Here’s the deal — the Dulles airport in DC charges Border and customs types upwards of $300 a month to park. Read about it here. However, the TSA picks up parking costs for the Transportation Security Officers.
What to do?
Seems pretty easy to me — If the Border and Customs department doesn’t have the bucks to pay for the parking they shouldn’t. Their employees can then decide if the job is worth paying the parking or find an alternative. Or they can quit and go work for the TSA.
I can see it already, the pressure will be on the airport to provide free parking for all public safety officers. OK, I am going to say something that will fly in the face of what you normally see in this blog. Are you ready?
I think that the airport should pick up the cost of parking for the police and fire officers that are there to protect the airport and our country. Just call it good business. If the cops get a little spiff, they do a better job, we are all safer. What’s wrong with that.
Notice I said "pick up the cost" Not "Provide free parking." The parking isn’t free. It has a cost. However those that stand between us and harm deserve a bit of a thanks once in a while. Why not cover their parking costs?
And I would have them assigned spaces spread all throughout the parking structures. That way, you would have armed police wandering throughout your parking facility at all hours, during shift changes, and the like. Not a bad thing. Remember the safest place to be is Duncan Donuts. After all its always full of police.
JVH
