Unfair to all concerned

[Rapscallion]

Small children and long-distance plan flights shouldn't mix.

I've just returned to dear old Blighty from Canadalandialand on an overnight flight. I've done it before when I managed to grab some sleep and be fairly refreshed when I got off the plane.

This time? Squalling child of less than twelve months of age managed to keep many people awake for several hours. I don't blame the child - he or she was scared. The parents, however...

Granted, I was in cattle class, which is a fine leveller of all walks of society, but there really ought to be some thought put into this by either the airlines (putting a blanket ban on very young children) or by common sense being applied by the parents.

I've had similar happen before and the results have been the same - child scared shitless, parents embarrassed and frazzled, and everyone unhappy with the outcome. I'd like to see far more common sense involved, or some sort of law/policy to prevent this.

Rapscallion

[Greenday]

Granted, I was in cattle class, which is a fine leveller of all walks of society, but there really ought to be some thought put into this by either the airlines (putting a blanket ban on very young children) or by common sense being applied by the parents.

I've had similar happen before and the results have been the same - child scared shitless, parents embarrassed and frazzled, and everyone unhappy with the outcome. I'd like to see far more common sense involved, or some sort of law/policy to prevent this.

Rapscallion

Whoa, restricting people's rights to do whatever the hell they want? You can't take away people's freedom to do anything they want. Since people lack commonsense, we'd need a law to keep their stupidity in check, but you'll just hear craploads of whining about how their rights are being taken away.

[Lace Neil Singer]

How about parachutes offered to parents and squalling child? >: )

Seriously, I once was on a plane and this child of around sixish was kicking the back of my seat. I was in goat class, so I expected crap, but it's impossible to relax even a tiny bit with feet being slammed into your back constantly. So I turned round, and said to the kid, "If you don't quit that right now, I'm going to break both your legs and throw you off the plane." Kid quits it; surprisingly, parents said and did nothing. O.o I mean, I expected them to at least say something to me, but they said nothing. Oh well, I guess they were as sick of him as I was. XD

[DesignFox]

I hear ya, Raps and Lace. I once flew to Hawaii (11 hour flight). I was lucky to have contracted some really awful bug just in time for the trip, too. So I was arthritic, congested and super body sore. I can't tell you how miserable I felt on that flight. I took plenty of meds so I wouldn't be coughing and tried desperately just to sleep the whole flight.

Would that I could. Some stupid jerks brought their two and four year olds on the flight. And they made absolutely ZERO effort to keep them in check. They were running up and down the aisles- darting two and from the two lobbies of the plane. They kept smashing into my seat. They were screeching and whining every time they didn't get something from Mom or Dad. Mom and Dad in ever so polite a fashion, brought along a DVD player to keep their little hell-spawn busy...and turned the volume up full level so the rest of us on the flight could "enjoy" whatever children's video was playing.

I very nicely asked a flight attendant to ask the parents to lower the volume as I was trying to enjoy the in-flight movie on my console and get some rest. So they lower the volume- at least until the FA went to a separate part of the cabin

Finally the little hellions fell asleep- within the LAST HALF HOUR of the flight. and what may you ask are Mom and Dad doing??? TAKING FLASH PHOTOS of them!

I said to my then boyfriend, "If he wakes those little shits up, I'm choking him with his camera strap."

The sound of a child screeching "Mooooomyyyy I want a Cooooookie!!!" will be forever burned into my ears.

When we got off the plane my BF and I looked at each other and said, "well, and we were worried about the infant in the center seats. He didn't make a peep!"

[Sylvia727]

The level of my irritation with children is inversely proportional to the level of parental effort. A baby that cries the entire time but whose mother is constantly rocking and singing to him is less irritating that a child that only whines part of the time, but whose mother ignores him. I'm rarely irritated with the child, either, unless he's acting far too young for his age. A newborn crying constantly is appropriate behavior; the same cannot be said of a six-year-old.

I wouldn't say that a blanket ban should be placed, however. That effectively restricts the movement of a family for several years. The airlines could offer tips to the parents, such as "bring enough snacks, treats, and toys". Good parenting can significantly reduce or elimate problem children. My family flew every summer for our vacation for my entire childhood. Neither I nor any of my siblings were ever problem children. My mom packed a backpack for each of us that we were not allowed to open until actually buckled into the airplane seat. They had coloring books, new toys, and junk food that we were not normally allowed to eat. The only times we ever cried were the one/two-year-old babies fussing (but not screaming) when they were hungry or uncomfortable, and the small children crying from the pain in their ears during takeoff and landing. My mom made sure that we never acted up any more than that.

[DesignFox]

The unfortunate thing is that I agree there can't really be a blanket ban concerning children. That isn't fair to families in general.

But it sure frosts me when I'm trapped in the air and the parents are ignoring their unruly kids.

I'm of a mind that kids are gonna be kids. I accept that. But for hell's sake do something for your kids. Just don't ignore them or let them run amok.

[I8DaCookie]

I would like to point out that in some cases that parents have not choice but to take a very young child on a very long flight. Case in point, my dad was stationed in England when my mom was pregnant with me. Then he was transfered to Texas when I was only a few months old. A few years later, it was another long trip (Arizona to Germany) with yet another infant.

I do get irritated with parents who do nothing to help make the trip more plesant for everyone. But for those who do make the effort, I give them credit for at least trying.

[Evandril]

That would have been my Wife as well...I've been stationed in Japan twice so far, and the first time my Wife had to make the 24+ hour flight, she did so with just her and our son...Who was under 1 at the time. I do believe airlines should be given more leeway in dealing with the parents of uncontrolled children, and warnings *given* to that effect, though. I'm with a few of the previous posters...If the child is being annoying, but the parents are trying to handle it...Not fun, but not something I'm going to be upset over. If the parents don't seem to care? Yeah, find a nice storage closet, and lock the lot of 'em in there for the flight

[PepperElf]

I would like to point out that in some cases that parents have not choice but to take a very young child on a very long flight.

very true.

One of my sister's in-laws lives overseas and is going to be taking a flight with her new (adopted) child soon. The little elf has (expected) medical complications and they're going to have to get a flight to talk to a specialist in the US.


Now personally... crying babies don't normally bother me much. I mean that's what babies do... they eat, they poop, they cry etc. as long as it's not the ear-piercing scream thing... babies don't bother me.

Now little brats misbehaving when they should be learning manners & how to behave in public... yeah that's horrid. (Tho I guess that's one case where Mom's threat of "Don't make me turn this plane around" might not work...lol)

[Lace Neil Singer]

What got me about the child who bugged me was not just the fact that he was being an annoying brat, but that his parents were not taking any notice of him at all. Even after the crazy lady in front told him she'd break his legs. O_o

Maybe only certain times of the day? As in, during daytime hours and not night flights. Or sedatives provided?

[Flyndaran]

Wouldn't the obvious solution to this be specific airlines offering no children flights? Air No-Brats?

[DesignFox]

I thought about that Flyn. But I can't see an entire airline being able to stay profitable not allowing children on their flights. Nor does it seem feasible for an airline to devote an entire plane to adults only. I'm not sure how the airline would arrange that in such a way as to be profitable.

What I could see, perhaps, is not allowing children in first class or attempting to have an adult's only section of the plane.

It really sucks that people are so inconsiderate that we are even talking about this. Fortunately, it's not like these jerks are in the majority. I've flown a number of times and only twice that I recall have there been children on the flight obnoxious to the point of making me want to commit an atrocity.

Every other parent with a child I encountered was extremely polite and pro-active.

[Boozy]

Wouldn't the obvious solution to this be specific airlines offering no children flights? Air No-Brats?

Red-eyes are usually good for that. Whenever my husband flies from Toronto to Vancouver, he takes the overnight. No kids, everyone sleeps.

I don't see why an airline couldn't offer a handful of "adult-only" flights. Cue sky-high club jokes.

[Rapscallion]

Red-eyes are usually good for that. Whenever my husband flies from Toronto to Vancouver, he takes the overnight. No kids, everyone sleeps.

This was a red-eye flight - international from Toronto to Englandlandialand.

Rapscallion

[blas87]

I'd be in favor of adult only flights, just like I'm totally in favor of child free restaurants. Of course legally the restaurant part can't be done, the owners just need to pony up and get rid of high chairs and booster chairs. But yeah, you get my drift. There should be child free places. This whole world does not need to cater to children and people with children. What about those of us who are punished (monetarily speaking) because we aren't married or don't have kids? Where's our fun and safe place?