Posted on 07/12/2007 9:10:39 AM PDT by Abathar
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A Georgia mother said she wants answers and action after she and her baby were kicked off a plane.
Kate Penland said she was glad to board the plane in Houston to visit her father in Oklahoma after an 11-hour delay. But she said a rude and aggressive flight attendant caused her to get to Oklahoma a day late.
Penland thinks her 19-month-old son, Garren, has a bubbly personality. But Penland said when they were aboard a Continental Express plane, a flight attendant became annoyed by Garren's personality when he kept saying three words.
"As we started taxiing, he started saying, 'Bye, bye plane,'" said Penland. "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.'"
In disbelief, Penland asked the woman if she was kidding. It was then, Penland said, the flight attendant went too far.
"She then said, 'You know, it's called baby Benadryl.' And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight,'" Penland said.
Penland said when the other passengers began speaking up on her behalf, the flight attendant got angrier and soon announced they were turning around and that Penland and Garren were going to be taken off the plane.
"I was crying, I was upset and I was thinking, 'What am I going to do? I don't have anything with me. I don't have any more diapers for the baby, no juice, no milk," said Penland.
The mother said she later learned the flight attendant told the pilot that she had threatened her. Penland said that never happened.
Express Jet Airlines released a statement that said, "We received Ms. Penland's letter expressing her concerns and intend to investigate its contents."
A fellow passenger told Atlanta TV station WSB that none of the other passengers had problems with Garren and that Penland never threatened the flight attendant. Penland said she is considering legal action.
???????
Me too. I don't know what happened here, but I have trouble believing the pilot would return to the gate without some justification. Nothing would surprise me.
Sick. Funny, but sick. ;)
Who said anything about running up and down the aisles and kicking seats.
“However, (and if and when you have children you will understand this) when someone gets in your face and says “you need to shut your baby up” the reaction is seldom reasoned, rational, and cheery”
Frankly I think that’s the basis for the reaction on this thread. Unfortunately I’ve seen many instances where the parents wouldn’t have done anything if someone didn’t say something to them, with their children screaming, kicking, jumping, my personal favorite of trying to climb over the seat to the row behind. I’ve been flying every two weeks for the past two years. Many parents seem to think the plane is a built in day care. The kids can do whatever they want while mom or dad sleep or read. The flight attendant’s reaction seems over the top, but as was shown with the sippy cup incident, usually these stories are skewed.
Drugs are for people who can't handle reality. Kids make noise...life, itself is noisey. That's reality. If you can't handle it, you take the drugs. I'll buy the Benedryl for you.
I've seen a few incidents like that as well, but it didn't sound like this was one of them. I fly fairly frequently myself, with a lot of my travel being for business between Dallas and Orlando. As you might guess flights between Dallas and Orlando almost always have lots of families often with small children. In most cases that I have seen, the parents make sure that their kids behave themselves and the incidents you are describing are very much the exception rather than the rule.
Come to think of it, I would probably go for that now if the cage were big enough.
Everyone knows that Garren is a girl's name.
Sheesh.
;-)
Off topic....what kind of mother travels without diapers, juice or milk for her baby?? Does she think NOTHING ever goes wrong??? Geesh...what an IDIOT mother!
Sssshhhhhhh.....honeymoon surprise. ;o)
She’s tarvelling to Okla from Ga. and brought NO DIAPERS??? Now THAT would make me mad sittng next to a full-diaper baby!!! And not to bring food and drink also is IRRESPONSIBLE, so I’m guessing it’s NOT the Cabin Attendant’s fault.
Good thing you didn’t grow up in the Romney family I guess, he might have had to hose both of you off....
Gee, I thought I just had high cholesterol, I didn't realize that it was all because I couldn't handle reality.
The stewardess either has an extreme case of baby envy or she is just flat crazy.
Her cruelty is what I expect of women who voluntarily have abortions.
Pass the popcorn! Reading all this speculation by non-parents or parents of one or two is hysterical!
disagree.
Single childless people are viewed with disdain’as second class in light of privileges/courtesies offered to people traveling with children.
In the workplace, and at college women with children are given privileges, discounts, scholarships, freebies, time off, etc.
America is NOT anti-family.
I believe ‘Ma’ is not telling the whole story.
agreed! think were’ not getting the whole story. If so, I’ll gladly retract this...but I get the sneaking suspicion that if her son did more than is freely mentioned she wouldnt want the whole world knowing she could not control her child or curb his behavior for the flight.
Hooray! Me, too!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.