General Discussion

missingthebigdog

(1,233 posts)

92. Change your scenario up a bit

Mon May 11, 2015, 04:45 PM

May 2015

Suppose you made the arrangements, and arrived at the airport with not only his oxygen tank, but a back-up tank as well, intending to be prepared for any eventuality.

You and your son board the flight, and his primary oxygen tank fails. No problem, you hook up the back-up tank. For some reason, the tank doesn't work. The meter malfunctions, or it is empty when it is supposed to be full.

Would it be reasonable for the airline to deny you use of the emergency oxygen that they have on board? If they did deny you the use of the oxygen, or only gave it to you once you became upset with them and made a scene, wouldn't you feel the same way this parent does?

I know that these situations are not precisely parallel. The autistic child was not going to die without the meal. The severity of the consequence is not what I am trying to argue here. I just want people to see that this isn't really about "entitlement." This is about compassion and humanity.

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Family Kicked Off Flight After Daughter With Autism Deemed 'Disruptive' [View all] joeybee12 May 2015 OP

The airline spent all of that money to divert Ilsa May 2015 #1

Cascade of missed opportunities to deal with the problem sans (what appears to be) overreaction hlthe2b May 2015 #3

I packed food for myself for a flight. TSA threw it away. nt Ilsa May 2015 #12

They generally allow you to bring small commercially packaged sealed items like nuts or a candy bar hlthe2b May 2015 #13

No, they don't throw away food. cwydro May 2015 #39

TSA has always allowed sandwiches, fruit, nuts, cookies in carry on. leveymg May 2015 #51

The issue was that the food had to be hot. nolabear May 2015 #59

Maybe she never heard of a thermos? cwydro May 2015 #67

There are also insulated wrappers one can use for sandwiches and such. LisaL May 2015 #70

Yup, cwydro May 2015 #73

They threw away mine. Ilsa May 2015 #109

I watched this and read the article. peace13 May 2015 #7

If you go and read her facebook post you will see she did pack snacks for her child wellstone dem May 2015 #9

And she didn't pack anything salty- which she asked the attendant for. Why? If that's her daughter's KittyWampus May 2015 #24

After reading her comments I feel more strongly... peace13 May 2015 #29

aren't first class tickets expensive ? JI7 May 2015 #122

She could apply to the airlines before purchasing a ticket. peace13 May 2015 #123

Mother is a doctor and an experienced traveller. MADem May 2015 #128

I packed food for myself for a flight. TSA threw it away. nt Ilsa May 2015 #11

It has to be commercially packaged/sealed like a granola bar or something of that type... hlthe2b May 2015 #14

Really? Dorian Gray May 2015 #17

and thus the inconsistency of TSA... You've been lucky. hlthe2b May 2015 #18

Hah! Dorian Gray May 2015 #19

There are a lot of food options past security jberryhill May 2015 #27

What Airport? RobinA May 2015 #31

PHL? jberryhill May 2015 #35

Wow has it been a long time since you flew out of Philly? justamama83 May 2015 #79

I hope the family sues. jwirr May 2015 #2

They will lose I hope. yeoman6987 May 2015 #129

Great so the ADA is to be ignored when it comes to air transportation? Feeding her did calm her jwirr May 2015 #139

What about the rights of the other passengers? yeoman6987 May 2015 #140

Since they took action after the girl calmed down the others were no longer being disturbed. I do jwirr May 2015 #141

I bet they divert the plane every time a baby cries or a toddler has a tantrum. Kalidurga May 2015 #4

Orlando HockeyMom May 2015 #10

Orange County too. Initech May 2015 #15

definitely an overreaction. Terra Alta May 2015 #5

Dr. Beegle is an amazing person wellstone dem May 2015 #6

This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words May 2015 #8

The video doesn't show what preceded the incident LittleBlue May 2015 #16

If she knows her daughter becomes disruptive when hungry, I would think she should make LisaL May 2015 #20

She did try to prevent it. wellstone dem May 2015 #21

No, she didn't try and prevent it. She could have upgraded to first class and gotten KittyWampus May 2015 #23

And why didn't she buy something hot while at the airport? LisaL May 2015 #38

It sounds like she expected an airline to be able to provide a hot meal once she got on the plane. LisaL May 2015 #37

Now that is a good question. I would have brought my daugters favorite food along. But the action jwirr May 2015 #142

The airline/attendants are supposed to just whip up a hot meal for an unruly passenger? KittyWampus May 2015 #22

Yes. Plus, there is no mechanism for the flight attendants to accept money for 1C meals. MADem May 2015 #131

Probably because Beegle told the flight crew kiva May 2015 #25

I agree. No airline would want a 15 year old (autistic or not) to start scratching other people. LisaL May 2015 #42

It looks to me like that was the trigger. yardwork May 2015 #118

I can see both sides here gollygee May 2015 #26

The mother sounds entitled. Everyone must accommodate her and her autistic child. I want to feel Pisces May 2015 #28

Wow. The lack of compassion here is amazing! missingthebigdog May 2015 #30

She didn't get her daughter to eat prior to boarding, she didn't get first class upgrade KittyWampus May 2015 #32

Maybe RobinA May 2015 #34

How do you arrive at the conclusion that missingthebigdog May 2015 #36

Maybe she could have purchased that hot or salty meal before boarding the plane, without expecting LisaL May 2015 #41

Clearly airlines do. . . . missingthebigdog May 2015 #43

I don't fly first class. So I don't know what goes on in there. LisaL May 2015 #44

She didn't ask for first class service... Blanks May 2015 #54

Airline allowed her to buy a chicken sawndwich, but it was not hot so daughter didn't eat it. LisaL May 2015 #71

When they gave her the food that she asked for, she was calm. Blanks May 2015 #75

Right, because it's so easy to swan onto a flight with piping hot food of your choosing n/t kcr May 2015 #134

It is pretty easy gollygee May 2015 #138

I like to pretend knowledge of all relevant information too... LanternWaste May 2015 #90

I took the time to read the woman's facebook post. KittyWampus May 2015 #108

I don't know d_r May 2015 #100

Gotta Agree RobinA May 2015 #33

Lack of compassion? LisaL May 2015 #40

Yes, lack of compassion missingthebigdog May 2015 #45

I haven't seen anything about the father and what he was doing, so why should I discuss him? LisaL May 2015 #47

In this case it was a hot or salty meal missingthebigdog May 2015 #48

Lets say your child gets agitated if he doesn't get Mardi Gras Beads. LisaL May 2015 #53

LOL. missingthebigdog May 2015 #55

Making a threat that if the child isn't given something they will scratch people Lee-Lee May 2015 #56

The mother was not making a threat. missingthebigdog May 2015 #58

"If my daughter doesn't get XXX she will start scratching people" Lee-Lee May 2015 #66

A prediction... Blanks May 2015 #80

Conflating "threat" with "knowledgeable predication" is a common mistake, I'd guess. LanternWaste May 2015 #94

Having a seizure is different from scratching people treestar May 2015 #101

How is it different? missingthebigdog May 2015 #104

If somebody on a plane was having a seizure, I would expect that plane to be diverted to nearest LisaL May 2015 #105

But being directed at other people treestar May 2015 #107

I think its rational to presume there is food available on an airline.... LanternWaste May 2015 #93

they did give her the meal treestar May 2015 #99

The airline didn't blame the mother treestar May 2015 #88

Perhaps a lack of judgement on the mother's part, but a huge lack of judgement for the captain. ohnoyoudidnt May 2015 #46

Mom told the crew that if the daughter didn't get whatever she wanted people would get scratched Lee-Lee May 2015 #52

Most of the posts are sympathetic to the family nt treestar May 2015 #87

The blame-Mom faction seems not to have read Mom's account LadyHawkAZ May 2015 #106

It's much more fun to type away judgmentally... Blanks May 2015 #126

And a lot of autistic kids are on special diets to help Ilsa May 2015 #110

Well, if your child is on a special diet, shouldn't you be prepared to provide that special diet, LisaL May 2015 #113

I've had food tossed by TSA. Thought I was within Ilsa May 2015 #116

Those aren't the facts that I understood from reading the mother's FB post. yardwork May 2015 #120

That's just the way they roll SwankyXomb May 2015 #130

Almost happened to me once KamaAina May 2015 #49

Here is the money quote showing the problem and attitude from mom that made this happen Lee-Lee May 2015 #50

This mother was not making a threat missingthebigdog May 2015 #57

It might not have been intended as a threat gollygee May 2015 #61

I cannot argue with that missingthebigdog May 2015 #62

Yep- it doesn't matter if it was intended as a threat. It was one Lee-Lee May 2015 #63

People with physical disabilities get special treatment... Blanks May 2015 #85

Yeah, my child is my responsibility. HappyMe May 2015 #60

You do understand that we are talking about a teenager with a developmental disability missingthebigdog May 2015 #65

They wouldn't have thrown a tantrum HappyMe May 2015 #68

Congratulations! You were blessed with "typically developing" children missingthebigdog May 2015 #74

No, the parents are responsible for their child. HappyMe May 2015 #78

Exactly vi5 May 2015 #81

You always have to make arrangements ahead HappyMe May 2015 #84

Change your scenario up a bit missingthebigdog May 2015 #92

I'm sorry d_r May 2015 #102

And as I said.... vi5 May 2015 #111

I would expect them to land the plane while giving the emergency oxygen to the son. MADem May 2015 #132

You obviously haven't spent time with autistic and Ilsa May 2015 #117

That's true though I also wonder treestar May 2015 #96

I have no idea, nor do I really want to find out. HappyMe May 2015 #98

Yes, it would not have happened without that treestar May 2015 #91

That's how I read this as well. yardwork May 2015 #121

Not to ask an obvious question but..... vi5 May 2015 #64

We don't have enough information to answer that question. missingthebigdog May 2015 #69

If, for instance, the teenager had hit or bitten someone... Orrex May 2015 #72

The parents..... vi5 May 2015 #77

I concur. Orrex May 2015 #83

Hot meals should be provided by the family. Jesus Malverde May 2015 #127

Because some of the onus is on the parents vi5 May 2015 #76

I think you misread the article. missingthebigdog May 2015 #86

Autism parent as well vi5 May 2015 #112

That you have no sympathy for the parents' situation is sad. missingthebigdog May 2015 #115

I have much empathy and sympathy..... vi5 May 2015 #119

I'm feeling the same way after reading the mother's FB post. yardwork May 2015 #124

The whole thing... vi5 May 2015 #133

I hadn't thought about the first class vs. economy class issues. I think you're right. yardwork May 2015 #143

They landed the plane... Blanks May 2015 #95

But it can't be both "tiny" and a big deal... vi5 May 2015 #114

Actually it can be... Blanks May 2015 #125

What else should they have done? IVoteDFL May 2015 #82

Not divert the plane and escort them off with police. kcr May 2015 #135

I respectfully disagree IVoteDFL May 2015 #137

theres big bucks in the fear bizz olddots May 2015 #89

You have my gratitude. missingthebigdog May 2015 #97

I Know HassleCat May 2015 #103

Hey, Blame the Mom Brigade. kcr May 2015 #136