fantasy2001 Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 There is nothing more annoying than having a kid beside you on a plane who cries throughout the flight.....and have the parents ignore it while they have their head in a book or absorbed in their own conversation. You wonder if the child every gets any attention from them. These selfish people should not have kids if they are going to ignore them or inflict them on others. I think its time to have a kiddy section on planes. 5
samsungxoxo Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 So why don't you sit elsewhere or get yourself a headset along with whatever music you like? 1
ForeverHopeful1 Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 So why don't you sit elsewhere or get yourself a headset along with whatever music you like? Please enlighten me...... how does one just simply sit elsewhere???????? That is your seat for a flight! Ive only been able to move seats maybe twice in all the flights Ive taken. That can only happen when youre on a plane that isnt full. As for music, why should I have to blare music in my ears when someone could just as easily soothe their damn children??????? 2
carhill Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 As a frequent flyer, I found out a long time ago it's impossible to control the behavior of others on public transport aircraft, so developed methods of dealing with it. Crying children are pretty simple and the treatment also blocks out the incessant adult talkers and the general noise of the airplaine; I use the same total block earplugs that I use in my shop with the machines. Works great. Most of the time I sleep or it's so quiet that I miss the FA's serving meals and drinks so I ask the purser to wake me for service. More difficult are those kids who like kicking the back of the seat in front of them. That's a real issue in economy; less so in business and first. TBH, most of the kids I've experienced up front are very polite and well-behaved. Sure, there are crying infants sometimes but that's to be expected. That hits upon another potential solution, which also generally improves one's flight experience - learn how to purchase/upgrade to premium cabins inexpensively. My last flight with a 'child' next to me in First was with a pretty amazing 12 yo boy who was flying UM (unaccompanied minor) on his father's award miles. His parents have every right and reason to be proud of him. The last time I flew on a 'segregated' plane was many years ago when they still had 'smoking sections' at the back of the aircraft. I seriously doubt any such segregation will ever apply to children, much to the chagrin of those travelers who would prefer children never set foot on an aircraft. I've learned to deal with what is. 1
HokeyReligions Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 Sedatives and soda. Or candy bars that come in sections like mounds. Heavily drug one section pre-flight. Pretend to open the wrapper take a bite of the clean piece and offer the other part to the kid. Lollipops are too slow acting. Small baby with a pacifier - have a spray bottle prefilled with sugar and sedative and spray the pacifier. Keep offering to pick it up and discretely keep spraying it untill the kid shuts up. It should only take a couple minutes. That right. Do NOT sit next to me on any form of public transportation with a screaming kid. Benadryl is too slow. Find someone with valium or clonazepam or something strong like that. 3
carhill Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 I've witnessed some more involved parents take children in the midst of a 'tantrum' into the lav for a 'timeout'. Given the lack of options on transport aircraft I found this solution to be both creative as well as effective. Not much different than my mom removing me from the store to the produce room for a spanking and a 'talk' when I was acting up in public at the grocery store as a child. That said, parents differ markedly in their level of involvement and disciplinary style so results are never guaranteed. Myself, if/when I need a 'break' from such behaviors, I'll walk up to the FA station and get a drink and chat with the FA's. Getting up and walking around and chatting seems to diffuse stresses caused by unruly children and their uninvolved parents. Some people resort to direct confrontation but I find that ill-advised on an aluminum tube going 500mph with no way off. The only time I've interacted directly with another passenger/parent was when their child was kicking my seat and I asked them politely to knock it off. 1
DaisyLeigh1967 Posted August 4, 2013 Posted August 4, 2013 What if the parents are trying and the kid simply won't shush up? Sometimes, no matter what you do, they are going to cry. I always take earplugs or an MP3 when I fly. 3
HokeyReligions Posted August 4, 2013 Posted August 4, 2013 What if the parents are trying and the kid simply won't shush up? . Ask which they prefer you use - sedatives or taser. 5
Nyla Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 Annoying kids will be almost everywhere. We all were crying infants at some point in life. Sometimes parents will try their best to calm a fussy child to no avail. Listen to music or sit in first class. 2
JDR Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 I hate it when they start kicking my seat and their mommy just sleeps.
HokeyReligions Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 I hate it when they start kicking my seat and their mommy just sleeps. Yeah. Me too. Thats when I walk past and spill a large bottle of water all over the kid. Twice. 1
soccerrprp Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 It is a drag at times, but I learned LONG ago to be prepared, in fact, to expect that such a disturbance will occur. I really believe that everyone who travels should be prepared for such a thing. As a parent who has had to travel with a baby on the airline in the past, I am especially sympathetic to other parents who also travel with their babies. So, for me, cry away...I feel for you and the baby AND the passengers. Like others, it's the parents who do not have a plan that miffs me most. I can understand if you've tried everyone reasonable and the child is still inconsolable, but to not have prepared or make little effort to monitor the child as he/she kicks the seat in front, that's a bit much. As for separate sections, isn't it airline policy to try to place them at the rear of the plane? DOn't know for certain. I just thought that was the trend. Of course, if we get to choose the seats, nothing one can do about that. Also, would you be spared by going to 1st class? Again, I don't fly 1st class, so is there a prohibition of infants/babies in 1st class? 1
carhill Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 IME, there has been no pattern to where families with children sit, other than toddlers and infants are often found in bulkhead rows. AFAIK, there is no prohibition regarding children in F on the airlines which I've flown, and I've often seen both ticketed and lap children in F, both domestically and internationally. Obviously, beyond lap children (under 2 IIRC), the seat will have to be paid for, whether cash or miles or NRSA benefit, so that is one inhibition to families, due to cost. Overall, looking back at the hundreds of children I've sat near or interacted with while traveling, very few have ever been an issue. I have another trip coming up in a week or so and hope I didn't jinx it.
thefooloftheyear Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 Kids are in control now...theyll just tell their parents to fck off.. TFY
ForeverHopeful1 Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 I don't believe the OP meant for children to be "segregated," so much as they would like the parents of children to "manage" their screaming children instead of burying their face in books, eating, drinking, etc. At least trying to soothe your child would be great. It is like parents just forget they have children and now that they have a plane full of babysitters, they can enjoy the flight without having to watch/entertain/play with their children - THAT THEY MADE! If I cannot control my children, my children aren't going. End of story. I will not have my children in places they cannot behave because I don't believe others should have to listen to my children being brats. I don't see what is so hard about this concept. As for the 12 year old on the plane, most UMs (unaccompanied minors) I have encountered EARNED their parents trust and MOST parents wouldn't send a child on their own if they weren't well travelled or well behaved. I have never encountered a child flying alone I did like. I sure as hell would not have been flying alone had I not been trusted to behave first as well. It really isn't the children that drive me to insanity on planes, but the parents who made them. It doesn't stop at planes though either. My mother would have dragged me out of any store or restaurant if I misbehaved whether we had just got there or we were 2 minutes from leaving anyway. If I did not behave, I did not get to go anywhere. I stayed home, or with my babysitter... anywhere but going out to do fun things. Planes included. I sure learned how to behave and be quiet in public so no one, had to listen to me being a brat because my mother found that unfair to the people who didn't give birth to me. Why should others have to listen to me when my mother was the one who had me????? I see a few people suggesting FIRST CLASS........................... why should I pay more?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!????????????????????????????????????????? UGH! Why do I have to pay more because you wont soothe your child? I am not speaking of people who TRY to soothe their child and it doesn't help. I am strictly speaking to the parents who just go off into lala land instead of being a parent. 2
Bittersweetie Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 We flew a couple of months ago with our baby, he was about 8 months old at the time. We're both frequent fliers and I was SO NERVOUS because I had no idea how he would act on a plane....I didn't want to be the parent of the screaming baby! So months before I started taking him to places with a lot of people so he'd get used to it, and read a bunch of advice online, and we packed our carry-on full of books, food, toys, etc. We ended up buying a seat for him. When we got on the plane, the woman sitting in the row behind us said to her friend,"Oh great, now we'll deal with a screaming baby the whole time." Very loudly so everyone could hear. Thanks for assuming the worst before we even sat down. You know what? Baby was asleep before takeoff. Slept through most of the flight. And when he woke up, we fed him and read books and he was quiet and calm until we deplaned. I felt like saying to the woman at the end of the flight...suck it! 3
Eclypse Posted August 6, 2013 Posted August 6, 2013 After having witnessed these screaming children on planes numerous times all I can say is I am so glad I don't have any yet (and maybe never will).
Hoax Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) Baw, why isn't the world designed specifically to please me? The arrogance of some people is truly mind boggling. If you can't handle crying babies, upgrade to first class. Or better yet, don't fly at all. It's not anyone else's fault that you're an impatient, grumpy bastard. Edited August 17, 2013 by Hoax 2
rainfall Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 If you can't handle crying babies, upgrade to first class. Or better yet, don't fly at all. It's not anyone else's fault that you're an impatient, grumpy bastard. Why should I have to pay more because a parent can't control their child. It is not being impatient or grumpy to want to not listen to a screaming child for an entire flight. 1
veggirl Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 No the worst people on flights are the ones who look at you judgementally when you order your 3rd vodka tonic I guess the vodka also helps tune out the cryers, try that! 1
Art_Critic Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 Why should I have to pay more because a parent can't control their child. It is not being impatient or grumpy to want to not listen to a screaming child for an entire flight. Many times it isn't about being in control of their child, a child crying on an airplane many times it is the air pressure caused by the plane and combine that with them being scared., like one poster mentioned chewing gum, but if they have a congested child as most children are then putting them in the airplane will make their ears and sinuses hurt, hence the crying... an adult pushes thru the feeling but kids can't and cry... I guess just screaming at a child that is hurting and scared and as well as telling them to man up is the best approach I think for the most part this falls into one of those.. oh well.. things in life.. the parents can't make their ears feel better and the kids reaction is crying.. so... oh well.. ear buds... 1
thefooloftheyear Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 Have a child and find out that sometimes it is wholly impossible to stop them screaming. It's one of the downsides of public transport, along with gobby pensioners, smelly stinky fat people and irritating self centred individuals moaning about how bad the journey is. Don't want to have to deal with these things? Don't travel. With all due respect, my brothers first born son was absolutely miserable as a child..Cried all the time and constantly threw tantrums.. He flat out refused to take the kid to a decent restaurant..If they wanted to go out, he got a sitter..End of problem... Sometimes you need to respect the other person. They didnt sign on for that... TFY 1
Art_Critic Posted August 17, 2013 Posted August 17, 2013 If they wanted to go out, he got a sitter.. Did they get the sitter so other people didn't have to hear their the child's tantrums or did they get the sitter so their life was made easier for the those few precious hours away from parenting and it helped regain their sanity ?.. I'll bet I know.... 1
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