Mom and Chatty Toddler Removed From Flight

That's right, Snood, and unlike you, I can apologize openly, if Joe feels
offended by my statement using the pronoun "we" instead of "I".

Emote, emote, emote.

"Unlike me you can apologize openly." What the hell are you blathering about?
You said "We" can see Joe doesn't like kids. I simply say if you think that, say you think that and don't pretend to speak for others. I wasn't trying to speak for Joe - and don't know if he was offended, though I suspect not.

This is an interesting thread, and I am still interested in seeing what happens with this airline. You got personal by suggesting Joe doesn't like kids, then got snotty because I said you don't speak for everyone.

Get over yourself, and let the damn thread go on...

Actually Snood, I have written in this thread from the first page on,
and I have been on topic until you came in and behaved like the boy
you are calling "disruptive little monster".

Apologies to everyone, I shouldn't have given Snood another plattform
to provoke me yet again. I should know better.

I didn't call him that. I said that from the facts we have so far, he might have been - just as the stewardess might have been over reacting.

I stand by my statement that you had no right to assume "we" think Joe doesn't like kids - that was snotty and stupid.

I started on this thread because the story is interesting. And I don't give a **** whether you want me here or not.

Here's an interesting update:

ORLANDO, Fla. - AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.
AirTran officials said they followed Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.
"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16773655

And I apologize to everyone for reacting to Jane's provocations. I should know better.

I watched the GMC video with the little boy. Yeah, he was antsy, and distracted and "rolled a plane off the table" (I just love that from the written article...Diane Sawyer gives him an airplane and he plays with it for a few seconds, and pushes it off the table....OMG, get the firing squad).

All little kids have their moments...he does seem like a very enthusiastic child, and whined a little, but hey, Diane Sawyer would have made me cry too.

Small point...the flight from Houston to either Tulsa or Oklahoma City, where Continental flies from/to is about an hour and a half.

They probably wasted more time going back to the terminal and all the ensuing rigamarole.

Even if the child cried the entire way....suck it up for 90 mintues.

That seems to be a different situation, snood... (3-year old girl rather than 19-month old boy, etc.)

Wow, I'm not getting from Joe that he doesn't like kids!

I can't believe how riled up everyone is getting about this - on both sides!

By God, let's shoot somebody! ! !

If that was all that he was doing? No, I don't think that warrants eviction from the plane. I wouldn't have wanted to sit next to him if he was acting that way, but then I generally don't want to sit next to anyone on a plane.


What little we know is based almost entirely on the mother's version of events. And that's why I'm much more reluctant to form a judgment than you and others on this thread.


But that's true only if the mother was actually focused exclusively on her child, as the mother now claims.

Geesh, how many times do I have to reiterate that I HAVEN'T formed a judgment? Some scenarios seem more likely than others, and I've explained why they seem more likely to me, but I don't know, my mind is open, awaiting further info, etc.



Then we agree. (Just to be safe, IF that's all he was doing, we don't know anything for sure, for all we know he was screaming his little lungs out and tossing ninja stars at people's heads... that about cover it?)

I like kids just fine -- well-behaved kids especially.


Nor is it an inquisition where we convict people based on hearsay and conjecture.


The only side I've taken is the "wait-and-see" side. In that respect, everybody who has already formed an opinion is on the opposite side of me.


I'm not taking the flight attendant's side.

Not sure what you're referring to here, Soz...

This:



Seems to be an entirely different situation rather than an update on the one we've been talking about.

Shoot!
I saw that it was a recent story about a child removed from a plane, and assumed so hard that I didn't even read it closely...

mea culpa - Yes, this is a different situation, and I await a REAL update about the child and airline in question with everyone else...

I think the majority of us said early on we wanted to get all the facts before making a firm judgement. Most of what's been posted is hypothetical, til then.

Yeah, I've checked and there doesn't seem to be any new info since Friday -- tomorrow, maybe.

(I mean not that it's so important, but I'm definitely curious.)

Two stories, same airline:
(Oh, first, I should explain that I raised my two boys by myself from the time they were three years old and 18 months. Me likee kiddos)
Flying down:
The silver-haired woman was leading her little silver-haired dog on a leash as we were getting ready to board the JetBlue flight out of JFK to Sarasota. She appeared put out and very unhappy when the attendants informed her that the dog had to be IN his carrier cage or she could not board.

As soon as she was seated on the plane, about two rows in front of me, she let the dog out of the carrier. Other passengers actually cooed and oohed and petted the little pooch. I started listening to my book. The flight attendant was about three sentences into the safety lecture when he stopped short, he hadn't seen that the dog was out yet, but apparently the dog was now in the aisle being petted by passengers from the other side.

He approached the woman and told her that before the plane could push back the dog had to be in it's carrier. Not only that, he continued in a quiet voice I had to strain to hear, if she let the dog out of it's carrier during the flight, the aircraft would land immediately and she would be de-planed. It was all done in a matter of fact manner that Joe Friday would have admired. Doggie stayed in it's carrier, we flew to the beach.

Ten days later, flying home:
Child about two and a half is crying in the security line.
His parents seem to be oblivious.
Same child, ten minutes later, crying loudly in the waiting area. Mom reads magazine, father is on his cellphone.
We start to board.
It's been a full forty minutes. The child is still crying. Not whimpering, not whining, no, projecting a full throated wail complete with tears. Mother folds the carriage while father actually holds child. Child cries.

A non-believer (no name given) prayed to any gods available to assist in stopping the child from crying. Prayers are not answered.

Child cries the....whole......flight....from...beginning.....to....touchdown.

I had my headset with an audio book on life in the early days of the Republic set to "Drown Out All Outside Sound.", but I know my fellow passengers must have suffered some trauma from the constant bawling.

I never saw a single attendant make any reference to the child. Father was in the aisle seat. Mom was by the window. Baby makes three.

Joe(and a constant eighty decibels. Where's the nice doggie?)Nation

Ouch.