YES!

SJActress

I have flown A LOT with a small child (family overseas). NOT ALL AIRPLANE BATHROOMS HAVING CHANGING TABLES.

You can do what you like on some piddly little 3rd world airline overseas. The flight TAKING you there I guarantee has a changing table. No international flight will NOT have a changing table because they are all larger planes.

Secondly I have personally, successfully changed a diaper on the lid of a bus toilet seat. I guarantee a BUS bathroom is at most the same size as an airline bathroom. So once again, yes there is room, if you are considerate enough to find it.

But if you are alright being a disgusting human being with no consideration for those around you, knock yourself out. Your kids will probably end up the same way.

Skyoodpov

tricia_lynn

No shit, right. So, if I complain about parents not attempting to discipline a child ("what do you expect me to do about it?" etc), then I must automatically be a grown-up child. Uh no. These undisciplined children who think the world revolves around them are probably the ones growing up to be the annoying, self-centered, self-involved "hipsters" these holier-than-thou parents are bitching about.

synergy

synergy

synergy

synergy

honu-girl

"Breeders SUCK!" "No, childless hipsters suck!"

Hi-larious.

Anyways, I fall somewhere in the middle. I'm a breeder hipster. (Actually, I'm totally unhip.) I have a 2 year old who, luckily, has been well-behaved on the three flights I've taken her. I only say luckily because two of those flights were taken when she was 4 months and 12 months.

When I flew with her in March, I made sure to have some snacks and juice handy for the 3 hour flight. As soon as we sat down, I kept her entertained with the goings-on outside the window. The older she gets, the more I'll make sure the keep her entertained with books, crayons, what have you, so she doesn't get bored - that's when most kids get cranky, when they get bored. (She even kicked the seat in front of us, and I firmly grabbed her leg and told her "NO". She didn't do it again.)

I flew last year to Pitt from Philly, and my sister wanted me to bring the baby along. I refused. We were going for the weekend, there's no need to have a baby along for that. (Good thing I didn't. There was a 4 hour delay - in the plane - on the way there.)

I agree with everyone saying we should be a bit tolerant of a child when we see that the parent is actually trying to do something about his/her unruliness. And I also agree that not every place is intended for children. My daughter's been to the movies twice. Both were early shows of cartoons. She will NOT be going to the movies at night till she is older and knows how to sit quietly for 2 hours. (Unlike my cousin who recently took her 1 month old baby to an evening showing of some adult movie or other. Seriously, I just do the opposite of whatever she does.)

I see I've rambled on for far too long. Let me shut up now.

Metschick

I'm sick of this maternal sense of entitlement. The whole world does not revolve around you and your spawn, nor should it. You, as a mother, are responsible for the behaviour of your child and if the child is loud enough that even on a loud plane it is disturbing to the flight attendant or other passengers, you need to shut the kid up. Her refusal to do so is exactly the problem in this situation.

The needs of the other 119 passengers trump the mother's desire to let her child say whatever it wants at whatever volume it wants.

Anyone who says the child should be allowed to disturb all the other passengers because the other passengers aren't the center of the universe have it backwards. The other passengers shouldn't have to deal with a wailing child because the child is not the center of the universe.

str1cken

Seriously, though, come on. I'd just be grateful he wasn't kicking my seat.

J. Gov

no we are not the center of the universe, but neither are "mommy's with their Daaaarling kids"

after having been on a cross-atlantic plane ride for 17 hours next to a "daaarling" kid,
I would pay a premium to fly an "adults only flight"

rockergal

Slytherin

Comparing a toddler/infant to an older child who can respond to your requests is beyond stupid.

TangDrinker

Maybe driving from coast to coast is an easy thing for you but sure aint for me. You can take your crying children on your road trips. Just do us all a favor and avoid flying will ya?

True, kids cant always be controlled but if the parent doesnt make any reasonable attempt to get their to child behave, social niceties are being trampled upon and somebody's gotta do smth.

Kicking them outta the flight was a bit too harsh though.

superbmtsub

Christopher_Dittmar

Either way, regardless of the flight attendants stance, it was the pilot who made the decision, and if he didn't think it was a big deal, why would he go through all the trouble of turning the plane around? There are a few facts missing from this story for sure.

wiretapstudios

In reply to the divorce decree comment -- if that situation were to occur, all you'd have to do is contact the airline and have them verify that a circumstance occured that delayed your travel and the courts would take that into consideration. Even if it was the mother's fault, she was deplaned -- period -- and thus the court could not do anything but delay the visitation by the amount of time it took the mother to get to her destination.

Oh . . . and flying is never a "have to" thing. It's always an option. Buses, trains, boats and cars still exist as well.

And on the part of putting up with breathing, snoring, coughing and going to the bathroom, you can always request the F/A intervene and possibly even move you to another seat. Newspapers do have to be within the width of your own seat so the F/A can make a passenger close the paper.

And again nowhere in the news articles is there mention of "normal speaking voice", so again until witnesses are interviewed and this goes further, we cannot assume on that part.

Christopher_Dittmar

Where the interviews with other passengers on the plane that witnessed this? We see the mother's side of the story and that makes it apear as though the kid was just repeating a phrase, but the real question is - how LOUD was he saying this?

I am a pilot, and I take safety in the air VERY seriously. It is not as if you can just pull over in case something happens. If an incident happens in the air, then no matter what it is, it's serious and has to handled right the first time, every time. There's no room for error up there.

Thus, the safety announcement is crucial. People really do have to be able to pay attention to those announcements and not have distractions at the time they are being given.

1) I have not flown a single airline flight where there was not a soul present who is taking his/her very first flight and has no clue what is going on. I remember the first time I ever flew -- it was with Frontier when i joined the Army. It was all exciting and everything happened so fast. Fortunately on that flight people were quiet and i was able to follow along with the F/A and know what the heck was going on.

2) People not paying atention to the safety announcements endanger others as much as they endanger themselves - ESPECIALLY on smaller aircraft like the ERJ-145LR/XR, which is the aircraft ExpressJet uses. It's a small 50-seat aircraft and it never ceases to amaze me how many folks start jacking with their cell phones during critical phases of flight. In the passenger's mind, they think that "rule" is just a "convenience" so we don't have distractions or noises in the cabin. Not so. The reason we cannot use cell phones is two-fold -- it is a violation of the FCC codes because of line of site (too complicated to go into here) and it also screws with some critical navigation equipment in the airplane.

Fortunately airliners have good backup systems, but in the smaller prop aircraft i fly, it never fails -- I always give a safety briefing (I fly little puddle jumpers -- we don't have flight attendants) and at LEAST once per day my VOR needle goes whacko -- all I have to do is look in the cabin and see someone jacking with their cell phone -- right after my announcing they need to be shut off.

The point here is we as the readers of this story have no idea how loud this kid was being. We know the phrase being said, but we don't know the volume or how much it really interfered with the announcements.

Oh . . . before I get flamed here, I do admit that IF the flight attendant did handle the situation precisely like that, I'd have approached it a bit differently. maybe explain to the passenger, "I apologize, but we really need you to keep your child quiet during the safety announcements. You may have flown before, and we understand and appreciate your business. But there may be passengers on the flight who have not flown with us before and if we have an emergency they need to know what to do."

THEN if the issue persists, then heck yes I'd taxi back to the gate and take action. But I'd do it not because a child was annoying me. I'd do it because as the PIC (Pilot in Command) I have to assure the safety of everyone on board, and that includes maintaining order. I must admit from a parent's point of view, if I have my kids with me on a flight - that safety briefing is the most crucial part of the flight. Maybe that's the loving parent in me . . .

Christopher_Dittmar

mikelotus

Um. I'm still seeing Harry Potter and Ratatoille at midnight to avoid kids both small and high schooling.

nardo218

Here's a thought - what if the child had been autistic or something, which often causes a child to latch onto a particular thing? Sounds like some folks at Continental need to loosen up.

Ola

It appears that kids have been "fucked up, spoiled, and "entitled" bastards" for so long now that they've grown up and started posting on The Consumerist.

Televiper

Slytherin

robyndanielle21

Here's a news flash: YOU are not the center of the universe, either. Neither is your howler-monkey daughter.

Seriously, why should anyone care that you have to do what the court orders? Why should anyone have to put up with an unruly child for the duration of an international flight just because you couldn't hold a marriage together?

Normally I'm not this callous, but your whole "YOU MUST PUT UP WITH ME BECAUSE I SAY I HAVE TO FLY" bullshit attitude sucks. You DON'T HAVE TO FLY. You had other choices. Keep your marriage together. Move to Thailand. Take a boat.

So you want to say "I'm flying with my daughter, so tough shit to everyone around me!"? Guess what lady? Tough shit - it's EXACTLY parents like you who think everyone OWES bratty little you and your bratty little kid special treatment that makes normally tolerant people say they don't want to be bothered putting up with your kid.

dbeahn

Wow, that was redundant...

dbeahn

AnastasiaBeaverhousen

i find it amazing at some of the comments made here. you b*tch about how kids are unruly, are sometimes loud, and OMG disobey their parents?!? ive never seen that before! you were once a child, and i am 100% certain you acted out too and directly caused other people in public to be uncomfortable at some point in your childhood. people might have stared sharply at your parents, but most would have given you the benefit of the doubt.

pine22

ronaldscott

ronaldscott

ronaldscott

Yes, I am responsible for keeping my children's behavior within reasonable bounds for public consideration, i.e. quiet voices, hands and feet to themselves, messes cleaned up. I wish more adults traveling without children would self-police half as well.

That said, public transportation is a human experience rife with the smells, sounds and sights we all emit. If you can't hack it, fly private or drive.

mskim

I do put myself in the shoes of the other passengers. I still don't care that it bothers you. Drive next time. You won't have anyone to bother you then.

Televiper

This kid wasn't misbehaving in that way. Kicking the back of someone's seat is misbehavior that shouldn't be tolerated. We are talking about a 2-year old saying "bye bye airplane" We are responding to people who seem to equate children with robots and expect children to behave like they're in some Norman Rockwell painting.

Televiper

Also remember that you are in public, and when you are in public you can only expect to enjoy yourself. You ARE NOT entitled to enjoy other people.

That kid was an angel. You want a bad kid?? You try doing performing all the little trick that you think will make that kid behave the way you want them too. I GUARANTEE the opposite effect.

I was lucky that the couple times I've flown my daughter behaved. Most young children fall asleep when the pressure changes. That's probably what the mother was expecting, but until then she was keeping the kid entertained the best way she knew how.

Televiper

It's not like the flight attendant suggested giving the toddler a lollipop or something else that would placate him. This is a drug.

SpaceCat85

brokennails

Fidomom

But here's the thing: Parents of poorly-behaved children are typically the parents who can't be bothered. Parents of generally well-behaved children who occasionally have an off day are SQUIRMING WITH EMBARASSMENT while their infant cries on the plane on the way to grandma's funeral (or whatever).

@all: So most of the really angry posts in this thread about the evils of "breeders" are just pissing off and upsetting the good parents (who are going to be far less inclined to worry about the tender feelings of a self-righteous non-breeder who fails to understand the basic construction of a civil society (it includes children, assholes) the next time little Johnny acts up) and flying right by the bad parents.

The bad parents don't give a rat's ass what you think regardless of how nasty you get. But you're sure doing a great job alienating the people who agree with you!

(No, I don't have children.)

Eyebrows McGee

doctor_cos

And there is plenty of room in an airline bathroom to change a kid, you were just lazy and inconsiderate.

Did you tell the stewardess to disinfect the tray table? I will guess not. People eat on that. The poop doesn't need to touch the table for it to become soiled. Do you eat off of where you change the kid at home?

God, I can't even COMPREHEND how inconsiderate that is, and you say I need to get over MYSELF? You need to show a little common courtesy for your fellow passengers.

Skyoodpov

If you've discovered a way to get a toddler -- you know, 1 to 2 years old, just learning to communicate, doesn't yet understand the concepts of "quiet" and "considerate," etc. -- to "keep quiet" on a plane without child abuse, please let the rest of us know.

Better yet, patent the technique and become rich overnight ;-)

@RONALDSCOTT: LOL

@SKYOODPOV: "If you are a good parent, there really is no excuse for not being able to control your kid, excluding injury or sickness." See above: An older kid? Sure. But kids aren't born knowing how to "behave." Below a certain age -- different for each kid -- even the best parent in the world can't always prevent a meltdown.

But I guess some of you think that just means that until our kids reach that magical age, we should just stay inside and lock the doors... (News flash: kids learn to behave by *being in situations* where they have to learn how to behave.)

DF

Are you serious? I am amazed that people like you exist. You obviously do not have children, and have absolutely no idea what it means to "properly raise a child". That seems to be the biggest difference between the 2 sides of this argument: 1) people who know what it's like to have kids, and 2) people who think kids have an off switch.

waswik

I wouldn't say that it was the child's behavior that is the problem. Kids will be kids, but adults have to attempt to at least parent their child. I very seriously doubt she was thrown off because of her child, but because of her "I don't care" attitude. If she had just made some honest attempts to calm the child down everything would have been fine. It was her actions, not the child's, that resulting in the incident.

Jerim

FordPrfct

I also have a hard time believing that the flight attendant said those words, but with the way airlines act these days, who knows...

hoo_foot

Fuck, people just pull any ol baby name out of their asses.

geeniusatwrok

"Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight."

That pretty much ends it right there. "MY little precious is more important than 200 peoples' peace of mind and sleep.

Screw that. Screw her.

Next time, she can either drive a car, read up on how safe child medications are or learn to properly raise a child.

GAWDS save me from lousy, over-protective parents. Bet the child grows into being an over-entitled pest of a human being.

Trai_Dep

And that is PRECISELY why parents get little or no respect from people without children. It's that sense of entitlement - the world is made for you and your child and the rest of us can go to hell.

That's why we sit and watch while you try to get shopping bags, purse and child(ren) on or off the bus without offering to help.

You think of it as "your special burden." I look at it a hole you dug yourself.

Jim (The Canuck One)

Kifune

kaikhor

.2) Diapers. My niece had a poopy one mid-flight. It smelled, yes. Their was no flat surface in the bathroom near large enough to lay her down on. I was in a panic! Did I want to change her on the seats? Hell no! But what else was I to do? Luckily, I was sitting next to a nice grandmother on her way back from visiting her similarly aged grandaughter who helped shield the other passengers from the oh-so-awful site of my niece's bare rump and a flash of poop.

I was with you till that one. That is gross, inconsiderate, and a health hazard. I have been on the receiving end of another person doing this right next to me. I said it before. Every plane I have ever been on (From the mighty 747 to the deathtrap Dash-8) has a baby changing table in the bathroom. It folds down out of the wall. Even if that isn't there, you change your kid in the bathroom SOMEHOW.

FIND A WAY, YOU DISGUSTING PERSON

Skyoodpov

wring

Now re-gating the plane is an awesome idea. I'm sure the kid wasn't just 'saying' it, he most likely was 'screaming' it if a child, rows back, can be heard and disturbed by the flight attendant all the way in the front of the plane. If a flight attendant has reached annoyance level, I'm sure the passengers have as well.

wiretapstudios

Promethean

Kifune

rdldr1

Yeah, and for every nutjob that thinks that way, there is another nutjob who think having kids gives them the inalienable right to do whatever the hell they, or their kid, wants.

@ColbyWolf:

I'm sorry you lost your grandfather. Nothing but sympathy for you there, I know how hard that can be.

I'm not even pregnant, but I'm still so sorry that I never gave him a great grandchild to hold and love.
This however deserves the worlds smallest violin. You shouldn't want to have had a kid just to make your grandaddy a happy pappy.

Skyoodpov

ColbyWolf

I'm so glad I didn't sit next to any of you self-absorbed obnoxious twits complaining on these forums two months ago when, due to family emergencies, I *had* to fly with my then 18 year old niece on two short-ish flights back home, alone.

1) My niece is very well-behaved for her age -- but fercrissakes these are toddlers. They are not easy to shush when they start their babbling and are not all that easily distractable. Stopping them mid-obsessions with something like "bye by plane" is not easy -- as much as you people seem to think. Go ahead, try it.

2) And again let's not forget that a witness said the child was no louder than the talking adults on the plane. He was not running in the aisles, crying or screaming. I'd take that over endless public cellphone chatter from you self-important douches any day.

2) Diapers. My niece had a poopy one mid-flight. It smelled, yes. Their was no flat surface in the bathroom near large enough to lay her down on. I was in a panic! Did I want to change her on the seats? Hell no! But what else was I to do? Luckily, I was sitting next to a nice grandmother on her way back from visiting her similarly aged grandaughter who helped shield the other passengers from the oh-so-awful site of my niece's bare rump and a flash of poop.

Kifune

My grandfather just died. I'm not even pregnant, but I'm still so sorry that I never gave him a great grandchild to hold and love.

I'm not close enough to any of my family to make driving an option--in the places where it's even possible. so I would HAVE to fly.

This poor kid and his mother. that's my thought on it.

Oh, and again: the Parent's Curse on all of you as well :) (that is: I hope your children are JUST LIKE YOU)

ColbyWolf

b) Assuming for a moment that it is true, where do you think that'll lead? I am personally glad that you've chosen not to propagate your own portion of the human genome, all things considered, but suppose society really is "turning" and everyone in your generation chose to do that. Are you comfortable with the eventual results of that choice?

@everyone else: The problem I have isn't with people asserting that parents should "control" their children--of course a certain level of discipline should be maintained. Of course courtesy should be shown to others--I'm so hypersensitive to my kids making noise that I will rush them out of whatever public place where they might be having a problem so as to avoid causing offense. I may err on the OTHER side of this equation.

No, the problem I have is when the line is crossed from suggesting that courtesy and discipline should be employed by parents to suggesting that kids are sub-human, a nuisance, worthless, or have other than full human rights. Or that the choice to be a parent somehow lessens one. Or that the very existence of children imposes on your world. Sorry, feeling that way makes you a douchenozzle. Welcome to humanity--there are others in here with you, had you heard?

ronaldscott

@icruise: So you CAN'T make the child behave and you HAVE to take them on the plane? That just seems too inflexible. Part of living in a civilized society is compromise. I'll put up with a misbehaving child if the parent is making an effort to quiet them. And if I'm in a plane I can put up with a misbehaving child in a car 30,000 feet below quite well. :-P

brokennails

Look people, I'm a parent, but I'm on these planes for business as well. You want a world where only you win. But unfortunately for you its called PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

When they make "kid free" PRIVATE flights. They you can get your way and be the center of your universe.

Until then, suck your corporate thumb and deal with it. I have too cope when I'm on a business flight and there is a screaming kid, why can't you?

axiomatic

Do any of you realize just how dangerous it is to give "baby benedryl" to a toddler? There's nothing "baby" about it. It is a dangerous drug. The side effect of sleeping is not something to be taken lightly. It is actually dangerous!

Sharing a seat on a plane with a baby is just suicide - for the baby. I'd rather spend the extra money for the extra space. Too bad most airlines stopped offering discounts for children.

North of 49

icruise

Kudos to parents who make an effort to quiet their kids. But seriously. Put yourself in the shoes of the other passengers? Sometimes kids cant be controlled but if the parents dont make a valid effort to quiet them (aka entertain em or make em fall asleep), the parents are to blame.

To those who hope we all have airborne-problem-children, here's hoping to you too: hope your whiny lil attention starved kid grows up to be a street bum!

superbmtsub

Basically, my peeve is when parents disregard the comfort of other adults unnecessarily. It boggles me when people bring their kids to, say, horror movies because they just didn't feel like getting a sitter. (If they couldn't afford a sitter, or their sitter had to cancel, then please just stay home.) Pretty much everyone knows the stereotypical bad flight is one where a baby screams the whole time. You'd think most parents would consciously try to avoid that. (And wouldn't they want a vacation from the screamer as well?) I also don't understand the necessity of taking very small children on big vacations. They're not going to know the difference if you leave them with Grandma and Grandpa. Apparently, I went to the San Diego Zoo when I was two. I don't remember a damn thing, and I hope to god I didn't annoy anyone on my way there.

brokennails

TechnoDestructo

"I understand kids who scream for an entire flight are annoying, can keep you form sleeping or working, but if your life is so tied up that you must get that work done at 30,000 feet in a tin can you need to get another job and relax a little."

No, I'm trying to relax. I'm trying to sleep.

If you can't shut your kid up, don't take them on a plane. Drive.

A couple of minutes over a dirty diaper (god I hope you took it to the restroom) isn't anything I'm going to flip out over. But if your kid keeps going for hours, I'm going to have words with your kid. And if you take issue with it, you're going to get worse.

BTW, most toddlers and infants down to maybe 10 months or so will shut right up if a stranger starts looking angry at them, or mocking their crying. (At least, if their crying isn't serious they will)

I discovered this on a flight from Sitka to Anchorage. There was a little girl, maybe 3, at most 4 years old sitting across the aisle from me. The plane hadn't taken off yet, and she was bawling her eyes out. Her mother had tried to calm her down, but nothing was working and she was clearly exasperated.

This was going on for like 15 or 20 minutes I think, and I was getting pretty annoyed. I had been trying to ignore it, just looking straight ahead and trying to read.

I got fed up with it, and I just turned quickly towards her with the angriest scowl I could muster on my face and stared right into her eyes. She immediately went quiet as the grave and sank slowly down into her seat, looking terrified.

Her mother laughed. The little girl stayed quiet for the rest of the flight.

I've tried it on a lot of kids since. It doesn't work if the kid knows you really well (so parents and close friends can't do it), and it doesn't work if the kid is too young to be aware of you as a stranger.

TechnoDestructo

Rectilinear Propagation

When I flew with my toddler, I usually tried to time it so he'd just be hitting his nap about the time we'd be taking off. But when you have 11 hour delays and are uncertain of when you're going to take off again, it's hard to line up a sleeping period with your takeoff time.

Caitlin

In this particular case, Its hard to tell if the flight attendant was justified. I applaud airlines that do make the choice to eject disruptive customers though, even if it involves a child. Just because they are young doesn't mean they aren't subject to the same rules as the rest of us in a public place.

Geekybiker

Airline workers: Is the flight attendant the final arbitrator of who stays on the aircraft or would she have had to get approval to remove these folks?

JayP71

Pelagius

Although our sick child example is one where it's necessary/an emergency, not all situations are like that. It is not necessary that you bring a child to a movie theater, so if you're going to, you'd better be sure it's well-behaved. Airplanes are a much tougher call. Axiomatic used the example of bringing a child for court-ordered visitations. That's necessary. But is it necessary to bring a two-year-old on a vacation to the Bahamas? Maybe, but maybe not. I think that MINIMIZING unnecessary plane trips with children (especially the poorly behaved ones) can also minimize stress for everyone on the plane -- including the parents.

brokennails

Thats all I can come up with for you.

axiomatic

Or did you just call me a bad parent? Cuz' I think you called my kid a brat, and called me a bad parent.

You are my beacon of morality roche. Shine on you bastion of American equality.

(read as: piss off)

axiomatic

Christ, worse than I feared--I'd have preferred Mother Theresa. You've successfully combined the worst of both worlds: irritating hipster cliche with irritating baby-coddler. Congrats on that. Just keep the entertaining at mute mime-level, and the uber-radical "punk-rock" mohawk away from my drink, and we should be fine.

silenuswise

From how the article reads, especially with another passenger acknowledging that the kid wasn't being loud, only being repetitive, is not grounds for getting booted from the plane.

Trust me, as a parent, and a punker, I have been on my fair share of "unfair" attitudes towards me. People can't handle a punker successful in business. What angers people more is that I'm a manager as well, with a mohawk. I get dismissed regularly in a lot of places and I HATE to see it happen to others like this lady. This lady and her child on the plane were treated unfairly.

axiomatic

waswik

roche

I have had this same experience. About a month ago I was taking flight out of Reagan back to Midway and our flight scheduled for 6ish didn't take off until 1ish. Obviously it's late, and of all times the night crew came in to install new flooring in some of the terminal. Of course this involves drilling into concrete and using table saws. It was insanely loud in there. There was a mom sitting on the other side of the seating who was nodding off while her son (probably 3) was still wide awake. He had a ball that rolled over to me, so we tossed it back adn forth a few times.

She wakes up to him laughing, sees me (clean cut, young adult, not in the least bit intimidating) and barks out "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" grabs the couple bags she had, yanks on the kid's arm, and storms off.

enm4r

zibby

@lorddave: Your're the one who wants everyone on the plane to be knocked out not me.

Rectilinear Propagation

pslim940

My friend. I am a punk rocker software engineer with a mohawk. LOL.

I also happen to be a nice guy and realize that there is no such thing as a child free flight and realize that people need help.

What do you want these people with kids to do? Not fly, thats unrealistic.

axiomatic

Congratulations. That thought never crossed my mind. But picturing an infant casually grazing fresh raspberries of his fat hairy scumbag father's recumbant beer belly just made me shoot gatorade out my nose. All my cubicle neighbors are looking at me wierd now...

@axiomatic:
I have to stop reading 1 post, reply. I missed your second about entertaining the kids. I have tried that exactly twice. Once on a rental car bus where it worked perfectly. A second time was in an airport terminal where it worked for 20 seconds before mom saw me making funny faces at the kid, and freaked out. "Leave my baby alone!" and stormed off with kid/luggage in tow.

Skyoodpov

Uh, thanks, Mother Theresa. It's great that you consider babysitting to be an extra air travel fee, in addition to all the other taxes. Maybe you can also bring the kids into the restroom and make bubbles in the sink for the duration of the flight, so I don't have to sit next to either of you.

silenuswise

3drage

I think the parents on here need to realize something. Not everyone has kids, and not everyone wants them. Society is turning. More and more people are chosing to stay single, not have kids, and enjoy life and excess cash. I certainly don't intend on having them. I don't know how many times a meal or movie has been ruined by parents just sitting idly by while their kid shrieks or says some phrase over and over. "momma. momma. momma..." while they sit there oblivious. And it isn't just a few parents, it is a lot. So yeah, we are sorry you have so many problems, responsibilities, issues and things to deal with because of your *choice* to have children, but don't act like it is my responsibility to endure them.

Saboth

There are examples where kids SHOULD be kicked off the plane. A while back there was a post about a little girl throwing a tantrum in the isle, mom and pop did nothing. Boom, off the plane. Exactly how it should have been, because it is a safety hazard for everyone, not just the tot.

There are nut jobs on here who seem to think that kids should get the boot for looking at them sideways. There are also nutjobs who think their precious little snowflake should be allow to run naked screaming up and down the isles flinging fingerpaint (if we are lucky) on everyone for fear of stifling their creativity.

All I am saying is that if a parent is doing a good job, their kid should be able to conduct themself in public. If your kid is habitually a terror in public, chances are you suck at parenting.

Skyoodpov

silenuswise

But either, if your kid is normal (yeah, I know) and old enough to speak but won't shut up when you tell it to, you gotta work on the discipline a bit.

zibby

3drage

No, you asshats would rather kick people off the plane.

OK, I need to bail on this thread. I'm getting actually mad. Some of you have no cooth.

axiomatic

QFT

ancientsociety

But on a plane with a high price on the ticket. You whiners are just going to have to cope. What else can parents do?

axiomatic

brokennails

J DTZR

I Second the theater idea. I was at Batman Begins when it was still in theaters, and some dip brought his LITTLE kid. I am bad at guessing ages, but I would think maybe just starting to walk (2ish?)

Of course the movie was way to loud, scary, violent for the kid and he starts crying. What does daddy do? Pulls his shirt up and starts giving him raspberries on his tummy. I got the usher and kicked them out, the dad making a huge scene the whole way.

Sigh, there are some deusies out there...

Skyoodpov

silenuswise

You are wrong. And until there actually IS a flight that is 13 year olds or older then you are still wrong.

Where did it say in the article that the kid was being a pain or unruly in any way? What if I repeated myself over and over. Would you get me booted from the plane?

What if I were autistic and repeated myself over and over. Would you still want me booted, or does your insensitivity have limits?

axiomatic

Also, yes, I was a child that was rarely heard in public. My mother was strict and made me behave when we were in public. I still had a happy childhood, and the people around me thought I was pleasant rather than a pain. So, please, parents, shut your children up. I don't care if you think I have an "entitled" attitude. If entertainment venues offer an enjoyable evening children free - I am more likely to frequent them. I feel the same about airlines, and I would even pay a little more for the convenience of not having kids on the flight. I also think all people with children under 13 (at PG13 and above rated movies) should be required to sit in a certain section of movie theaters so that the movie attendants can make parents with loud children leave the theater until their children can behave.

samurailynn

Garron didn't know any better, unlike the adult assholes who have to get out of their window seats every 10 seconds, put their knees into my back every time I try to recline my seat or spend 20 minutes attempting to shove their TOO BIG carry-ons into the overhead bin.

neithernor

I know this makes me sound like a soft, touchy-feely no discipline "it will stifle him" sort of parent. I'm not. I discipline my child, and IN GENERAL, he is very well behaved in public. HOWEVER, just as you not be having the greatest day sometimes, he has his bad days.

So for all of you who are kid-haters out there, I'm sorry if my child offends you. You're probably offending my child and me, so I guess we're even.

honu-girl

From the looks of things you and your monsters will just get kicked off the plane.

Knock yourself out!

Skyoodpov

Every airplane restroom I have ever been in (including tiny Embraer jets, and Dash-8 Turboprop Deathtraps) has had a fold down table that usually comes down over the toilet specifically for changing kids.

Skyoodpov

North of 49

junkmail

Narcissistic twat.

Xerloq

Fidomom

j-o-h-n

Franklin Comes Alive!

Kids are kids. They talk and make noise. As much as you know-it-alls think you know, you can't just tell a 2 year old to stop doing something and he stops immediately. It just doesn't work that way.

Get some earplugs and sedate yourselves.

WV.Hillbilly