You’re the jury: Case, Air Trans vs screaming child on plane

[the wiz]

You’re the jury

A couple with a 3yo child was asked to leave the plane, surprised they did what they was told. After leaving the plane they asked to speak with a supervisor, the supervisor told them that they were removed because their 3yo hit another passenger. The mother reply the other passenger was me her mother.

The supervisor stated Air Tran do not make distinction between a 3 yo or a 33 yo a unruly passenger is an unruly passenger. Than the supervisor (a woman btw) started to preach about the important of child discipline. When she got to the point of saying she would never allow her children to act the way they allow their child to act. The father informed her that she needs to shut up.

They was told because they was put off the plane they could not travel Air Trans for 24 hours, the couple was force to get a hotel room for the night, the father missed 16 hour worth of work. The next day, the couple got on the plane with no problem, they give the child some medication that made her sleep the whole flight.

PS. They paid for the sit their child was in, and they were not allowed to retrieve their child car sit from the plane.

My question:

Does the airline have the right to kick the couple off the plane because they could not control their child or should they allow them time to calm the child down?

 

[aun_existe_amor]

Of course they should allow the parents time to calm a three year old child!

 

[Capnmad]

I don't know all the ins and outs except what you described, but it sounds to me that some lenience should be in order. At the same time, Air Tran probably has taken on some remarkably stringent safety precautions for the sake of their company. You might remember them under their old name, much maligned after a questionable and highly publicized crash, and after it was revealed that they don't purchase new aircraft for their company, but rather refurbish old ones (which compelled some to debate their safety). You see, "Air Tran" used to be "Valu-Jet".

 

[maniactickler]

I heard the parents could not get the seat belt on the child. that was the main problem i guess. i think if you cant control your kids, and theres a risk of delaying the flight, then your asses are gone. i support the airline on this one.

 

[Senbab]

I for one, have dealt with far too many unruly brats in the past few years especially. I remember I was once in a resturant where a family was letting their son run around with a pair of steak knives in his hands, slashing them around like swords. little bastard almost stabbed me, twice. not to mention other people. I for one think it's rediculous with what some people let their kids get away with these days.

As for the plane, I believe they should give the family a chance to calm the child, but if they do not take the chance then the airline staff may feel free to remove them if they feel it's nessicary. Hell, if some little brat runs up to me screaming at me and hitting me i'd throw him off the plane myself. >:-\



by the way, I really hate kids. Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now. hehe.

 

[german]

I can understand both sides; either way I smell a law suit.

Priest

 

[drew70]

I know I cringe when I sit down in my seat and see a nearby passenger with a baby or toddler. They almost always cry because of the change in air pressure affecting the inner ears.

As for this case, I too tend to side with the airlines. People seem to think that being a child excuses anything and everything. They think their screaming 3 year old is no big deal, and that nobody will mind because everybody understands kids are kids. Now granted, in a plane that's 30,000 feet in the air, they can't exactly take the kid out for a walk, but I sometimes think chloroforum should be an option in such cases.

 

[The Sean Man]

The airlines have a schedule to keep. Get the kid off the plane.

 

[Fire_Sprite]

^agreed^


Airlines have schedules of planes coming and going that have to be maintained. Passengers are allowed plenty of time to get to their seats and situate themselves on the plane before takeoff. If in that amount of time parents haven't subdued their children then they shouldn't hold the airline up for more. Even if they could, if a child is acting violent and screaming before takeoff then there's the possibility of an outbreak when their well on their way. I think the airline made the right decision.

 

[maniactickler]

I can understand both sides; either way I smell a law suit.

Priest

Thats not a lawsuit you smell. i apologize, it slipped out.

 

[aun_existe_amor]

OK, I see your point. You should never fly with a child incase they are frightened and make a fuss. Adults never get frightened of flying so they should be ok when they're older. You never know when a child might get ill, could have an ear ache or be teething, best not to book flights just incase. Is it too much to believe the parent when they say the painkillers will start working shortly?

What if the child is just tired? Kids do make a fuss when they're tired. It could be that they've already had one flight and that was delayed or they have travelled a long distance to get to the airport on a busy train with nowhere to sit. The child might have been awake most of the night excited about getting on a plane. Is it too much to believe the parent that the child will sleep on the flight and wake up in a better mood?

Some kids just are little brats because their parents allow them to be like that but there is always a reason for a three year old making a fuss. I agree that it's not fair to the other passengers if the parent seems to be doing nothing about the child making a fuss but the parent should always be asked for reasons first, even by passengers if it is bothering them. If someone asked me why my child was making a fuss I would explain and expect that people be a bit more patient. My child is not a brat.This is bound to turn into a non-parents againts parents discussion.

 

[Fire_Sprite]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1581533,00.html


Thats the news story I'm guessing. You can bet that in fifteen minutes plus the time they had before they became late, the parents were indeed asked what was wrong with the child. The needs of the 112 other people on the plane come before that of two parents and an unruly toddler. Even if they extended the wait time after those 15 minutes, there's was no guaranty of the child calming down or staying that way. It seems to make logical business sense to me.

 

[the wiz]

OK, I see your point. You should never fly with a child incase they are frightened and make a fuss. Adults never get frightened of flying so they should be ok when they're older. You never know when a child might get ill, could have an ear ache or be teething, best not to book flights just incase. Is it too much to believe the parent when they say the painkillers will start working shortly?

What if the child is just tired? Kids do make a fuss when they're tired. It could be that they've already had one flight and that was delayed or they have travelled a long distance to get to the airport on a busy train with nowhere to sit. The child might have been awake most of the night excited about getting on a plane. Is it too much to believe the parent that the child will sleep on the flight and wake up in a better mood?

Some kids just are little brats because their parents allow them to be like that but there is always a reason for a three year old making a fuss. I agree that it's not fair to the other passengers if the parent seems to be doing nothing about the child making a fuss but the parent should always be asked for reasons first, even by passengers if it is bothering them. If someone asked me why my child was making a fuss I would explain and expect that people be a bit more patient. My child is not a brat.This is bound to turn into a non-parents againts parents discussion.

According to the Air Line and some on the passengers on the plane, the child would not sit in her seat. They been chasing this child around for 20 mins. which cause the plane to be 20 mins late taking off. The mother requested that the child be placed on her lap during take off which is against Air lines and FAA rules.

 

[the wiz]

My view:

Being a parent of 2 boys, it would be selfish of me to expect anyone to put up with my children acting a fool. . Just because you put up with their tantrums do not mean every else have to too. Being a parent does not exempt you or your child/ren from the rules. Why do parents look for sympathy from others when their child is running a muck?

It’s one thing for a child to cry on the plane this is expected and have to be put up with. But to expect other passengers to put up with your child temper tantrums before the flight took off is too much. What if they were in the process of landing when this child started up? since you can’t land the plane until everyone is in their seat and buckle up, the plane would have to fly around the air port until they got her calm down and seated.

Yes, the child was 3yo but both of my boys at 3 yo knew when i said sit down i meant sit down, this child knew if she acts a fool her parents would done anything but beg and pleaded with her to sit down. If I was the captain of the plane I would have kick them within 5 minutes of her terrorizing the plane.


Personally I think they should have drug the child from the first place since they knew she have a problem doing what she is told by her parents.

 

[toyou444]

Then there are those people who would have screamed "child abuse" if the parents had corrected the child "too harshly".

I have two small children...they don't always behave and they don't always listen, then again niehter do I and I am 37 years old. Sorry if the screaming child bothers you, parents try to do the best they can and sometimes the little buggers put up a prety good fight! LOL!

~ toyou

 

[aun_existe_amor]

According to the Air Line and some on the passengers on the plane, the child would not sit in her seat. They been chasing this child around for 20 mins. which cause the plane to be 20 mins late taking off. The mother requested that the child be placed on her lap during take off which is against Air lines and FAA rules.

You didn't say that in your first post.

 

[aun_existe_amor]

My view:

Personally I think they should have drug the child from the first place since they knew she have a problem doing what she is told by her parents.

How do you know that the parents knew they would have a problem?

Drugging children for other peoples benefit is never good and neither is drugging children as a punishment!

 

[the wiz]

You didn't say that in your first post.

Sorry, i didn't find out about it until today, it made national news, believe it or not.

 

[the wiz]

How do you know that the parents knew they would have a problem?

Drugging children for other peoples benefit is never good and neither is drugging children as a punishment!

as a parent you have a good ideal what your child is capable of doing at certain times, and your child had a good ideal what will happen to them they do.

NOw again this is not talking about a child screaming or crying while in their chair. This is for a child running around refusing to be place in their chair and fighting to keep from being restrained


People been drugging kids since 1980, kids are being drug for: ADHD, Depression, mood swings for sleeping problems. if you child need something to calm them down they should have given to her.

 

[aun_existe_amor]

Sorry, i didn't find out about it until today, it made national news, believe it or not.

Chasing the child around for 20 mins does make a big difference. If it seems that the flight will be delayed because of the child then I agree that the family should be taken off the flight.

 

[aun_existe_amor]

as a parent you have a good ideal what your child is capable of doing at certain times, and your child had a good ideal what will happen to them they do.

NOw again this is not talking about a child screaming or crying while in their chair. This is for a child running around refusing to be place in their chair and fighting to keep from being restrained


People been drugging kids since 1980, kids are being drug for: ADHD, Depression, mood swings for sleeping problems. if you child need something to calm them down they should have given to her.

Yes I agree with medicating a child for for medical reasons but definitely not just for the sake of keeping other people happy or keeping the child quiet.

 

[tickledgirl]

I've got to side with the airline on this one. One telling quote I heard was that the mother complained that the airline didn't give her enough time to "console" her child. I'm sorry, if any of my kids spent 20 minutes disobeying me, crawling under seats, and running wild through the airplane, I wouldn't be worried about "consoling" the poor dear.

Admittedly I'm at a distance, and relying on what I've read. But this doesn't sound like the child was scared or upset. It sounds like the child was an obnoxious and out-of-control.

And they drugged the child the next day? I hadn't heard that. Either the child does have severe behavior problems that require medication (and why would you take such a child on an airplane ride???) or the parents are too lazy or incompetent to deal with actually disciplining their child, and relied on sedatives instead. Either way, color me remarkably unimpressed with these parents. My sympathy is with the airline employees who had to parent them and their child.

 

[maniactickler]

Perhaps a taser might have come in handy for this situation. 😱

 

[milagros317]

Given that the parents had already made everybody late by being unable to get their child seated and belted, they deserved to be thrown off the plane. If I were on a civil jury and they sued, I would find for the airline.

 

[luvgirlsfeet]

If you don't obey the rules then bye bye..I've had to kick people out of the hotel for being unruly and i was never disciplined for it