The debate has finally reached Congress, and the future of airport security may be in the balance. Many air travelers are getting more and more fed up with the Transportation Security Administration’s search methods.

While it may be a bit exaggerated, people complain about little old ladies in wheelchairs and babies being frisked by gloved TSA agents. They also question the effectiveness of the full-body electronic screening machines that make air travel even more bothersome and time-consuming than ever.

Some advocates of canine cops at airports, including members of Congress, claim properly-trained dogs can do everything the airport human and machine searchers can do. They further claim dog-sniffing inspection teams are considerably less expensive than the ever-more-sophisticated scanners, and in some cases, actually more thorough. For example, in recent tests, dogs succeeded, but the most sensitive scanners failed to detect bombs implanted under a would-be bomber’s skin.

Of course, if canines took over, there would still be debates about which would be more invasive: groping by rubber gloves or sniffing by wet noses.

If you’re a veteran air traveler and would like to comment on the dog vs machine scanner debate, go to travel4seniors.com