Something Disgusting in the Air
CBS News picked up on a AP-wire story, datelined Atlanta:Mom And Talkative Tot Kicked Off Plane
The mother of a 19-month-old boy says she and her son were kicked off a plane after she refused a stewardess' request to medicate her son to keep him from talking.The report went on to say that when the passenger refused to comply with the demand, both were taken off the plane. The airline said in a released statement that they were investigating the complaint.
Kate Penland, who lives in suburban Atlanta, said she and her son, Garren, had boarded the Continental Express plane last month after an 11-hour delay in Houston on a flight from Atlanta to Oklahoma City.
Garren kept saying, "Bye bye, plane," Penland recalled. And she said the stewardess objected.
"At the end of her speech, she leaned over the gentleman beside me and said, 'It's not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up,"' Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta.
When Penland asked the woman if she was kidding, she said the stewardess replied, "You know, it's called baby Benadryl."
But as outrageous as the airline's alleged conduct was, I am even more amazed at some of the public comments that were posted to CBS News' online forum. Here's a sampling of just a couple, but there's more where that came from:
CDFOXTROT writes, "Our society is far too indulgent towards children and the flight attendant ought to be congratulated for trying to get this annoying brat to shut up on this flight. Isn't it enough that most homeowners each pay thousands each year in property taxes to pay for the education of other people's children? [...]Assuming this report is confirmed, have people utterly lost their common sense? We are talking about an infant, and a young infant at that. I can somewhat understand the reaction where a child throws a tantrum to the extent he or she knows right from wrong, but an infant cannot be expected to uphold such behavioral standards. On top of that, it appears the child wasn't even crying, only babbling an initial set of words, albeit repeatedly (which would, frankly, be expected from a child of that age).
Why we all are expected to suffer the annoyances of other people's children is beyond me. What's the expression? Children are best seen and not heard?"
RILLIFANE, concurring: "Children certainly do have rights but they have no MORE right to annoy other passengers than any other person.
If a child will not behave then they should not be placed in situations where they cannot act as civilized beings.
I am sick of people acting as if I OWE them some special consideration because they have children in tow. When they disturb my space then they have stolen something from me and are thieves as bad as any gun wielding hoodlum. Worse in fact because in their smug, self assured, arrogance they beleive they have the RIGHT to impose on me. [...] It is the person who is causing the problem who needs to STAY HOME not the innocent victim of incompetent, lazy, self indulgent parents who demand that others accommodate the problems caused by their undisciplined squalling brats."
The only other conclusion I can draw from this are a lot of people go around with such a great deal of anger that they are willing to direct it at innocent children (and at that age, you CANNOT accuse them of being anything other than innocent). This sort of display is beyond objectionable, it is disgusting. Frankly, we all need to grow up.
Including, apparently, certain employees of Continental Airlines.
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