Tuesday, 03 November 2009
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Throw Momma Off the Plane?
Last week, Southwest Airlines taxied back to the airport and kicked a mom and her 2-year old son off the plane. The toddler was not just being a little cranky; he was shrieking: “I want Daddy” and “Go, plane, go” repeatedly at the top of his lungs. The mother had delayed feeding him until after takeoff, hoping for a long nap after the meal.
The airline apologized to the mother and paid for her to go on another flight, as well as compensated her for the delay, because her luggage remained on the plane. A Southwest spokesperson said they did not regret the decision to disembark the mother and child, because the child was screaming so loudly that the passengers could not hear the preflight safety announcements.
Would you kick a mom and screaming child off the plane?
Yes—the interests of other passengers should take precedence.
No—you were a baby once, too, so chill out!
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About the Author
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- From: redhairedgrrl@xanga
- Name: redhairedgrrl
- Location: Alameda, California, United States
- About Me: I have bright red hair and deep green eyes. That makes me stand out! Sometimes I wish I could just blend in! I'm a college student (political science major) and a political junkie. Xanga is the place where I can practice my writing skills, expressing my inner feelings and my liberal political opinions.
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Comments (54)
She delayed feeding him because she wanted him to sleep through the flight? He was probably cranky because he was hungry, and cranky kids that young tend to show it by crying and throwing fits.
Sounds like her own fault. My biggest concern with bringing my kid on a plane would be keeping him/her occupied so as not to bother all the other people on the flight.
Yes, without hesitation, and I'm sure the other passengers were thankful when the screaming child was gone. There is no excuse for not controlling your child in public.
I have mixed feelings about this.....
I believe that when children are little, babies and toddlers...they need to have their needs met. If the child was hungry, he should have been fed. As a parent you can plan but ultimately, with a young child, they have needs and don't understand totally how to express them at such a young age. This entire situation could've been avoided had the child been fed already.
HOWEVER....he doesn't sound like he was screaming just about being hungry. IMO a two year old knows when to use an "indoor" voice and should have been warned/disciplined accordingly when he STARTED acting out.
I have an almost five month old and we flew with him when he was three months old. I did NOT let him cry on that trip...if he started fussing, I immediately tended to his needs --- usually he just wanted to nurse. To me, that's just common sense to be respectful of those around you and do what you need to do to keep your kid quiet...especially in a small cramped space like an airplane.
Oh, that's a tough one. As a new mother, I'm not sure. I mean, overall I do think that if the kid was shrieking that loud, it is a bit of a safety hazard. And delaying feeding under any circumstances is a BAD idea. Just like trying to keep them awake thinking they'll sleep longer if you do - they won't, they'll just be harder to handle. I'm terrified to fly with a child and I haven't been brave enough to entertain the idea yet (he's only 3 months old). We're taking our first real trip this weekend and 600 miles in the car is scary enough, much less wondering how annoying he'd be for other travelers.
i read about that and support the airline's decision. i don't know how the woman thought that it would be okay for people to put up with her son's rampage and CHANCE on him falling asleep after a meal. maybe he would, but geez take in consideration of other people; not everybody caters to you and your kid's needs.
kids are kids, but there is no excuse for tantrums. EVER. my parents taught me to be well-mannered in public and that there is a time for playing/screaming and a place to be quiet.
I hate how you attached a little meaning to the end of each answer choice. My answer would be yes, kick her off and compensate her because of the safety of other passengers. I understand its embarrassing and i guess it seems mean but if the child cannot keep quiet he needs to be removed from the plane. Anyway, she'll survive and at least she got another plane ticket. in my opinion this is a non-issue.
NO thats stupid alll babys scream and yell no matter what every baby does it at some point and the mother cant help it if thats when they decid to do it.
No that is rediculous. Little kids cry. Get over it. Nobody pays attention to those safety things anyways.
@MarnieAyn@xanga - LOL so true.
@gymbum20@xanga - I mean seriously.. does anyone listen to those??
@MarnieAyn@xanga - I know I don't. And when I'm on a plane when they're telling you the same thing you hear every time, I look around and no one else seems to be listening or caring LOL. Hopefully I never end up in a situation where I DO need those safety rules....hm....haha.
@gymbum20@xanga - Lol :P
Okay, as far as the whole "the passengers couldn't hear the pre flight announcement" the airline should get over themselves. I don't know anyone, myself included, that actually listens to that. On the other hand, this sounds like a child that was not simply crying as some children do, but a child that was totally out of control. I believe even the mother said his screaming was extremely loud. In a situation such as that; yes, I think the airline handled it in the best manner possible. You have a hundred or so other people on that plane and none of them wish to hear a screaming child for hours at a time.
I recently took both my two and four year old on a three hour flight. I made sure that I had snacks for them both and some books that would keep them occupied. It was the four year olds first flight and the loudest he ever got was when he said "wheeeee" upon take off. If you weren't sitting next to him, you wouldn't even have heard him. My two year old became fussy and I immediately took her out of her seat and put her in my lap to calm her. It is common sense and that mother should have fed the child when he first showed signs of hunger.
Kicking her and the child off the plane sounds a bit extreme, but maybe she will learn to control her child.
I flew from Boston to Phoenix with a 6yo, 5yo, 3yo, and 10 month old... by myself! lol Thank God they were all calm the whole flight. But I prepared for that... I made sure to ride on JetBlue so they all got their own TV to watch... I made sure the flight was later in the day so they would sleep, I made sure their bellies were full before we left, etc.
I think this Mother could've better prepared maybe. But it does suck to be kicked off a plane, I can't imagine lol. Yikes! I think we all run the risk when flying that we may be on a plane with a screaming baby/kid- it's part of life. So I guess I'll go with No she shouldn't have been kicked off... but I do think she should've prepared better... or at the very least the moment he started flipping a bitch- take him aside in a little "time out" (if that was at all possible on the plane) to cool down or whatever. And don't most planes have cookies or some kind of sweetness on them? Bribery works great sometimes- why didnt they try to offer something, sounds to me like the airline just didn't want to be bothered. Which sure, that isn't their job... see, I could go back and forth all day long on this subject.
She should have fed her child right before boarding that way when they got on the plane he probably would have fallen asleep rather then getting pissed off because he was hungry. I've never taken my children on a plane but making sure they had eaten, gone to the bathroom/had a clean diaper ect would have all been on my 'Before Boarding Check List'
This is tough. Two year olds cannot be reasoned with and sometimes despite your best efforts they will have a meltdown. It sounds like this little guy had a few more issues than just being hungry, which certainly doesn't help. It's hard to say what the mom could have done differently, she obviously had a plan in mind it just didn't work. As for Southwest, they have an obligation to ALL of their passengers and their flight crew. If they determined this was in the best interest of the flight they compensated the mom appropriately then I think their decision was ok.
The airline made the right decision from a business standpoint, I would have loathed to be on that flight with a screaming kid for hours and probably would have been pissed at the airline for not taking any action/switched to another airline next time. They would have probably many customers for not taking that action.
Yes, because we are talking about a whole plane full of people here that have to suffer with the screaming baby.....
And as a person who has sat in the same row as two crying babies on a plane before, I know that no matter how high you turn up your head phones, the sound can still be heard.
And after a few hours, you tend to get angry and mad.
I think they did the right thing. A little crying or a short tantrum should not be a big deal, but if it was that out of control then they would have had an entire plane full of very angry passengers. And if my child was really freaking out like that, I'd probably be grateful to be moved to another flight for free when I could get the child calmed down.
But what it boils down to, is that every situation is different. Sometimes people just have to make judgement calls. And if I was a passenger on that plane, I'm sure I'd be happy with this decision! It may just come down to numbers. An entire plane of miserable people vs. two passengers having a bad day.
Absolutely.
I suppose that If the boy was completely out of control, to where no one could reason with him, then they did the right thing.
If it was just a minor tantrum or crying (which doesn't sound like it was) then no, people could deal with it.
No... but I would have definitely tried to give him something to eat, something to drink, something to distract him.
A toy... a blanket, anything.
If the worst he was doing was screaming, no I wouldn't.
If he wouldn't stay in his seat, fought, broke things... then MAYBE I could see it. Maybe.
She doesn't want to feed her kid, no one wants to suffer the consequences, this way everyone wins.
It sounds as if the mom tried to prevent the child from freaking out by delaying the feeding it is just unfortunate her plan did not work! I really do not know how I feel about this one...I myself am not a mother but know kids will be kids and sometimes people just need to have some patience but at the same time I have been on planes with screaming children (and ones who kick the back of the seat ugh!) and know how annoying it can be. Everyone pays a lot of money for the flight so who should get the special treatment...well behaved passengers or crying cranky ones? Tough call!