Thought on the suspended air traffic controller at Reagan National

[RandySF]

As you probably know by now, an air traffic controller was suspended for falling asleep at Reagan National Airport. You might also know that, as a result, the FAA have now placed TWO controllers at the tower overnight instead of one, which leads to my question. Didn't the FAA just admit that it was partially at fault by not having enough air traffic controllers on staff?

[Karia]

1. Of course

Having one person on duty in a job like that is insane. What if he'd had a heart attack or become violently ill with the flu?

[TorchTheWitch]

11. or just had to go take a piss

Madness to only have one single person on that shift.

[Canuckistanian]

17. A controller once accidentally locked himself out of the control room

He went to the washroom and forgot his key card.

[TorchTheWitch]

18. God almighty

And somehow they think only one worker for that shift is sufficient knowing full well that they'd need to use the bathroom on occasion aside from all the various emergencies and unexpected problems that arise.

I'm actually rather pissed this guy got suspended at all. Though falling asleep on the job is always a no-no, had they had more than one person working it wouldn't have mattered, and the same incident could have occurred if instead of having dozed off he was in the bathroom taking a piss.

I'd also like to know how they can have only one person do this job without allowing for any break time through the whole shift even if it's just to go take a leak. How is that even legal?

My opinion is that the company owns this one entirely.

[Canuckistanian]

20. You'd think insurance companies would insist on at least two people

If, God forbid, any of those planes collided or crashed, the company that runs the tower would be liable, big time.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I'd say they sure as hell did.

And not just partially at fault, either.

It should be illegal, and maybe it is, for just one person to be on duty anywhere. How do you get your breaks? How do you make time to use the restroom, or stretch your legs, or anything?

Safety should always come first. ALWAYS.

But it doesn't.

Oh yeah.......it costs too much.

Airplane crashes cost too much too.

:eyes:

[Cid_B]

13. I'm gonna quote Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs"

Safety Third... If safety truly was first then nothing would ever get done....

Doesn't mean it should be neglected because the point stands. If that guy had a heart attack then what? That is just poor planning...

[murielm99]

3. Thank you St. Ronnie.

Before he broke the union, they had more protection, and probably better safety regulations.

[drmeow]

5. My thought as well. eom

[mdmc]

15. ..

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. Reagan ruined this country, starting with his union busting.

:banghead:

And we have airline pilots flying regional jets who spend $150K on their training and make starvation wages of $19K a year. This was mentioned in Michael Moore's last movie.

[mrmpa]

6. My 80 year old mother was real hyped about this today...

over dinner she related the story to me. She wondered why there weren't 2 controllers working together, why he was working overtime, and she felt bad about the sleeping worker; until she learned he was non-union. Mom said he's not union and not worth my caring about what happens to him.

If he was a union member, he probably would have had a co-worker with him, he probably wouldn't have had to work an overtime shift,and his safety and the safety of the planes would have been foremost.

[murielm99]

7. He is non-union because he is a supervisor.

They probably promote everyone they can to supervisor, using that title just to make them ineligible to join the union.

If he was there alone, who was he supervising?

[RandySF]

8. If he was a supervisor

Why did the pilots need HIM for clearance to land?

[TorchTheWitch]

12. because he was the only person there working

Which is puzzling since he worked alone. How is a person a supervisor with no one to supervise?

[RandySF]

9. Every worker is worth worrying about

Not everyone has the option to join a union.

[Bunny]

16. Wow. Your mom really believes that anyone who is non-union is not worth worrying about?

That's messed up.

[mrmpa]

21. In this case yes, it goes back to the Reagan days and what he

did with Patco, 30 years later she considers the employee a scab. Sorry, she's retired Union, 4 kids who are union and a husband who was union, other union members include 2 brothers, 1 sister, 2 brothers-in-law and 8 nieces and nephews and 2 aunts.

Plus she's 2 weeks short of 81.:shrug:

[Terry in Austin]

10. I always wondered about PATCO

Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization.

Wow, like there are amateur air traffic controllers out there!?

[undeterred]

14. So two air controllers couldn't possibly both fall asleep.

Or distract each other by talking or something else...

[spanone]

19. sure, but just think of the money they saved!!!

:sarcasm:

[SheilaT]

22. My very first thought when I heard

about the sleeping air traffic controller was to wonder exactly what kind of shift rotation he was on. All too often overnight shifts are covered by people who work that shift only one or two days a week, which means they are chronically sleep deprived all the time. No wonder he fell asleep.

And I also agree there should be two air traffic controllers on at all times.

Disclaimer: I was a ticket agent at DCA for ten years, before the Patco strike of 1980. I watched the controllers age visibly on the job. It's an immensely stressful one. I will never forgive Lane Kirkland, then head of the AFL-CIO for backing Reagan in his firing of the air traffic controllers.