Related:
FAA suspends sleeping controllers, adds more staff
Federal officials are adding a second overnight air traffic controller at more than two dozen airports around the country.In the case of TSA, we all are on board with the notion that people with weapons and malicious intent should not be allowed on an airplane. Rep. Chaffetz wants TSA agents to use common sense, but as we have discovered in the past, legislating common sense is difficult - there doesn't seem to be a universal definition that would fit into a federal statute. Requiring parental consent before a child is taken aside for a search seems like a pretty reasonable line to start with.
When it comes to air safety, the guidelines can be much less murky. Rule number one for on-duty controllers? Stay Awake. Rule number two? See Rule number one.
If the government could somehow transfer some of the zeal from the security gates to the control tower, frequent fliers would certainly appreciate it. And while we wouldn't advocate TSA agents take on-duty naps, a reasonable amount of reasonableness in their pat-down procedures, would be appreciated, as well.
Email: cpsarras@ksl.com
