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 7 of 20)
91. I would like to point out that NO it has not been confirmed that She actually threatend the Flight attendant. She ALLEGEDLY did, and it is being investigated and Several other passengers who were interviewed said she never did. ALSO if no one was listening she started out with stuff... BUT she ran out she says "what am i going to do I dont have any more...." okay so what moron said she was the moron. Also I read somewhere that this flight had been delayed 11 hours? so maybe just maybe she did run out of supplies or nearly out of supplies meaning she had enough to complete the flight but not to have to start all over. Okay so any one who wants to look at this in a negative way think twice before you speak oh and watch the video again if you dont believe me. I did just to confirm what everyone else was sayin or not saying.
luciditi at 1:12AM on Jul 13th 2007
92. Restricting families, wtf, a$$holes, the attendant stepped out of line by offering the idea of benadryl, yeah little kids are a pain sometimes, but remember you were little and annoying as hell too.
Allowe at 3:32AM on Jul 15th 2007
93. since 9/11
and all the changes made since
as far as flight & security regulations
ive noticed a significant increase in the abuse of power on the part of the attendants
one nw flight attendant was unbelievably hateful to an older woman as she was standing in line for the restroom - the elderly woman didnt hear her- so the attendant actually made a public announcement- "i know you heard me and youd better sit down" - this attendant took turns being rude to several of us in the general area- threatening us all with being thrown off the plane- we all exchanged names and email addresses were something to actually come of the inane threats- one brave soul spoke up- told the flight attendant shed better change sections with another- that wed all had enough of her threats and would tolerate it no longer- we all nodded our heads in agreement- she became all too aware she couldnt push all of us around as shed been- if we stood together- & fortunately she did switch sections- rather than have the flight delayed or all of us removed from the flight-but i did report her to customer service-for her very unprofessional behavior - though noone ever followed up with me about the situation
as a mother - i know what a challenge it can be to travel with a child- even an extremely wellbehaved one - i do all i can to keep my daughter occupied- fed- clean- and so on- and to date- have had incredible luck - in that shes always been on her best behavior- (people have actually thanked me for having such a well behaved child)but im sure there will be a time when shes not so pleasant- that presents no security risk however-
i believe if you dont want to fly with children- or drunken businessmen- or any and all of the other unpleasant scenarios you can think up- then charter your own damn plane- otherwise- show some compassion- some understanding- and tolerance
and flight attendants need to be held accountable for their actions- not given carte blanche per 9/11 to run the plane
2flowers at 10:11PM on Jul 19th 2007
94. Maybe everyone here should realize they are only hearing the mother's story. Due to legal issues I'm sure the crew memebers can't tell their side. So maybe we should hear from some other passengers before we decide to say how bad The Flight attendant was. We weren't there. And there have been cases where the person doing the complaining wasn't telling the truth. It's easier to make judgement from what the media tells us. Rememember Weapons of Mass destruction? Truth there?
Joseph at 2:08AM on Jul 13th 2007
95. Having traveled many times by plane with my son since he was 2 months old, I can relate to the stress and difficulty that comes with flying. It's pretty easy to keep a child happy and quiet when they are babies, but starting at 1 and up, it's a whole new ball game. The last flight I took with my son being 21 months, I would have sighed a huge relief that all he did was talk and chatter about leaving and flying. We were stuck on the plane before take off for 2 hours due to a "technical problem" and it took everything in my husband and I to keep him from running into the aisle or scream and cry. He was finally able to fall asleep when we took off (this always does the trick and is our reason for flying at night) but at one point he had tried to lay down on the floor by our feet because he was so tired & irritated with the light being on and going nowhere. This does not mean that I have bad parenting skills or shouldn't have a child because I can't make them behave. It has everything to do with a child that age is unable to comprehend what it means to be still, quiet, and respectful (and those at that age who can, I applaud them for being baby genuises). Everyone aboard that plane including the flight attendant should've been thankful this boy was cheerful, excited, and talking his head off rather than kicking and screaming. That to me is considered a successful flight in my book. I personally try to book a flight with seats in the back, but it's more for my own comfort of hoping that we'll get a row to ourselves or not be piled in like sardines with a baby on my lap. But some parents (like my sister) agree the front rows are better in the matter of getting on and off the plane and it really shouldn't matter since we all pay the same!!! I wouldn't be surprised that this little boy was as loud, if not quieter, than some drunk adults that seem to always be on a flight that I'm on. To me, it more entertaining to hear a child expressing his new experiences than some drunk rambling/laughing/flirting. I'm tending to see that most people who disagree with the mother are either not parents or never flew with their children. On the matter of supplies, even if she had something, maybe he wasn't thirsty, hungry, or otherwise wanting to be entertained other than saying bye bye to the plane he was on!
Danigirl04 at 2:45AM on Jul 13th 2007
96. And what would have happened if this mother had taken the flight attendant's advice, given her child benadryl, and the child had an adverse reaction to it? People who have no medical training and I am making the presumption that this group includes the vast majority of flight attendants, should refrain from advising people on what medication to give their children, since most pediatricians advise parents to use caution in giving any over the counter medication to young children who may be more likely to suffer adverse affects.
I cannot believe the people who think its a good idea to confine passengers with young children to a certain portion of the plane. I have flown on many flight and have been seated next to extremely annoying adults, so perhaps we can also add a section of the plane for people with very loud voices who talk to their companions for most of the trip, giving those around them headaches; a section reserved for those who wear heavy cologne or aftershave which some of us find offensive; a section for those who have colds which others can catch, and perhaps a section for very tall or overweight people who take up more than their share of legroom or seatroom? Among all the various annoying people I've had to sit near, I'd much rather be seated to a toddler excited by his first plane ride than most adults.
Laura at 3:20AM on Jul 13th 2007
97. I participated in a similar argument on one of the movie forums, and this instance is pretty similar: 'kids on a plane' vs 'kids in a movie theatre'. Of course, the ticket prices are at opposite ends of the scale, but it all boils down to the rights of all the people in and around the disturbance. (It also doesn't just apply to kids: adults can be even more disruptive and intrusive in both circumstances). I can't tell you what the answer is, but I can tell you that after about 200 PAGES of comments the argument is still going on after nearly 3 years. It seems the airline industry is going to be forced into finding a solution and they should, but good luck to them pleasing everybody. Personally, I would rather see praying middle-easterners thrown off a plane than an happy toddler, but that's just me.
dgrammy51 at 4:48AM on Jul 13th 2007
98. Every story I've read seems to keep omitting the important fact that the mother was thrown off the plane for threatening the flight attendant who asked her to quiet the child, NOT just for having a loud toddler. If you want to get an opinion from the public, then give them both sides of the story.
And by the way, as a mother of a toddler and an infant, YES it is the parent's responsibilty to keep the child under control. There are plenty of ways to occupy children on a plane. If you teach them how to act properly to begin with you won't have a problem. I don't with my 2 year old and never have. That mother is just greedy and refuses to take responsibility for her kid like so many others. I hope she loses...
Morgan at 5:32AM on Jul 13th 2007
99. I have chidren and grandchildren. In the past several years I have had extreme difficulty in hearing the priest at mass at my church. Despite the fact thAt we have a "crying room" infants, toddlers and children 6,7,8,9 10 and 12 yr. olds behave dispicably in church even during the consecration of the host. They scream, yell, bang their toys, screech, cry, run up and down, throw their toys, their cheerios (feed your children at home, not in church)and are so loud you can't hear the mass. The crying room remains empty. The ushers fail to "usher them to the crying room" I guess for fear parents will a) not put anythng in the collection basket, b) will tell them their children have a right to be there disrupting or c) file a discriminatory law suit. Meanwhile, the rest of us who come to worship, pray, and be an active participant in the mass cannot do so. My husband and I took turns going to mass and left the babies home until they could go to church and shutup, which they did, my grandaughter as well who is now 14 and an altar server. Had they uttered one sound in our place of worship all they needed was one nasty look and that never happened again. I was able to take them at age 3 and they sat quietly, without toys and cheerios or anything, listened and were quiet. Once and a while I would whisper what the priest was doing and that it was God's house and it was special which is why we had to be absolutely quiet. What are parents problems today? I too, for years, even when my children were in elementary or h.s. worked 2 jobs and about every 2 weeks went out to dinner with a friend, mgr. of the store (2nd job where I worked). We all worked very hard and when we found the extra money to go out to eat the last thing, the very last thing we were going to tolerate (after working 2 jobs, caring for houses and famiies as well) the last thing we were going to tolerate was a child or chidren running around our table, banging and standing up against the back of our seats and talking and screaming loudly. Like the passengers on the plane (most of whom have paid money they have saved and waited all yr. to go on a quiet vacation) honest to God DON'T WANT TO AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR LOUD OR SCREAMING CHILDREN. "CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD" as the saying goes. If you cannot contain your children, take your car the price of gas is the same for the plane and the car, you're going to pay either way, or will you run out of videos to shut them up or make them behave in the car? Problem is, very few of you can make them behave. You are more concerned with being their friend than having to discipline them. Turst me, I disciplined my daughter and she is still my closest friend. You can do it too, it just takes a litle effort, lots of love, and less emphasis on yourselves and your entertainment and your needs. No, the stewardess does not have the right to drug or suggest that you give any drug to your child but I feel she had every right to ask you to leave the plane for disrupting the other passangers.
Roberta at 5:32AM on Jul 13th 2007
100. I see comments about "breeders" and their children annoying other passengers. I had an experience where they were up and down and talking very loudly, blocking the movie, doing whatever they were in the toilets. It was very annoying. Oh, wait a minute, did I forget to mention this was an adult? Whenever you step on a plane you must do so with the understanding that there just might be someone, whether child or adult that might annoy you. Somehow I feel that "bittles79" is probably one of those annoying adults. If you want to travel with a guarantee that no other passenger will invade your space, DRIVE. And before you ask, yes I have children and they travel very well. I am almost positive that anyone sitting near that child while the plane was taxiing and heard him say "bye bye plane" thought it was cute.
mamalyga at 5:41AM on Jul 13th 2007
101. It seems to be a clash of rights.
Parents claim the right to "travel with kids"
Other passengers claim a right to "peace"
Which one do you think trumps the other?
In my opinion, the parents have the upper hand here. I have 2 girls that we constantly get compliments on for their good behavior. I also have a 19 month old boy who is SOOO different than the girls. Same parents. Sometimes a child will be loud. Why can't others practice a little forgiveness and patients.
Bet your tune changes when YOU are parents, or else you will soon be charged with child abuse if you try to enact your "solutions-duct tape, etc." in public. God help your children.
rights at 5:53AM on Jul 13th 2007
102. I agree that it is hard to keeps kids in line on the plane, in movie theaters, or anywhere else.
However, some people do not do the job at all.
On one trans-Atlantic flight, I actually had a kid reach over my seat and pull my hair while I was sleeping. And his parents only gave me pissed off "F-You" looks when I asked them to get their child under control.
The kid also kicked my seat, was out of his seat sitting on the floor, pushing stuff through the crack where the armrest is, screaming his lungs out the entire time, AND beating up his younger sister, while his parents did nothing.
Shebay at 1:31PM on Jul 13th 2007
103. From what I've read about this story it is totally outragous. I have traveled several times with my children when they were very young and never had any problems. I flew American airlines only, and they were very attentive and considerate of my children, They made are flight a nice expierience.
I was always well prepared. My children were never a problem to anyone I would have never allowed it. But I never had an eleven hour delay either. It wasn't like this toddler was screaming and crying. He was excited and happy. Maybe there is more to the story and the mother was out of line with the flight attendent. I would like to know both sides of the story, before I make a judgement.
Kat at 6:45AM on Jul 13th 2007
104. Think the flight attedantt doesnt have patience with little children. She's a bully. She sounds like a people controller and viewed a child's socializing as mis- behaving. Its what they do. Maybe that lady doesnt like children, period. She's probably more a technican and should be working in the back office not with people. How did she get the pilot to turn around?? what a sociopath...watch out. ,,,in my humble opinion. (prison's are full of sociopaths) Didnt anyone working onboard that day have any kids and recognize the scene for what it was? Just a friendly little talker learning about his first plane ride. What a light-weight that employee is. Im still angry.
margaret Callinan at 8:01AM on Jul 13th 2007
105. I THINK THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THIS STORY THAN MOM IS TELLING AND I DOUBT HER CHILD IS AS PRECIOUS AS SHE WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE. SHE ALSO CAME WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FEED, CHANGE OR AMUSE THIS CHILD. THAT IS NOT PRECIOUS IT IS ABUSIVE AND I HAVE A FEELING MOM WAS ABUSIVE TO THIS ATTENDANT TOO. MY ADVICE TO MOM,DRIVE.
IRONBLUEEYES at 7:26AM on Jul 13th 2007