[flyingbunny]

Did anyone see the story about the screaming kid who made the passenger next to him, ears bleed? Crazy story. She wants to blame the airline rather than the kids parent’s. – not that there’s anything you can do to keep a kid from screaming in that situation but equally not much the airline can do about screaming kids…

[InterestedObserver]

http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3312569

Good final quote in that piece…

The court also heard about an email Mrs Barnard sent, which read: “I guess we are fortunate my eardrum was exploding and I was swallowing blood.

“Had it not been for that, I would have dragged that kid out of his mother’s arms and stomped him to death. Then we would have an ‘international incident’.”

[SimonRowberry]

I guess it just shows how certain people will do anything to make money.

Sad, pathetic, ignorant, legitous, manipulative etc are words that immediately spring to mind. And greedy.

The total bloody idiot who made my life a misery on a flight yesterday (see LX 188 thread ibid) was not a kid by any means. He was a prat because he tried to smuggle his economy-ticket carrying partner into Business Class and then got aggressive when she was evicted – and rightly so.

As I’ve said all along, it is NOT the kids, it’s the adults. That’s US, friends. You and me.

Simon

[anotheranonymous]

I reckon I am the first parent type listed, but as long as my son doesn’t grow up to be like the spoilt bastard that the “anonymous” (how brave) writer clearly is I’ll be happy. They bought a ticket – not the whole f#$@ing plane:) –
And you gotta love this line…..

“were I not one of those abhorrent women that decided they preferred globe-trotting to babysitting, I may even have tried motherhood out”

So being a parent and wanting/needing to travel makes one “abhorrent” does it? And in what universe does this person live, where you can “try motherhood out”? How does that work – if you don’t like it you can take the child back for a refund or exchange it for a puppy?? Piss off -it would probably be more accurately expressed as –

“were I not one of those hard faced, power dressing,corporate ladder climbing ball crushers I may even have tried motherhood out, but for some reason nobody seems to want to sleep with me.”

There – that’s my 2 cents:)

[SimonRowberry]

Absolutely brilliant post.

The pity is that I bet Tom feels he has to delete it. I hope not, Tom! ; )

Simon

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

This line is not quite complete…..

“”were I not one of those hard faced, power dressing,corporate ladder climbing ball crushers I may even have tried motherhood out, but for some reason nobody seems to want to sleep with me.”

It’s missing “without wearing two condoms.”

[IanFromHKG]

I loved reading this thread. I am fortunate enough to have two wonderfully well-behaved children who have never created, on any flight (and we do a lot of travel, much of it long-haul between Europe and Asia), more than a total of 20 minutes noise over a 12+ hour flight. Except once. When nothing worked. During that flight, I realised that my (relatively abstemious) wife wasn’t coping when she had already had four glasses of wine and started asking for port. Fact is, all kids have bad days and on those days, if you are unfortunate enough to be on a plane with them, there is absolutely nothing you can do – but those occasions are extremely rare, and frankly in 9 cases out of 10 it *is* the parents’ fault for not keeping their kids in line and/or being sufficiently prepared and dedicated to keep them amused. However, I also have to agree that on many occasions it is the fellow business traveler who is far more objectionable – the fact is that kids have relatively little self-control, whereas all adults should have plenty, especially those successful enough to be in the premium cabin. The worst example I came across was on a Cathay flight in first class where the moment a couple boarded with their child (who was probably about 7) this pompous ass (who was a true boor and bore) started sounding off in a very loud voice to anyone who would listen (which, at that volume, was most of the plane). I found that behaviour far more objectionable than the child’s.

Yes, we all like being in the premium cabin for the space, the comfort and – we hope – the quiet. Fact is, though, we have to accept that this is public transport. Anyone who can pay can get on. If people are being wilfully disruptive or making no effort at all to control their children, then by all means complain and remonstrate. Otherwise, and particularly if the parents are doing their best to keep their child amused and quiet, “suck it up”…

[LindsayW]

@HongKongIan, my goal is to be able to say exactly what you said, after our flights BNE/PER/HKG/LHR/PRG…CDG/LHR/HKG/MEL/BNE next year.

We must also remember the quote from Voltaire when replying to another posters’ comments:

“I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”

Attack the message, not the poster.

Similar to others, I took Anonymous’s post in a light hearted manner and could had similar feelings to their experiences. Yes, I’ve been in the vicinity of both children and adults alike, each for their own reasons distrupting the tranquility of flight. Unless it directly disturbs my personal space or hearing, I let them be. Headphones are a God-send.

[FlightDoctor]

I had to share this gem of intolerant behaviour which my wife and I experienced yesterday on a Monarch A321 flight back from the Balearics with our 3 young children (3,2 and 6 months).

We were allocated a row of 3 and the adjacent aisle seat – my wife elected to sit with the baby on her lap in the latter seat and found herself sharing with a middle-aged couple. As soon as she sat down the male grumbled loudly “J***s! I don’t believe it”, well within earshot of most of the passengers around.

He continued to grumble under his breath every few minutes as the flight progressed, only pausing to forcibly ram the seat of the woman sat in front of him forwards when it inadvertantly reclined a few inches.

Our baby was extremely well behaved and later in the flight was giggling away and attracting lots of smiles from fellow passengers and crew…….but not from his nibs next door who then exclaimed “J***s! Somebody bloody strangle it!!” We weren’t the only people to look shocked.

He got his come-uppance however when, following a “briefing” with my wife in the toilet, my 3 year old son emerged to loudly exclaim to me that “mummy is sitting with a grumpy old troll”, again well within earshot of all!!

[MartynSinclair]

Flightdoctor, wonderful story – but your wife should have asked “old grumps” to hold a nappy (clean or otherwise!!) as the baby was being changed in the seat!

Where would we be in this world, if there were no babies to complain about!!!!!!!!!!

[LuganoPirate]

Looks like MAS have taken the lead here by banning babies in their 1st cabins and have now extended this to the 380 (didn’t know they had any?) by providing no bassinets.

What do we all think?

I’ll be hypocritical now, by saying my kids are no longer babies so have to agree. Ouch, can already feel the daggers!!!

http://tinyurl.com/3aomak8

[Binman62]

Earlier this month the refreshingly outspoken Azmil used Twitter to defend MAS’ decision not to install bassinets in the first class cabin of its Boeing 747-400 fleet, as a result of which parents with infants are not permitted to travel in first class and have to book in the bassinet-equipped business or economy sections instead…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………er……no…Mr CEO of MAS ….you take your considerable spending power and fly with someone else.

This is a silly idea especially for MAS who frankly need all the help they can get. I suspest It may have more to do with domestic Malaysian politics that any thing to do with hard nosed business sense. After all what right minded airline is going to pass up 10% of the First adult fare and yet not provide a seat, meal or any other service.

As a parent who kids have travelled First since they were 8 weeks old I am offended by such gimmicks, as it says a great deal about the attitude this carrier has towards families. As such, and whilst i am not a frequent MAS passenger, I would now almost ceratinly avoid them in the future, and not just in First Class.

[transtraxman]

I agree with the contributors who say that the problems caused by children on flights are problems caused by adults. These unruly children grow up and do not change (usually).

But I would like to ask about the role of cabin crew in this.

On a recent 12 hour Iberian flight we were accompanied by a mother with three small children (about 3 and 5 years old with a babe of 4 or 5 months). She travelled with a friend who obviously was not a mother. The family had come from Brussels and transfered in Madrid to meet the father at the destination.

The small children acted as well as could be expected, the mother being helped by her friend and my wife to a certain extent. The babe, however, cried for almost the whole flight and only slept ( for about an hour ) because it was obviously exhausted.

During all this period the crew only appeared to hand out the meals while the rest of the time they stayed in the galley and chatted – and the flight was only about 60% full.

I ask if, under their duties, the cabin crew are expected to help out an overworked mother, especially as the noise disturbed other passengers? Do the crew wash their hands of the whole affair? Is everybody dependent on the crew´s goodness of their hearts?

What is the situation in such a case? I was pretty indignant that they hid in the galley and did not help at all. Any comments?

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I think much depends on the crew. I can’t imagine IB crew lifting a finger to do anything they don’t have to do. OTOH, I’ve seen SIA crew on a busy flight almost take over the care of a baby from an over tired mother and allowed her to rest and they did a stunning job keeping the baby quiet for almost ten hours between SIN-CHC.

[LuganoPirate]

I could also imagine child protection issues could step in on European flights, where Middle Eastern and Asian airlines are not burdened by these over zealous regulations.

[Author]

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