It seems the first commandment of the TSA is that every mind must be trained in the likeness of a machine. “Garbage in, garbage out,” is how computer programmers explain the way bad outputs are determined by bad inputs. Likewise, if TSA workers are programmed not to use common sense or discretion — surprise! — TSA workers won’t use common sense or discretion.

Common sense has been slowly dying for decades.  People aren’t pushed to use their own judgment, just follow the rules to the letter.  Some higher power has defined the guidelines, the drones only need to go through the checklist.  The result – the TSA checks granny’s adult diapers for explosives.

And it’s not just the government, though that’s where common sense is severely lacking.  A friend related a story about a wedding he attended over the weekend.  The bride’s mother knew he liked scotch, so she made sure that the bar was stocked with some Dewars (not my personal favorite, I prefer single malts, but not a bad blended).  He went up to the bartender and asked for a scotch on the rocks.  The bartender said that he couldn’t serve liquor without mixing it with something – juice, Coke, etc.  It’s the rules.  My friend tried to explain to the bartender that you don’t mix scotch with anything, maybe water to dilute it a little, but not juice or Coke.  Sorry, said the bartender, I cannot serve you a scotch on the rocks.  My friend ended up drinking water all night.  The groom’s grandfather was rather upset that he couldn’t get a Black Russian, since it was a mix of two liquors – vodka and Kahlua.  White Russian, okay, Black Russian no good. (Racist?!?)  But, as my friend reported, there were plenty of people pounding beers and sucking down wine, which aren’t mixed with anything.

Now, I’m not blaming the bartender, at least not completely.  I’m sure he was doing what he was told.  The rules were probably set up to slow down heavy drinking.  He was told to follow the rules and not use his own discretion.

This is what happens in a nanny state, when some higher power tries to decide every response to every situation.  Trouble is, that it’s impossible to come up with a complete checklist for every possible circumstance.  When a drone, who has been trained not to think, encounters something the rules hadn’t considered, he’s at a loss.  Or worse, when he runs into a situation were common sense would tell him to deviate from the rules, he cannot, resulting in aggravation for all involved.