Child Labor

Speaking of OSHA, April 26th was Take Your Kid to Work Day. I often work from home so that wouldn't be much fun for my kids. Plus, my kids have moved out and I don't really want them back.

I figured out it was TYKTWD when I glanced out the window of a 737 while sitting on the tarmac at PDX, waiting for the rest of the passengers to board, and saw a small child in a bright orange vest that hung below his knees carrying two bright orange sticks. Before I knew it there was another one, struggling to load bags on the conveyor belt below the belly of the plane on which I was sitting. At the next terminal, there was yet another one - this one was taller - just generally standing around.

My exact words were, "I'm guessing OSHA doesn't know about this."

By the time we pushed back, other passengers were looking out the window as the first pipsqueak was flopping the orange sticks this way and that - the sticks being longer than his arms - while his father lagged behind snapping photos of his eight-year-old walking along the side of a jet airplane. I have no idea if the pilot could even see the little fellow but there were no mishaps with the children or other airplanes, for that matter.

I was relieved when we were far enough away that the children were no longer in danger of being run over (by us, anyway) and we began our taxi to the runway. By the time the engines revved for takeoff and we were pressed into our seats with the force of the airplane's thrust, it was too late to think about whether there were kids in the control tower.

To be honest, I don't really want to know.