Georgia mother Kate Penland claims she and her baby were thrown off a Continental jet because of her 19-month-old son's incessantly babbling, "Bye Bye, Plane," pre-takeoff. She says the attendant said Penland had to shut the baby up, and suggested drugging the boy with Benadryl.
We've been on both sides of this one - trying to quiet our own baby on a packed cross-country flight to see the in-laws, circa Thanksgiving 2006, and wishing some stranger's kid would stop kicking our seat, circa . . . roughly our entire life up until that moment.(Although, even when we were childless, we still preferred the yammering kids to the drunk businessmen.)
Fact is, sometimes you have to leave the house even if you have a small child, and sometimes there is nothing even the best parent can do to keep a baby totally quiet. (Benadryl makes some kids hyper, and is not recommended by pediatricians for air travel.)
So it makes sense that Penland will do to the airline what breastfeeding mothers in similar situations have done: sued some sense into them.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 20)
1. Babys are babys there is so much a mom can do. The child was excited to be on a plane. He would have been ok once the plane was up in the air and was asleep in no time To bad for the airlines lawsuit ready to happen to bad for you. you will think next time a baby goes on your airline this is gong to cost you
roseburgbetty at 3:45PM on Jul 12th 2007
2. Personally, I feel that the back of the plane would be an appropriate area for small children and their parents. Keep them all together, and the rest of the passengers could board and deplane quicker without all the children in arms, confusion, as well as strollers and diaper bags being dragged from the overhead luggage storage. It also gives passengers the option to book seating AWAY from that area where parents and children would be restricted to. Not everyone appreciates spending time in a closed area with children. Some parents feel the need to include other passengers in their children's travel. Have you ever had a diaper changed in the seat next to you because the parents felt it was the proper place to clean up their child??? ...or been puked on??? Put parents & children in the back of the plane for the convenience of everyone else on the entire plane.
marvie at 3:53PM on Jul 12th 2007
3. We once tried to keep Blacks at the back of the bus and this didn't work out so well. They didn't like the back of the bus. They even thought it was demeaning. I'm from the old school, and I thought it was stupid. Parents & children are paying customers. Those who want to be free of them might try to convince the airline to have singles flights. I hope Marvie is single and stays that way!
Dave at 4:00PM on Jul 12th 2007
4. Personally I agree with Marvie, they should keep parents with children together in the back of the plane. I have a 12 year old, and we flew together when he was 4. It was a tough trip, but I kept him occupied so that he didn't distrub the people around us. In the film clip I saw the mother said that she didn't have anything for the baby, no diapers, bottles, or anything. Now who would travel with a baby and not take anything along to keep him occupied. I think the mother is a little at fault her, of course the flight attendant could have been more tactful.
TammyDavis1957 at 4:01PM on Jul 12th 2007
5. I think Marvie has an interesting point and a good one. I'm just not sure how you would handle it logestically and what about first class? As far as the issue concerning the parent and child being ordered off the plane. That is completely up to the pilot -- but I bet someone loses their job over this.
Ray at 4:12PM on Jul 12th 2007
6. Are you friggin kidding me? The moms fault? She has a 19 month old kid that is entertaining himself by saying bye-bye. No one said he was screaming, just repeating something. Should we not allow autistic people to fly, just in case they repeat things over and over.
This is likely the case of a power happy flight attendant and a pilot or crew chief who was too ignorant to figure out what was going on.
Personally I hope the flight attendant gets fired and never works in the field again. And I hope the mom gets a nice settlement out of it. They deserve it.
scott at 4:14PM on Jul 12th 2007
7. But we have to remember the most important thing here: People have rights. THey have rights to take their kids out and the right to be stupid in public to a line of conformity (as in, you can't be ripped drunk in public. But we all know that). Passanger B has a right to tell Passanger A to quiet their kid, and Passanger A has a right to flip off passanger B. But when a business ejects Passanger A because of their kid, they're crossing boundries and taking away rights that they have no right to invringe on. Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, airlines should come up with parent-children convienience areas for THEIR benifit AS WELL as the benifit of others... but a parent and child ALSO have the right to DECLINE sitting in that area. That would be akin to demanding a class of people to only sit at the back or front of the bus.
In America as well as most other countries, you have the right to sit in business, coach or whereever else if you want to shell out the cash to sit in that section. But restricting people on a plane isn't a good idea.
The airline industry is already struggling enough. Why would they inhibit families from crossing the country to see relatives just because they have a noisy kid? In a country run by the husband's of soccar moms, it's business suicide to make such a move. Yes, critisize the woman for not being prepared for the child's needs but no matter how you look at it and at what angle you try to spin it, it was discrimination on behalf of the airline company because they allowed one of their workers to eject a mother and child for something that was NOT against the law. The day a child being excited IS against the law and on the day traveling unprepared IS against the law, I'll be moving to Canada. Well, maybe not Canada, it gets cold there. How about New Zealand. The point is, the child wasn't breaking the law, so the airline company is in the wrong. It's bad business. I hope they're reported to the BBB. If I were in this woman's shoes, I wouldn't tolerate someone denying me a paid service just because they didn't like my child. I'd be insulted and I would talk to 7-on-my-side.
Who was acting MORE childish? The child or the stewardess?
Kit at 4:22PM on Jul 12th 2007
8. I agree with Marvie also.In addition,Why can't restaurants have a no child area seperated from other diners? There is not much more annoying than inconsiderate baby breeders allowing their get to scream,holler and run all around the restautant ruining the other patrons meals.
G Leetz at 4:25PM on Jul 12th 2007
9. IT COULD BE THAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOT UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED. ON THE OTHER HAND, I'VE OFTEN HAD TO ENDURE SCREAMING MEEMIES FOR HOURS ON END ON LONG FLIGHTS, SO HAD I BEEN ON THAT FLIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED A GOOD SHOT OF GIN FOR THE KID, OR THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, WHERE THEY KEEP DOGS AND CATS, WHICH ALSO CAN BE A NUISANCE!
RFPHELAN at 4:32PM on Jul 12th 2007
10. The entire airline industry is going downhill, starting with the flight attendants. Gone are the days of custmer service and courtesy. Flight attendants come off nasty and uncaring. It's not the passengers fault that flight attendants have to suffer pay cuts, less benefits and other cuts associated with their jobs, but they take it out on us anyway. I think these flight attendants should undergo some sort of mental screening now that they resent their job so much that it makes them so surly towards the very passengers that pay their salaries. The decision that was made to kick the woman & her toddler off the plane was the ridiculous decision of a resentlful flight attendant who's only power these days is to take her frustration about her job out on the passengers. How dare she suggest to give the kid medication when it sounds like it was the flight attendant who needed to be medicated. To all the people who are commenting about how children must behave or be removed from the plane, it doesn't sound like this child was doing anything so terrible. He wasn't having a tantrum or crying or yelling, so why is what he was doing considered misbehaving? I thinks it's more obnoxious and annoying to sit next to a seat hog, or someone who snores, or smells, or gets up continually to go to the lavatory. Who decides that talking is the only annoyance that requires a person to get kicked off a plane? I say the flight attendants should find another occupation if the one they're in now makes them so damn mean and nasty.
Paula at 4:34PM on Jul 12th 2007
11. I don't believe the baby was running up and down the aisles. A 19 month old child is just starting to express himself and to punish a mom for having a happy child as opposed to a screaming whining child is unforgiveable! Fire the attendant.
Carol at 4:36PM on Jul 12th 2007
12. Sounds like to me this attendant needs to be fired. to the best of my knowledge most planes have children on them. She must not have no kids of her own. Thank the lord. She would probably drug them. May the lord not let her have her own children. I believe the pilot must be brain dead as well to let something like this go on. And to think the pilot who drive us on this plane agrees with the attendant. And to blame the mother. My best suggestion to her is persue a lawsuit. They deserve it and you and the baby deserve the settlement. You did the right thing as a mother.
KAREN at 4:42PM on Jul 12th 2007
13. I have seen a lot of comments on other boards and supposedly the flight had already been delayed for 11 hours at this point, which might explain the mother's lack of supplies.
This flight attendant was wrong for booting the child if all he was doing was repeating "bye bye plane." Especially since he was only doing it from the time the plane left the gate, until she finished her speech (assuming this was the pre flight safety speech).
Now what she should be fired for if it's true, is telling the pilot that threats were made. That could have gotten the mother arrested and is an abuse of her power as a flight attendant. If you start crying wolf on that, a real threat might be the end result.
Ethan at 4:43PM on Jul 12th 2007
14. I agree with Marvie and GLeez!! Just because people decide to breed and overpopulate the earth with whiny little brats doesn't give them the right to disturb the other passengers or crew. I have been on countless flights where I couldn't relax because of screaming or just loud children. The greatest give anyone ever gave me was noise reducing headphones for travel, but even that's still not enough as you are not permitted to wear them during takeoff and landing. Parents- if your children are not capable of sitting quietly in planes/restaurants/movie theaters/and other public places...then leave them home!!! Us non-breeders pay more money than you do,as our taxes also go towards paying for your child's education and you get additional tax breaks for birthing the little demons in the first place. People flying with children should be placed in a separate closed off cabin in the rear of the plane. And if you don't like it..STAY HOME AND LEAVE THE REST OF US TO A PEACEFUL EXISTENCE!!!!!!
bittles79 at 4:46PM on Jul 12th 2007
15. Just like children should be controlled and kept quiet in restaurants, stores and other public places, likewise this mother should have told her child, "That's enough; be quiet."
My parents never flew until we reached an age where we would be quiet and could occupy ourselves. This mother knew her child's behavior. She shouldn't be flying if he acts like that. One chattering kid, the whole plane has to suffer listening to it! Give me a break.
I've flown on too many flights having to listen to errant children's chatter, crying, whining, kicking, sniviling, etc. It's time to pay attention to the majority that has to listen to this tripe rather than one mother arguing she has the right to have a plane full of passengers have to listen to "her wonderful child." She wonders what she was supposed to do? She should have taken the kid off the plane on her own and disciplined him.
mhawklet at 4:48PM on Jul 12th 2007