Angry mum Natalie Williamson with her son Riley. Source: Herald Sun
Posted on 03/06/2011 6:01:33 PM PST by rawhide
Angry mum Natalie Williamson with her son Riley. Source: Herald Sun VIRGIN Blue has sacked a male flight attendant and offered an angry mother free flights after her toddler was put in an overhead locker. Natalie Williamson claims she, her 17-month-old son, Riley, and her now estranged husband were on a Virgin flight from Fiji to Sydney, when the flight attendant picked up Riley, placed him in the locker and closed the latch.
Virgin has admitted an incident did take place, but claims Ms Williamson's husband was playing a peek-a-boo game with Riley involving the overhead compartment when the flight attendant joined in.
"We conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and the staff member involved was subsequently terminated," a Virgin spokeswoman said.
The airline offered Ms Williamson three free flights, but the mother has said she is too shaken by the mid-air experience to redeem them.
"My husband, Shayne, was standing one metre behind my son, Riley, when the air steward picked him up and placed him in the overhead compartment," she said.
"I stood up and there were people laughing and then I said 'Get my son out of there now'," she told the Sunday Herald Sun.
"I was devastated. I was absolutely devastated.
"I was crying. My husband was in shock. For days on end I was crying."
Ms Williamson said Riley was locked in the compartment for up to 10 seconds in complete darkness.
Ms Williamson said Riley, now 20 months, had seen various specialists since the incident after suffering from anxiety and withdrawal.
"He won't leave my sight now. He sleeps with me. If I'm not in the same room as him, he will scream and yell 'Mum, mum, mum'," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
Angry mum Natalie Williamson with her son Riley. Source: Herald Sun
Well, you have to admit they are awful at that age. /s
“Ms Williamson said Riley was locked in the compartment for up to 10 seconds in complete darkness.”
Oh the horror. /s
Seriously? The kid needs therapy over an incident he won’t even remember?
Way to get someone fired over your overreaction, Lady.
It sounds to me like the flight attendant needs to have his head examined for even joining in, but there is something else to this that stinks.
Could be me, but this sounds like someone fishing for a lawsuit.
“”He won’t leave my sight now. He sleeps with me. If I’m not in the same room as him, he will scream and yell ‘Mum, mum, mum’,” she said.”
THIS is going to cause this kid WAY more problems than the original “peek a boo” game.
There is something about her “For days on end I was crying” statement.
It stinks, to me. But hey, it could just be me.
Bingo. We have a winner.
Most likely, she is lying, but if not, a judge ought to take THAT into consideration and rule in favor of the father getting custody, in light of the mother’s clear emotional instability.
She’s a liar looking for the lawsuit lottery payoff.
I’ll go even further out on that limb and say the kid has no idea he’s ever seen a therapist. But someday he may need one to help him understand why he spent so much time in the offices of strange men as an infant.
Does Australia have the same twisted “lawsuit lottery”?
To me, no broken bones, no blood, no money.
***”He won’t leave my sight now. He sleeps with me. If I’m not in the same room as him, he will scream and yell ‘Mum, mum, mum’,” she said.***
She and her husband broke up. The poor kid is afraid his mother will leave, too.
I call Bull shi’ite.
I have been on several flights where I would have done the same thing to several children and a whole lot longer than 10 seconds. But in this case she should have put the mother in there.
““Ms Williamson said Riley was locked in the compartment for up to 10 seconds in complete darkness.””
I used to get locked in the closet in kintergarden for a half hour or more!
What’s the big deal?
I think if we have a photo of the grieving father, this issue will be much clearer.
I don’t know anything about the Australian legal system but I’d be willing to bet that lawyers have made great strides there.
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