Screaming kids and airplanes: Mayday! Mayday!

The Los Angeles Times ^ | November 24, 2009 | Amy Alkon

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Alittle late in making those Thanksgiving flight plans? Wondering how you could possibly afford your ticket -- that is, without putting a kidney up for sale on Craigslist? Good news! You can get a free flight home on Southwest plus a $300 travel voucher. Just do what I plan to -- get on a Southwest flight in the next few days, and when it's taking off, shout over and over, "Go, plane, go!" and "I want Daddy! I want Daddy!"

Pamela Root got the free flight and the voucher, plus an apology from Southwest, after her 2-year-old kept screaming those things at the top of his little lungs as their San Jose-bound flight was about to take off. In fact, little Adam reportedly screamed so loudly that the safety announcements couldn't be heard and the pilot turned the plane back to the gate in Amarillo, Texas, where the two were booted off.

Root was appalled when a flight attendant told her something to the effect of "We just can't tolerate that [screaming] for two hours," reported the San Jose Mercury News. Root insisted Adam would be "fine once we take off" -- which, in my book, means either "He'll be fine" or "It would be a serious pain in the butt to be stuck in Amarillo another day."

Unbelievably, Root demanded the apology she eventually got from the airline (shame, shame, Southwest) and hit it up for the cost of diapers and the portable crib she says she had to buy for the overnight stay. Even more unbelievably, there's still no word of any apology from Root to the other passengers.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Does liking the fact that mother and screaming child were kicked off the plane make me a bad person?

[An.American.Expatriate]

Does liking the fact that mother and screaming child were kicked off the plane make me a bad person?

Yes, but in this case you are forgiven.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Enough is enough! I have had it with these monkey-fighting kids on this Monday-to-Friday plane!

PING!

[Global2010]

I think it makes you live up to your screen name.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

You betcha! :-)

[Ronin]

Not in my book. I would be tearfully and forever grateful to the Captain of that flight — or whoever made that decision.

I have always thought that it wouldn’t or shouldn’t be that hard to make aircraft with “cry rooms” like some churches have, and make sure that all the mothers with infants are assigned seats in them.

But, what do I know?

[RetroSexual]

Our kids would never have behaved that way in public. But I do remember a flight when our oldest was about 8 months old (I'm pretty sure it was Thanksgiving) and his diaper just completely exploded mid-flight.

I think they had to retire that plane, the stench was so impressive. I muttered "I'm sorry," to the other passengers for the rest of the flight.

We should all have been arrested. I hope there are no jihadists reading this post, because they could use this technique to bring our transport system to it's knees.

[Tainan]

Ms Pamela Root and little Adam can kiss my frequent flyer SFA. Good for SouthWest for booting them off the a/c, I've been held hostage by kids like that too many times, and Boo to SouthWest for succumbing to their social thuggery by giving them the freebies.

Parents should be PARENTS...not "buddies."
TEACH THE BRATS MANNERS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY....EARLY!

[bmwcyle]

Throw the kid and the parents off the plane.

[gussiefinknottle]

after takeoff.

[BlueLancer]

and before landing again ...

[bmwcyle]

AMEN

[3D-JOY]

You are BAAAAD, but funny!