Why I side with the FLIGHT ATTENDANT

[Nikki Stone1]

There have been a couple of threads this weekend about a mother and toddler who were removed from a plane because the child kept repeating "Bye bye plane" and the mother more or less refused to quiet him down. The latest of these threads is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1337888&mesg_id=1337888

These threads have turned into bashing flame fests that basically run as follows:

A. The flight attendant was a bitch because all toddlers babble. She was lucky this baby wasn't screaming. And besides, babbling is cute, even if it's loud.

B. Children need to learn to behave in certain public places, like airplanes, and parents need to have some way of keeping the child under control.

A. You don't have children, do you! Or else you would KNOW that toddlers can't be quieted down anywhere at any time.

B. You people with kids think your kids are entitled to do whatever they want whereever. And why does it matter whether I have children or not?

A. I can tell you don't have kids because you have no patience with everything my child wants to do in a public place. You don't know anything, so I don't have to take your opinion seriously.

B. You breeders will let your kids do whatever the fuck they want without regard to other people's comfort. There are some places kids shouldn't be allowed.

A. You were a kid once. We were all kids once. And I'll bet you were a horribly behaved child.

B. I was a perfect child and my parents could take me anywhere.

A. Yeah, right. If you have no patience with children, then you shouldn't fly in a plane.

B. There are times when kids need to behave or not be allowed places. If your kid can't behave, don't take him on a plane.

A. You're a fascist and you hate children.

B. I don't hate kids. I just don't like your spawn babbling incessantly, screaming, throwing tantrums for five hours on a fucking plane. That doesn't mean I want to put them in the fucking microwave and watch them explode!

C. I do. (Troll gets tombstoned.)



In all the arguing about child-rearing, we have forgotten the poor flight attendant. Since 9/11, this poor person:

1. Has lost many union protections, including pensions, raises and proper scheduling. S/he is now more overworked and underpaid.

2. Is living with the fear that a bunch of terrorists with boxcutters will hijack the plane and kill everyone on board. (And yes, whether it was MIHOP, LIHOP or the Saudi bunny hop, every new stomach gurgle on the part of Chertoff brings that fear home again.)

3. Is working on planes packed to capacity with fewer and fewer services for customers. These "cost-cutting measures" on the part of airlines, combined with the tedious, time consuming and often invasive security procedures, make for more disguntled passengers with less patience, more complaints, and an increased possibility for hostility, both verbal and physical.

So, if the flight attendant asks you to quiet your kid down during the security lecture, be nice and do your best, don't just tell her that toddlers babble and do nothing. It is my belief from reading the story that it was the mother's uncooperative attitude more than anything else that got the flight attendant ticked off and possibly worried. Perhaps, the flight attendant was NOT a bitch, but was actually seeing a long flight with a kid who couldn't be quieted and a plane full of potentially hostile customers who might reach the end of their collective rope after a few hours. I think if the mother had been apologetic and tried her best, the flight attendant would not have reacted the way she did. She saw the mother as uncooperative and a possible problem for the flight.

Now flame away, but try to come up with something new. :)