Wendy Slaughter, her four children and her sister are too unruly for Southwest Airlines! The airline says that the children were so out of control that the airline decided to deny boarding for their connecting flight from Phoenix to Seattle — stranding them in Phoenix for the night while they tried to arrange other travel plans.
When Ms. Slaughter’s flight from Detroit to Phoenix landed, she was met by police who escorted her and her family from the plane. Police detained the family, and explained that they were simply too unruly to board their connecting flight to Seattle.
Ms. Slaughter admits her kids were out of control on the plane, getting up and wandering around, but says that two of them have disabilities (one is autistic and another has cerebral palsy) and that “they are kids.”
“The children were out of control on the flight you know, they were restless, excited and worked up and they are kids,” Slaughter told KIRO tv. “I am furious about it. I can’t believe they could do something like that and then leave us completely stranded with no money no way to get anywhere.”
According to Slaughter, sympathetic police officers donated money for a hotel for the night and some food. The family is asking for compensation and a public apology.
Southwest Airlines is standing by their decision, claiming that the family was being threatening:
“They were being disruptive and unruly on the plane, and for the safety of our customers and the flight crew, we decided to not allow them to travel on to Seattle at that time. Typically if it’s a threatening behavior, it’s not safe to travel 30,000 feet in the air in a contained environment.”
Family Says Airline Left Them Stranded At Airport [KIRO](Thanks, James!)
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Southwest is 100% in the right on this one.
1. The lady admitted the kids were out of control
2. A passenger that was interviewed said it was the flight from hell. I live in Phoenix and this is getting some decent coverage.
3. Passenger didn’t have ANY money with her????
Flight’s with screaming and out of control kids are not a very pleasant experience as anyone that’s experienced it can attest. Southwest is one of the few airlines that puts the needs of the many above those of the few. For example Overweight passengers have to buy 2 seats. I fully support their efforts and their policies.
@fostina1: looks like the airline wasnt equiped to deal with the disabilities of the children.
Are you kidding? Now the airlines are on the hook for consulting a doctor and getting sedatives for autistic children just so they can fly? That’s not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, unfortunately.
@poxpopulus: A truly low moment for Consumerist posters. Congrats. Look at it this way, you have nowwhere to go but up.
I’ve never seen half of these people before. It’s like they lurk in the woodwork, dormant until… “Yes! Public shaming because they look to be worse off than I am! Let’s all beat up on this family for all the times I was wronged by someone else’s kid! Who cares if 250 people before me said the same thing? I don’t have time to read all that. (And facts? I don’t need no stinking facts. I happen to know exactly what was going on inside that airplane.)”
Any one of the following does it every time:
* austic kid
* kid with disability
* kid with diarrhea
* woman with diarrhea
* man with sleep apnea
* woman injured by thong
* pregnant woman
* [more? you bet!]
I am so with the airline here. That said, there are some serious class issues at play here. I got the distinct impression that these people did not know how to travel, much less travel with children and special needs children, at that!
The thing that bothers me the most about this article is that the cops forked over their hard-earned money to allow this clearly incapable mother to purchase a hotel room. What do you bet she will never offer to repay them?
@Womblebug:
Exactly. Thank you.
I have an Autistic child, and ya know what? He is capable of flying without being bothersome to other passengers. As is his 2 yr old younger brother. We’ve done it. I’m glad they refused to let that family fly. If they can’t handle their children then they shouldn’t force other people who have paid dearly for their plane tickets to deal with them.
@Grive: I dunno. Where do you draw the line?
I know there are cases of PC-run-amok. Somebody somewhere will insist that we use “womyn” instead of “women”, and then somebody sends that off to Rush Limbaugh and he reads it on the radio and we all have a good laugh. But the thing is, I’ve never encountered people like that in real life or even on the Internet. I could probably find some if I made a serious effort, but I don’t think there are a lot of them.
On the other hand, there are people who say stuff that’s just plain rude. When you call them on it, they’ll give some lame excuse like, “It’s in the dictionary”, or “God didn’t create Adam and Steve”, or “One of them said something worse about me once.” Then they’ll call you “PC” and think that they won the argument.
I run into people like that all them time. Actually, if you look up above, you can see one of them on this very thread, trying to use the “It’s in the dictionary” excuse. The impression I get is that accusations of “PC” are usually an attempt to justify bad behavior rather than a legitimate complaint. Maybe you’ve had different experiences?
For this to come from Southwest, there was probably a good reason. I mean, they are ranked by the DOT as the least complained about airline.
I empathise with the disabilities; unfortunately, you can’t expect that the airlines have to shoulder that, or other travellers for that matter.
I’ve been on a four-hour flight where a kid kicked my seat the entire time. I was white-knuckle clutching my armrest to avoid killing the little miscreant. However, how exactly do you *reason* with a child that has autism or cerebral palsy? They’re not “bad” or “unruly”, they simply may not understand how to behave in society. It’s not necessarily poor parenting.
Kudos to Southwest. Sure this lady got kicked off her flight, but think of all the other passengers who had to deal with the nonsense from her kids. They’re customers too, and seem much more likely to avoid Southwest if they didn’t try to control unruly passengers. As for this lady, she should have had control of her children if she expects to be treated well on the plane. That they “are kids” is a rather pathetic excuse, considering that of all people she should know how to control them best. I wouldn’t be suprised if the reason two of her kids have disorders is because she did something irresponsible like smoke, drink, or do drugs during her pregnancy. Her continuing lack of responsiblily and her finger pointing leads me to believe it is not a new problem with her life.
Is it bad to think that airlines should dispense special drinks laced with sedatives to all children under a certain age and require that they’re parents make them drink them as a condition of staying on the flight. I supposed that building video game systems into the back of the seats would work as well, as long as they had enough titles to keep the kids attention after they get bored of each one.
@mazement: Well, if PC terms are not heard in common speech, it does say a lot about their legitimacy, doesn’t it?
As to where do we draw the line, it’s a very subjective matter – an unavoidable side-effect of dealing with human sensibilities. I’m not politically correct, but I try not to be an ass.
I think that would be a good drop-off point: Intent. If someone is rude or uncouth, their problem is a lack of politeness, not of political correctness.
By itself, the term political correctness implies something quite bad: That the wording is carefully chosen in an attempt to sidestep of things that are automatically assumed to be an issue, and that’s the sticking point of why I hate it.
In a sad display of the problems with PC and overt sensibilities, I must say this: I’m sorry if the following is offensive to anyone. It is not my intention.
Let’s go into everyone’s favorite topic, for example. Race and ethnicity. variable-american is one of my most hated terms.
If a person is of color, why should it be offensive for some to describe them as “black”, if needed? Now, if I were to use it in a derogatory manner, fair, call me on it. Heck, punch me. But there are people who will get irked if I don’t use the term “african-american”, even in the most innocuous of statements – it’s simply not politically correct.
Would I call Charlize Theron an African-american? She technically would be. Of course, it’s absolute nonsense. She’s a white blonde. So, african-american means black -and nothing else, since the term makes no distinction between a naturalized african and someone whose family comes from somewhere else or has been in the US for centuries.
Why? Why is a simple descriptive term so loaded? The argument usually moves into racism and repression of black people, but I always feel that keeping that load on the word -and using euphemisms to hide it- only preserves the stigma attached to it and it’s only use is to keep a strain on racial issues.
For anyone who was offended after reading this, I have two things to say: First, I reiterate that it was not my intent. Second, I think you’ve proved my point.
@ogremustcrush: The idea of mandated drugging of younglings is quite terrifying, for two reasons:
1.- Medication should never be the first salvo in a conflict. It’s a very sad state of affairs that such an idea is even considered -and I don’t mean by you, because some “professionals” do. Such an act will not solve the problem, only repress it.
2.- There are good kids out there, thanks to good parents out there. Why drug them?
I don’t know how old these kids are, but if their disabilities prevent them from sitting down for the duration of the flight, I’d say the answer is a harness. I might break out the harnesses anyway if I had sole responsibility for four kids on a flight.
@csdiego: I’m just going to add that I’m not one of those kid haters who thinks all kids should be drugged and/or muzzled any time they’re in public. But nobody should have to put up with kids running around screaming on an airplane. Flying is bad enough as it is.
@QuantumRiff: “Kids will be kids”….but parents are supposed to help them grow into adults.
I encountered something like this once in a laundromat….a 5-year-old was “playing pool” by swinging around a pool cue, nearly missing my wife’s head. She told him to chill – the kid’s dad yelled at her saying, “He’s just a kid”, to which I responded, “Yeah, but your job as a parent is to make sure he behaves himself.”
“Ms. Slaughter admits her kids were out of control on the plane, getting up and wandering around, but says that two of them have disabilities (one is autistic and another has cerebral palsy) and that “they are kids.”"
Woah!!! Totally behind Southwest on this. Walking around and out of control on an airplane? Seriously, even a small child can cause serious damage in a cabin if not buckled in. Yes, a lot of safety precautions are silly (tray tables up!). But if I am in the cabin, buckled in and some brat is running around and we hit turbulance, his 50lb body can really do some damage to others. It sounds like this wasn’t even a matter of noise, but the children literally running around the cabin.
“The family is asking for compensation and a public apology.”
That’s laughable! They should be the ones apologizing to the people on the first flight.
As the parent of two children who have flown since they were infants I congratulate Southwest Airlines for taking a stand! Too many parents prefer to allow their children to run wild rather than teach them old-fashioned concepts like “self-control.” Just because children are . . . children, doesn’t mean that they should be given carte blanche by their oblivious parent(s) to give in to every impulse or whim that spurs them.
@mikehager66: The parents just seem to ignore what’s going on let everyone around them be annoyed by their children. It’s like they all read some new age self-help book telling them to cater to their children and never say no.
Exactly. Unlike some people, I’m not saying beat your kids, but there’s a time for play and making noise and a time to respect the adults.
There’s a concept called “indigo children” that’s pretty much what you described…
@Caslonbold: Tonya Harding now lives in Vancouver, and is only allowed down here to reduce our taxes by losing money in video poker machines.
I am also completely with Southwest on this one. I find the womans attitude and sense of entitlement maddening! Her kids were disruptive, unruly, and she admits it. Southwest has every right to refuse service to her party (and her) if their behavior disrupts or puts anyone on that flight at risk. GOOD for them, for putting their foot down and endorse the rules of common courtesy that is often brushed aside by fears of legal repercussion.
For her to throw in the irrelevant facts that two of the kids had either autism or cerebral palsy as a sob story to play victim is a pretty pathetic ploy for sympathy. I find it laughable that one of her explanations is “they are kids,” and stacks that on top of the autism/cerebral palsy jab; What difference does their condition make when its clear the mother did not make the effort to control them?
But I have to agree with one thing… Southwest should give her a public apology… “Sorry that you are unable to control your children and that your indignance is going to make you nothing more than a public laughingstock.”
I wonder which kids are the disabled ones.
If they’re in the first half, you have to bet she had the later ones hoping they’d be normal.
If they’re not the first two, it’s punishment for having too many god damn brats.
Nowhere does it say in any of the anti-discrimination laws that you can’t be discriminated against for being unruly and disruptive, no matter what the cause.
Sorry lady, your kid was born with autism. Deal with it. It’s not society’s burden to bear. Take the kids in a car so you have to deal with it, don’t subject dozens of people onboard an enclosed plane to your children’s antics.
What if your autistic or palsy kid thinks it’d be fun to run up and grab the big red handle on the door? How are you going to stop them from doing that if you actively refuse to keep them in their seats when they have to?
Kudos to Southwest for protecting their (other) paying customers from a definitely annoying and potentially dangerous situation.
Until southwest or someone “official” defines EXACTLY what these kids were doing to be unruly I won’t buy into southwest’s side of things. Unruly can hardly be defined as simply getting up and wandering around. Particularly after takeoff or before landing phases of the flight. As long as they weren’t bothering anyone, or making noises, or otherwise endangering the flight, southwest was completely in the wrong and owes the family an apology, complete refund and free flight somewhere.
Wow, there seems to be an awful lot of anger at kids who were *wandering up and down the aisles.* Really, it bothers you that much to have the kids wandering in the aisles?
When my DS was little that’s what we did with him to keep him quiet – we got up and walked (quietly) up and down the aisles. Sometimes he would stop and talk to people – I didn’t let him bother people who were doing other things (sleeping, reading) and mostly he got smiles. I find it hard to believe that *wandering around* is that big a deal. Sounds to me like the irate posters on this site must be ADHD if they gt that bent out of shape about kids walking around.
Now, if that isn’t actually what was going on, that’s one thing (what were they doing? Attacking passengers? yelling at them?) but if they were really just wandering around, who the eff cares? How is that worse than being run over by the flight attendants and their drink carts when you’re trying to get to the bathroom?
I’m behind Southwest from the way things sound here. Regardless of if the family was threatening or not, it is simply unfair to their other passengers to have an extremely disruptive family and unsupervised kids running around on board. If the flight crew felt it necessary to contact local police, they probably were being out of control.
@Rabbigrrl: Did you read what the mother said? Even she said that the kids were out of control and disruptive – in the same statement where she was trying to minimize the behaviour to bolster her case.
So it wasn’t just a case of kids wandering the aisles.
Good for you Southwest. What if one of those kids wanted to play with the door latch at 30,000 feet?
Cue the ACLU lawyers in 3, 2, 1,….
I’m pleased with Southwest’s actions but appalled at the Phoenix PD. Less than a year ago the Phx PD basically killed Carol Gottbaum in custody for going apeshit in the terminal after missing a flight. But when this family of hippos breaks the law, they take up a collection for them instead of taking them into custody. They should have all gotten a free ride to Tent City (it’s an open jail in the middle of the desert, 115 degrees).
While we’re on the subject of evil parents, this weekend I went to buy a new Lexus, and a young fellow decided that the showroom was a perfect playground for his kids. They were climbing up on the very car I wanted to buy, getting into all the vehicles & jumping up and down on the seats, screaming all the way. I literally couldn’t hear the salesman speaking to me. Nobody stopped them so I went over to the dad and asked him to settle them down. He responded by directing the kids to go to the grand piano in the showroom and bang upon it with all their might. Naturally, I walked out of there without buying the car (after the kids stomped all over it, who would?) If you hate wild kids, don’t go to Superstition Lexus in Mesa!
Does anyone have the email address(es) to send Southwest a “Thank you and I will continue to do business with you because of this…” EECB? FWIW, I would like anyone who was remotely involved in the decision to boot these people off the plane, to be involved in the training of every flight I take from here on out.
don’t some airlines have “special”
flights for families? and by families I mean anyone traveling with kids…..or for people who are not in denial…and know their kids are shitty flyers…..and cant behave properly on normal flights.
anyone remember this little cherub?
[www.wsbtv.com]
I love how Diane Sawyer is so nice “we were just so astonished by this story”
jesus fuck, its the parents who are retarded.
IT’S CALLED TYLENOL PM MORONS!!!
That 10 year old is pretty big to be running around unattended. I actually had a kid about that size demonstrate a karate chop to his younger brother by HITTING me in the back. Right under the ribs where there’s kidneys and stuff. Hurt like hell. I’m bent over and the mom just sort of shrugged at me and gave me one of those weird “isn’t he cute.” smiles.
I was 17 at the time and just took it. These days I’d punt the little shit.
So anyway, yeah, I’m a little biased. Not only do I think Southwest did the right thing, I’m not even sure why we can’t toss these people off the planet.
Long walks are good for unruly kids- gets all the excess energy out of ‘em. Besides Seattle aint that far kids- man up.
There are a few posters making comments here that are so totally out of line…E-tough guys are making the Consumerist a joke. privatejoker75 should be banned for his mis-information and personal attacks. Guess he’ll call me retarded
@mizmoose:
Have to take the side of PrivateJoker. Having interacted with autistic kids myself, they definitely would fall into that category.
Having said that,they do possess abilities that neither you or I could even imagine. I know a girl, about 7 or 8 yrs. old – I’m blanking on that – who has memorized the phone book and can recite phone numbers based on names read from it… But thinks biting is an accepted form of communication. Shes Retarded. She doesn’t know how to communicate.
It’s the internet, not having to be “PC” is a hallmark that I take advantage of on a regular basis. Very glad to see privatejoker knows this.
Is Autism really a valid excuse? Isn’t it treatable? I know a girl who has Autism but still does amazingly well in school, and seems to suffer from no problems at all…
Anyways, getting kicked off for this, it seems kind of harsh =… Was the family warned at all, or.. Was it just an insta-kick? I guess the parents should of been controlling them in the first place =..
The airline was correct in my opinion. This incident is just opening up something that has been simmering quietly as many of these posts seem to allude to.
You can’t do a lot as a parent of a baby crying, but its the parents who let their kids either run up and down the aisles and kick the seat in front of them incessantly that upsets travelers. There are many, many responsible parents out there, but I fly weekly and have too many memories of uncontrolled kids terrorizing people on flights. This may be more representative of a cultural shift in our society where people are more afraid of upsetting their kids (want to be their friends or equals) more than just being a good parent (knowing when to discipline for misbehavior and establish authority).
Just my 2 cents….
This will surely be on Consumerist in a few hours, but just a heads up: Southwest gave the misbehaving family a refund.
[www.kpho.com]
And you can bet that the refund only came after the Slaughters signed a statement that they wouldn’t pursue any legal action, and would not fly SW again.
@privatejoker75:
What you wrote is one of the most DISGUSTING comments I ever read!! I think only a retard would write what you wrote. You must be retarded for writing something sooooo retarded!!
When I have nothing nice to say I usually keep my big fat trap shut!! Besides you only one other time did I ever run my opinion in a negative way towards someone.
You must have no heart!!@lightaugust:
Thank go-d your kid landed in your house and not that other retard privatejoker75.
@kalmakazee:
Besides you, only one other time did I ever run my opinion in a negative way towards someone on Consumerist. (Sorry I accidentally left some words out of my previous comment.)
@lightaugust:
Thank go-d your kid landed in your house and not that other retard privatejoker75.
As the parent of a well behaved eight year old who has just finished his 6th flight in three weeks (long story) I have to say bravo to the airline. Saying “they are kids” as an excuse to not control your children’s behavior is just an excuse for bad parenting…
The non-PC version of what you just posted: “I like being an asshole and on the Internet, I can get away with it.” Funny how the people who dick-swing about how “politically incorrect” they are get all PC and euphemistic about what they’re really doing: pre-PC we would have called them loudmouthed, bigoted assholes.
Companies are starting to take action more often for bad parenting. If you fail to control your children, and instil a sense of responsibility in them, then it falls to the company to do it for you. Unfortunately the company will do what is right for the remaining passengers. No one has a right to fly on an airplane. If you cannot follow the rules you sit in the ‘penalty box’. Gee organized sports teaches you something!
It doesn’t matter if your kids have cerebal palsy and are autistic! They shouldn’t be able to wander around on a flying plane, lady.
Get control of your kids or dont fly, plain and simple.
Does *every* little brat have autism now??
@Fallom: NICE!
@varro:
Does that mean that the pool cue hit your wife in the head?
@SteveBobo, @kalmakazee: He’s already been banned. No need to worry.
@Katorok: Article says the parents were warned twice, and the mother acknowledges that she was warned twice. She just didn’t think Southwest would actually do anything about it if she ignored them. Exact quote was: