This happens more and more because newer controllers don't seem to understand the book they just seem to know what it says.
I'm not saying that controllers straight out of the college understand the rules but I'm not sure that this hasn't always been the case. When I think back I realise how little I knew when I came out of the college (and I don't think I'm alone in this) - yes, I could quote the book but it was only during OJT that I understood what the words meant. Some OJTIs were good and tried to help me to understand the job, others and sadly the majority did the barest minimum. It seems to me that OJT is still a lottery but now there is often so much focus on UTP objectives fewer and fewer OJTIs are helping trainees to
understand the rules - and some who have experienced the same during their training may not even have a good understanding of the rules themselves.
OK, my comments are based on a limited sample of my own experience only so maybe they are mot universally valid. Or maybe I'm just getting old, I can remember old codgers saying much the same as me when I came out of the college and arrived green and enthusiastic at my first unit!
And apologies for being repetitive - I know I've done a post like this before.