Asleep at the Screen
Spotlight On
by Clark Westfield
May 2011
My first question to the dozing air traffic controllers is…Haven’t you guys ever heard of Red Bull? Five Hour Energy? How about coffee? Maybe I’m missing the point here but to control air traffic, one needs to be awake. Largely thought of as “the spoiled child of the FAA,” some of these guys are actually bringing blankets and pillows to work (I’m sorry but that luxury is reserved for Congress). I cannot imagine a pilot calling the tower and getting NO answer. It’s like me calling my agent. The responsibility factor of the men and women who guide our aircraft onto safe and clear runways is right up there with emergency room surgeons, firefighters and the people who groom Donald Trump’s hair. There have been several incidents across the nation where these incidents have occurred, and while the vast majority of these dedicated individuals handle themselves with complete professionalism, there are probably more miscues than have been reported that have slipped through the cracks. This scares me more than the time I flew in a prop plane from Nassau, Bahamas, when the captain announced that we were just undergoing some minor maintenance issues, and I looked out the window and saw ground personnel heading to a wing with a ladder and a roll of duct tape (Yes, that is a true story). Why is this happening now? Or worse, why has just been discovered now?
Some of the airports involved have been small, regional ones like Knoxville, Tennessee while others, like Miami, handle much more traffic. How about here at Liberty International Airport? Could it happen here, where a jet lands every ten seconds or approximately the time it takes the average teenager to send 14 text messages? Maybe we should hire a few of these kids to monitor the screens. After all, with the advent of I Phones, I Pads, Kindles, Wii and Mac Books, they spend a fair amount of time staring at images and playing video games (If you’re not 100% certain, just ask Captain Sully about Angry Birds).
My view is that no one in New Jersey is asleep on the job. New Jerseyans are always dialed in, focused, locked and loaded. We may get distracted but we don’t nod off… ever. Even the six or seven remaining toll booth collectors are awake and functioning at 3AM. Paramedics in small towns all across the state are ready to respond to any and all emergencies in a minute. The Geek Squad at Best Buy are chomping at the bit to help program your remote or explain that the letters DVR do not stand for Dad Votes Republican. What would happen to our economy if we went to Foodtown and the meat slicer was dozing? He could lose a finger and we could lose our lunch. Attorneys napping during cross examination, barbers nodding off with scissors, gas station attendants snoozing while pumping premium petrol into that big old Chevy Suburban (What? $612 to fill her up?)… Thank of the implications!! Of course it could work in reverse. I’m pretty sure I have put people to sleep reading my misguided rants. And don’t get me started on political speeches. Not enough Red Bull at all the 7-11’s in the state to help there. Come to think of it, I think I need a nap right now.
More to come…CW