NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371601,00.html

Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

So apparently no one thinks this is discussion-worthy.

A question, then: Should they have turned the plane around? On the one hand, it's not the kid's fault he's autistic. On the other hand, it's not the company's fault either, and they have regulations to follow. Or are those regulations too strict? And even if there's no danger to the plane or passengers, should they be forced to deal with an uncontrollable kid (if in fact he is uncontrollable) causing problems the entire flight?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371601,00.html

Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

It's Foxnews RhynoD, we can't believe a word it says.

Sorry.

It's Foxnews RhynoD, we can't believe a word it says.

Sorry.

You know, you could discuss it as a hypothetical situation. The truth or lack thereof of the incident does not change the fundamental question: Would an airline company be justified in delaying the flight and removing the passengers in such a situation?

Or you could use the source of the question as an excuse to cover your own inability to discuss fundamental issues on a mature and intellectual level.





Either way.

I'm going to have to side with the airline. The flight crew (which includes pilots and stewardess) has a job to do, they are responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft during flight. Flight time is from Push back (from the gate) to pull up (to the gate). So it's pretty much gate to gate. The Captain and First Officers are Pilots in Command, so their word on the aircraft is law.

With that being said, I don't agree with the one stewardess trying to "mother" another person's child. That's just wrong. She should've just told the mother to control her child.

You know, you could discuss it as a hypothetical situation. The truth or lack thereof of the incident does not change the fundamental question: Would an airline company be justified in delaying the flight and removing the passengers in such a situation?

Or you could use the source of the question as an excuse to cover your own inability to discuss fundamental issues on a mature and intellectual level.

Either way.

Oooh missus!

I think when you have a child with such a disruptive disability you should call ahead so you can make arrangements with the airline. The airline however needs to have a means to deal with those sorts of situations once notified in advance(which I doubt American Airlines has).

So both are in the wrong. American Airlines for not having a policy on how to deal with children with these sorts of disabilities and the mother for not calling ahead to make arrangements.

With that being said, I don't agree with the one stewardess trying to "mother" another person's child. That's just wrong. She should've just told the mother to control her child.

I have a similar problem as a lifeguard: often I see parents strap a lifejacket on their kids, toss them in the water, and then lay back with a shirt over their face and headphones in their ears. And then their kid does something stupid and I have to kick them out, and the parent acts like I'm the badguy and how dare I tell their kids what they can and cannot do. In my head I always think "Don't even act like you care about your kids..."

Mind, I'm not saying that that's how it is: the stewardess may have told the mother to mind the boy, and she just didn't. At the very least, the stewardess trying to calm the boy should have been an indication to the mother that she needed to control her child. But the point of my lifeguarding story is that I know first-hand that a parent's idea of controlling his or her children and the regulations for how controlled a child needs to be are often very different things, and as often as not, the parent has no intention of changing his or her parenting style to conform to those regulations.

Oooh missus!

All right, Barringtonia, you listen, and listen close. Posting on NS is no different from riding a bicycle; it's just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes.

All right, Barringtonia, you listen, and listen close. Posting on NS is no different from riding a bicycle; it's just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes.

Thankee ma'am.

I fly a lot and I'm quite used to crying babies and I have a lot of sympathy for the parents, especially where it's beyond their control really.

Having said that, there are uppity passengers who can feel entitled to special service, for a variety of reasons.

Even if one reads the original ABC link, there's very little detail, it's one person's word against the others but I feel that if the stewardess and then the captain came to the point where they decided to turn around, well I can't believe the mother was being overly compliant in everything.

As it stands, it's just too hard to tell but I've rarely seen people complain too much about a bawling baby so I'd say there was much more going on.

It can be a two-way street, respect on both sides, where I see trouble is when one person feels entitled, or, if I was being charitable, embarrassed and sensitive to the point where they lash out in anger over these things.

EDIT: I've been on a crazier flight by the way. Essentially, one person was trying to put his seat back to the discomfort of the person behind, who asked if he could move it forward. Back and forth it went until fighting started. Other passengers became involved and it became a 10-person brawl but it was the wives who were really going for it.

Anyway, the security guy came with a taser and dropped a couple of people, other people notice their twitching bodies on the floor and calmed down.

The police were waiting for them on arrival.

Again, someone feels entitled to do something despite the obvious discomfort of others, even where it's uncontrollable, one should at least pretend to have an understanding.

I have a similar problem as a lifeguard: often I see parents strap a lifejacket on their kids, toss them in the water, and then lay back with a shirt over their face and headphones in their ears. And then their kid does something stupid and I have to kick them out, and the parent acts like I'm the badguy and how dare I tell their kids what they can and cannot do. In my head I always think "Don't even act like you care about your kids..."

I know what you mean. Although I don't have a class of that age group this year, I've taught 2 year olds, with their motherss in the classroom, and there's always one mother who thinks controlling her kid means saying "sit down" once in 30 minutes.

Mind, I'm not saying that that's how it is: the stewardess may have told the mother to mind the boy, and she just didn't. At the very least, the stewardess trying to calm the boy should have been an indication to the mother that she needed to control her child. But the point of my lifeguarding story is that I know first-hand that a parent's idea of controlling his or her children and the regulations for how controlled a child needs to be are often very different things, and as often as not, the parent has no intention of changing his or her parenting style to conform to those regulations.



...adding that the flight attendant made things worse.

"She kept coming over and tugging his seatbelt to make it tighter, 'This has to stay tight.' And then he was wiggling around and trying to get out of his seatbelt. And she kept coming over and reprimanding him and yelling at him."

Farrell said she was doing everything to keep her son calm, but after one of the pilots came back to the cabin and gave her and her son, Jarrett, a stern warning, the situation got worst.

Who in their right mind expects that yelling at a 2 year old and giving them a "stern warning" will be calming?

I know what you mean. Although I don't have a class of that age group this year, I've taught 2 year olds, with their motherss in the classroom, and there's always one mother who thinks controlling her kid means saying "sit down" once in 30 minutes.

I once had a parent actually get angry with me for giving her son a swim test (which he just barely, barely passed) before I let him in the deep end. Her rationale was that she was his mother and knew him better than I did and she was watching him...from the opposite corner of a 50m pool while reading a magazine and watching her other children, several of whom were younger than the son in question.


Who in their right mind expects that yelling at a 2 year old and giving them a "stern warning" will be calming?

I dunno...it might have been a soft but stern warning...

Maybe the child would have fit into the overhead compartment?

Maybe the child would have fit into the overhead compartment?

Animal carrier in the cargo hold?