Everyone knows the airline industry and the Transportation Safety Administration has taken a public image beating in recent months.

I got to see first-hand one of the reasons why — but it wasn’t the one you are probably thinking.

In fact, a little groping or extra attention by TSA security would have at least given me some proof that anyone cares at all. That certainly didn’t seem to be the case with many — not all — of the airline representatives.

The gate agents for several airlines were half engaged and moderately rude. Ironically, the rudest and least helpful of anyone seemed to be the customer service representatives, the very people whose job it is to address these exact issues.

Understandably, no one was happy traveling last week as winter weather hammered the Midwest and the Southeast.

Travelers were in bad moods. Airport employees were in bad moods. Mother Nature was in a bad mood.

But that doesn’t excuse poor behavior on anyone’s part.

And the airlines themselves deserve some of the blame because of poor planning and what also seems to be poor training.

The airline companies appeared to be woefully understaffed as the weather caused hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.

Common sense would tell you that this type of weather crisis should cause an all-hands-on-deck approach with as many additional employees as possible.

That wasn’t the case at all.

At one of the customer service desks there were two agents. At least 100 people stood there needing help. The line moved at a snail’s pace.

I found another help desk and only had six people in front of me. Nearly an hour later, it was almost my turn.

Part of the problem appeared to be disinterested employees who actually had the nerve to take personal phone calls on their cell phones and to chat to each other about their weekends and private lives.

The other problem appeared to be that many of the employees who genuinely wanted to help either didn’t have the computer skills to do so or the technology itself wouldn’t cooperate.

Of course, these were extreme circumstances that far exceed typical work days for these airline companies. But shouldn’t these companies be judged on how they respond to a crisis rather than when things are going well?

The airline industry as a whole should sit up and pay attention to these types of problems because I’m certain this isn’t a one-time occurrence.

Travelers can live with some extra inconveniences if it means they are more safe, but we shouldn’t have to deal with basic breakdowns in human compassion and customer service.

That will keep the airline industry grounded for a long time to come.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com.