3 year old kicked off plane for temper tantrum

Well, after years of non-smoking flights, I would be delighted with a non-screaming flight.

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"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes" - sounds like it was delayed for other reasons. Also, if it was the cause of the child then wouldn't they say, the airline was already delayed 15 minutes because of the child or they already allowed the parents 15 minutes to calm the child?

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Either way - I would have strapped my child in and let her scream. While she was sitting there I would try to distract her with other things - the magazine, looking out the window and if nothing else worked she could sit and scream in her chair. At least my child when she was 3 - couldn't undo her seatbelt.

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Might be, Linkat. But when parents tell a story about their child like it was done on ABC .... well, I don't know how I would have reacted when I'd been in that plane :wink:

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The more I read about this, the less sympathetic I feel toward the family.

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roger wrote:

Well, after years of non-smoking flights, I would be delighted with a non-screaming flight.

And I'd be delighted with:
Non-BO flight
Non-snoring flight
Non-loud talker flight
Non-kick my seat flight
Non-hit on me by a guy twice my age flight
Non-fat guy sitting next to flight (invading my space)

I could go on and on with all the things that makes a flight horrible. If people can't deal with these sorts of things, then perhaps they should not fly.

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Re: 3 year old kicked off plane for temper tantrum

ehBeth wrote:

Linkat wrote:
Do you think the airline acted appropriately?

Based on the info presented, yes.

I also wonder why the parents didn't take the initiative to get off the plane without the request/demand/requirement from the airline.

I would guess that they wanted to get home. Most flights are non-refundable meaning you can't get another flight without paying $100 processing fee per ticket - this would cost them an additional $300, plus no guarantee on what next flight they could take.

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Linkat wrote:

Either way - I would have strapped my child in and let her scream.

since the parents were unable to get her strapped in, the screaming of a belted child wasn't even an option

I think AirTran is going to win over some flyers with their decision.

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ehBeth wrote:

Linkat wrote:
Either way - I would have strapped my child in and let her scream.

since the parents were unable to get her strapped in, the screaming of a belted child wasn't even an option

I think AirTran is going to win over some flyers with their decision.

I can't imagine the parents tried to strap her in - they said they were trying to calm her - probably reason with a child that is not able to reason with. This is the type of situation where you either have to remove the child from the situation and if you are unable to then force them by buckling them up. I was able to do it alone with my child when she was acting that way - why wouldn't two parents be able to do that?

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ehBeth wrote:

I think AirTran is going to win over some flyers with their decision.

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I didn't follow all of the links, but I agree with Linkat.

There are two parents and one three year old child who is misbehaving.

Her misbehavior inconveniences 112 other people (plus the cabin crew).

If her behavior hold up the plane for 5 minutes, this means a total of 9 hours of other people's time sacrificed for an out-of-control toddler.

(Obviously 15 minutes would have been 27 hours of wasted time).

We are not talking about a 300 pound sumo wrestler, here. We're talking about a three year old who is being allowed to inconvenience strangers. In fact, since her parents did not act decisively to end the disruptive behavior, they were aiding and abetting the misbehavior.

The airline acted because the parents didn't.

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I think that the airline acted appropriately. If the parents could not get the child to calm down, who knows what would have happened when the plane was in the air? I have spent some miserable hours having to listen to a screaming kid, in an enclosed area, all through a flight. Passengers should not have to put up with this.

If parents cannot control their children, they should not be allowed on planes. Let them go by train, and book a roomette, so as not to foist their child on other passengers.

I also have a few things to say about parents who allow kids to carry on in restaurants, but that is for another thread.

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I agree I can't stand it - to have a crying baby or child while you are flying. However, it is a reality of life. Are we to then have all babies and children kept in the house because it is disturbing to hear them cry?

This really shows how self centered and uncaring for others that the majority can be. They are incapable of a little understanding. By the way headphones on a flight are a true blessing for all sorts of noise even beyond the occassional crying baby.

If these particular parents were unwilling to buckle their child in her seat for over 15 minutes, I can understand them being kicked out - if they were told, you will need to leave the plane if your child is not in her seat and buckled within 5 minutes this is FAA rules and we cannot bend them.

AirTran even admitted they will use this incident as a training tool to handle future situations.

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I'm confused again.

The headline I linked to said she was taken off because she didn't stop crying -

This abc quote of Walter's cites the crying as the problem.

But I surmise myself - perhaps incorrectly - that the not being seated was the key problem.
According to the article, the parents answered twice that they were trying when asked to get the child to sit.

I didn't see a video - not sure if I could anyway, I rarely have the right plug-ins/whatever, for news videos, although maybe I could if it's on
youtube.

No doubt there'll be more hubbub about this.

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I remain unsure of whether the parents really couldn't get the child to calm down. There seems to be room for:

- Everyone boards (usually well before when the flight is supposed to take off).

- There is some announcement about the flight being delayed for "a few minutes." (Anyone who has flown knows that these "few minutes" can drag out for a very long time.)

- The parents didn't strap the kid in because she was being moody and the flight wasn't taking off on time anyway.

- As the parents tried to deal with the kid (sounds like she's usually fine and they were trying to figure out what was up here -- did her ears hurt, what?), they got notice that it was time to go.

- As they then tried to take things up a notch and get her seated, all of a sudden they were told to get off the plane.

Do I think this IS what happened? Not sure, tending towards no. The more that comes out the less sympathetic I'm getting. But still see some room for the parents getting a bad deal, IF it happened close to the above.

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As a person with highly sensitive ears, what is merely annoying for one is extremely painful for me. Despite that, however, it is rude and inconsiderate to have one person, whatever their age, inconvenience so many others. When in public, you have to learn to behave with decorum. What makes those parents think anyone else should have to put up with their kid having a temper tantrum? Here's a thought - Take your screaming brat and go home.

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So, I finally read Soz's link and that puts me over in the Airlines camp. I don't think you get a lot of soothing cuddling time when a plane is loading, put her in the seat and then be reassuring. (Ms. Newly Harsh here.)

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Linkat wrote:

This really shows how self centered and uncaring for others that the majority can be. They are incapable of a little understanding. By the way headphones on a flight are a true blessing for all sorts of noise even beyond the occassional crying baby.

This is not about how "the majority" can be "self-centred and uncaring", Linkat. What exactly was so self-centered? And who was uncaring? What are you talking about? And what's a 'little understanding'??? How long would they have to be understanding for? And this wasn't a 'crying baby' which is much more understandable. I think you're going off the deep end a little bit here.

There's an awful lot here we don't even know. How long they tried to shut her up, why they had to plead with her in the first place, how often this kid pulls shite like this... maybe these parents are ineffective and the kid runs the show, who knows? Did any passengers complain? etc etc

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In an earlier report, the grandfather said that they arrived 45 mins before departure - which surprided me re security.

Here's the link to the video (two commercials before it actually starts!!!)

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Mame wrote:

Linkat wrote:

This really shows how self centered and uncaring for others that the majority can be. They are incapable of a little understanding. By the way headphones on a flight are a true blessing for all sorts of noise even beyond the occassional crying baby.

This is not about how "the majority" can be "self-centred and uncaring", Linkat. What exactly was so self-centered? And who was uncaring? What are you talking about? And what's a 'little understanding'??? How long would they have to be understanding for? And this wasn't a 'crying baby' which is much more understandable. I think you're going off the deep end a little bit here.

There's an awful lot here we don't even know. How long they tried to shut her up, why they had to plead with her in the first place, how often this kid pulls shite like this... maybe these parents are ineffective and the kid runs the show, who knows? Did any passengers complain? etc etc

Mame - I did try to go back and edit my response as I saw it wasn't clear to what I was trying to reference. Basically after I looked over the survey I saw it said crying uncontrollably - not simply crying.

I then was going to expand how I have little sympathy for parents who do not actively calm a child - that does not mean reason when the little monster is unreasonable, it means removing them from the situation if possible (on a plane not possible), or focusing their attention elsewhere. This may take 5 - 15 minutes, but others should be sympathetic, thoughtful, caring and not so self centered about their discomfort if a parenting is actively calming a child.

I would agree with the airline if they made it clear that they would have to leave the plane if they hadn't ABC within 123 because of FAA regulations. I would agree with the parents if the flight attendant after asking to have their child calmed and seated then came back in a few minutes and said they have to leave. I imagine the truth lines between both these extremes.

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3 year old kicked off plane for temper tantrum

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