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.
If they interview the other passengers and her story stands up then they should fly her in and have her sitting there when the stewardess is walked in and fired.
As long as they don’t boot Muslims off for praying on board a plane, theres no problem.
Bye, bye, Garren.
LOL...and she should teach her baby a new phrase for the occasion: "Bye, bye lady"
Gee! I’m a business flyer and I wouldn’t mind a little one saying bye bye plane. It’s the screamers, the food tossers and the seat kickers that do me in.
I wonder what the true story is here.
I’d bet dollars to doughnuts there is a helluva lot more to this story than “Ma” is telling.
I don’t know, but if the other passengers stick up for her even when she made the flight late I would certainly be tempted to believe them over the stewardess.
Well, there’s always the “PMS” defense, I guess...
In defense of the flight attendant (barely a lukewarm defense because I think she was horrid) it is possible that the flight attendant thought that the words, “Bye, bye plane” portended a crash, or would be construed as such by others. She was just thinking of the psychological comfort of other passengers — perhaps.
But, she really overstepped common sense. What did the young mom do, stranded for 24 hours without luggage, formula, etc.? I hope travelers’ aid came to her aid.
I think the other passengers were probably more upset at being delayed while the plane turned around.
All of the other issues aside, if you are a superstitious flyer, this is some bad juju.
Hehehe...
Agreed. We are becoming not only a society which is unfriendly to family but down right hostile.
“Penland thinks her 19-month-old son, Garren, has a bubbly personality”
I’m sure she thinks that.
As for the baby Benedryl - I support the liberal usage on planes. To think - one dose and all the other passengers coul have had a pleasant flight AND she would have been on it.
Maybe the mom and baby were some of these “radical Christians” the thoughtful and incisive Rosie ODonnell was talking about on that balanced, non partisan “View” show.
I love sarcasm.
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