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 19 of 20)
271. I agree with Marvie... Parents with kids have rights, but so do travelers without kids. I just traveled from Chicago to NY with a 4 year old behind me kicking my seat for the entire trip. The mom could've cared less about me. I support the airlines wholeheartedly in their efforts to provide a calm and relaxed environment.
Jeff at 2:20PM on Jul 17th 2007
272. Wow, I'm not sure how we as a society are to raise our children not to hate when there are so many people who obviously hate children. I kind of think some of those spiteful comments are jokes just to rile people up, seeing as how anonymous posts like this are - who would actually say those things in person? I guess the flight attendant would. Maybe we should round up the baby-haters and put them somewhere - a flight with that attendant, maybe.
gman at 5:30PM on Jul 17th 2007
273. #241. anon, why not make the world a more peaceful place by eliminating yourself from it. Then your selfish ass won't be annoying the rest of us and using up our resources that you are so worried about.
Stephanie at 9:45PM on Jul 17th 2007
274. # 248- Am I to understand that because a hotel costs more money, the children are better behaved? Poor or middle class people are bad parents?
Oh and has no one ever had to work around you? have you never gotten sick yourself or taken care of a sick loved one that has kept you away from work? Or even had a flat tire and been late to an important meeting?
I am sure parents willing work around you if something comes up. So maybe it would be nice if you afforded them the same courtesy.
Stephanie at 9:45PM on Jul 17th 2007
275. To Dee 264
Go for it , You hit the nail rite on the head.
mack H at 12:29AM on Jul 18th 2007
276. To Dee 264
Go for it , You hit the nail rite on the head.
mack H at 12:29AM on Jul 18th 2007
277. Some parents have to fly- or want to fly. Now taking your kids on vacation is abuse and torture? Get a life-my ears hurt when I fly, but I still want to. I don't want to get into an iq war with anyone- since when is flashing your iq on the internet a way to lend credibility to yourself? I think some of you baby-haters may have incredible IQ's---It is common sense, compassion, and tolerance that you lack. I am sorry you have to be inconvienced by children, but hey, if you can't hack it, don't leave your house. It is so bad that parents HAVE to fly, why do you HAVE to fly? I dare some of you to say these things to me in person- I think I would like to sit next to you on an airplane- You think kids are bad, wait til your near a pissed off person tring to make a point. I can be much more annoying than sweet little children. Oh sorry I forgot we are refering to them as "repulsive, ugly, stupid, and entirely mediocre spawn." katy, god forbid you will, but if you should get a bad disease late in life, just remember it is these "repulsive, ugly, stupid, and entirely mediocre spawn" that will be graduating from medical school, and perhaps saving your life. It is unfortuate that they will be so repulsive and mediocre that you will be unable to sit through the appointment. Perhaps you are destined to die of a totally curable disease because the entire next generation is only mediocre.
Stephanie at 9:16AM on Jul 18th 2007
278. WOW Stephanie! You put Katy right in her place!!!
Kelly at 11:19PM on Jul 18th 2007
279. To Katy 271, 272 And 273.
Im sorry for you girl , it is obvious you hate your parents, you have just told us that three different times, You must have been horribly abused,neglected and mistreated as a child. You need to get you some help girl, you cant live with all that hate and anger locked up inside you. You are defenitely a pitiful sick creature. You are saying you dont hate children,but you hate their parents , dont you understand that what you are saying is, that you hate your own parents for some horrible something that happened to you as a child. Dont blame these ladys for your own horrible life, Im sure they feel sorry for you as i do. There is help out there for you, go and find it . You will learn that being kind and nice to people, even when they are doing something that irritates you, is a lot more satisfying than the hate and cruelty you are trying to hand out now, Seek help, Be nice and start enjoying life it is a lot more fun than this anger you are liveing with now. If you feel like takeing your anger out on someone take it out on me , I can handle it .
mack H at 2:07PM on Jul 18th 2007
280. I just finished reading a story about a irresponsible mother whose child got stuck in a vending machine and now this. Parents DO NOT know how to control their children!! This obviously is a cycle...the grandparents don't know how to control their kids so the parents won't know how to control theirs because THEY WERE NOT TAUGHT ANY DISCIPLINE!
j at 2:27PM on Jul 18th 2007
281. To poster #277, all I can say is: what?????
How does a child getting stuck in a vending machine compare to a child talking on a plane?
No irresponsiblity on Ms. Penland's part, from everything I've read.
Dee at 5:31PM on Jul 18th 2007
282. To Stephanie (post #268):
Yes, you are to understand that my experience has been that when I stay at a high-end (i.e. Four Seaons) hotel I generally observe well-behaved children. My comments are based on my experience. I understand that you don't like my comments, but don't attempt to discount my opinion by making it into an "income" or "class" issue. I have extensive leisure travel experiences experiences (where I choose high-end hotels, airfare and restaurants ) and business travel (mid- to lower level - where I need to be a responsible to my company shareholders and I choose economy hotels, airfare and restaurants) and my comments are based on those experiences.
I also wanted to address your "work around you" comment. Of course folks have worked around my schedule and I have worked around their schedules - that is just the reality of a team. I am referring to the fact that I have found myself in past work situations where team members without children are expected to back up folks with children as a rule.....no questions asked....they have kids and that is always more important than my interests/time. Over time, if you were to tally up the number of times that I am expected to change my plans to accomodate their plans....well you are looking at an 80/20 split --- this is not fair in my opinion. I am not referring to those isolated instances where we all help out in order to meet business objectives.
You seem to be missing the point of my original post. Let me try again.
In my opinion, the bitterness that you see in many of these posts is a result of the fact that it is generally EXPECTED that I endure inappropriate/disruptive behavior exhbited by many children. I don't agree that just because there are certain adults that choose to drink too much on a plane and become disruptive or certain adults choose to wear too much perfume on a plane that it is okay for a parent to choose to not TEACH their children to be appropriate on a plane .... I don't think any of this behavior (child or adult) is appropriate.
d colby at 10:58PM on Jul 18th 2007
283. Thanks Kelly.
Stephanie at 11:50PM on Jul 18th 2007
284. d colby,
I must admit that I took your comment that higher end hotels have more well behaved children. I grew up middle class, and my sisters and I behaved very very well. If current success is any indication to you of discipline- all of my sister's went to college on full ride scholarships, and I am currently enrolled (also not paying a dime out of pocket) with a 3.5 GPA. One of my sisters graduated at the top of her major at the US Air Force Academy, went to graduate school and now loaw school at UNC. Not trying to brag here-just hoping this is evidence of our good behavior and work ethic. Perhaps there is a reason that in your experience higher-end hotels have more well behaved children than others. Considering the cost of traveling with a family of four, most families probably cannot afford expensive hotels, so there are simply fewer kids to misbehave in these places.
I will agree that some parents totally and completely lack the ability to control their children. Just the other day I saw a child ignore his mother, and instead of disciplining him she turned to her mother and said in a voice as whiny as the child's "mom, he is not listening to me." I wanted to smack her. I guess what made me "see red" so to speak is that many of these comments group all parents into this category, and that is simply not true. All that this particular child did was talk, and I cannot understand why people are so intolerant of that- repeating a phrase at 19 months old is not bad behavior, it is normal.
I love children, I am in college to become an elementary school teacher and these posts sort of set me over the edge. In all honesty yours was the most polite on your side, and did not deserve the tongue lashing I gave it. The entire topic is emotional for me, and the impression that rich people are better parents rubbed me the wrong way and I exploded in a posting fury. I guess you don't really have to control your temper online.
As far as being put out by parents more often perhaps we can turn this blog into a more civil forum and just agree to disagree. When I have my own children I will remember this forum and try my best to ensure that my kids don't give people reasons to feel this way, or force me to put a heavier burden on those I work with. Perhaps you can remember the hardships of childrearing and the importance of children to the world's future, and next time a coworker needs to stay home with a sick child you can accept it as simply a daily hassle.
If everyone could think about walking a mile in another's shoes perhaps this forum, and the world can be a more civil place.
I want to apologize if I offended you in any way- I was attacking your post, not you.
Stephanie at 11:51PM on Jul 18th 2007
285. If I was on that plane,I'd cave that dumbass attendant's makeup-covered face in,rip off her ear rings,snap off her arms,shatter her legs,and hurl her off the plane.I'm not very kind and tolerant towards a Ms.Bitchie McBitch.That monster wanted that poor innocent kid to take drugs,might as well ask the victim (mother) to give beer to her kid,too.A whining kid doesn't bug me at all.When I have kids,I'll let them do anything they want except for killing brain cells,gobbling deadly drugs,rubbing others out,and treating each other like punching bags.I'm not going to be a Hitler and slave-driver towards my kids.Bittles (It) needs to get a brain and stop being
amazingly retarded.Worms like Bittles (Skittles) shouldn't have a child and should be shoved in an oven.
The poor kid isn't actually worser than the rest of the motor-mouths who fill up planes like a giant flying can of sardines.The mother should sue,she has every right to.
The bitch master attacked those two passengers and some of these posters actually defend her like she a hero.
We are in a bizzaro world.
G-X at 4:55AM on Jul 19th 2007