Posted on 07/22/2018 8:30:19 PM PDT by Simon Green
How would you react to finding your seatmate on a 12-hour flight to China is a talkative eight-year-old boy whose father had ditched him to go sit in business class?
Flyertalk member steveo posted the following question in the United forum:
Hi Flyertalk. Just got off [Chicago] to [Beijing] and to my delight I had a maybe [an] 8-year-old boy sitting next to me the whole flight while his dad was in Polaris. I had the distinct pleasure of entertaining this kid who wouldn’t shut up for 12-hours. Should I complain about this?
Short answer: yes.
Flight attendants appear to share blame here. Steveo added:
Just to clarify the dad was sending stuff back to the kid from Polaris; and the kid even told the flight attendants that his daddy was up in Polaris class.
They knew it wasn’t my kid.
This is was also one of the worst crews I’ve ever seen from United. For example they rammed a guy with their cart and yelled, “You need to keep out of the aisle” and the guy was like “are you even going to apologize?”
There’s two big issues here. First, the father’s actions. Is it appropriate for a father to ditch his young son on a long intercontinental flight? I tend to think the answer is no, though I may be singing a different tune when my son is eight.
On a serious note, it does appear the father checked in on the son during the flight, but wouldn’t you want to fly with your child? Is entrusting him to the strangers seated next to him wise parenting?
The kid apparently talked for nine hours, eventually to himself after the seatmate put his headphones on and tried to sleep.
(Excerpt) Read more at liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com ...
I agree. The father probably had a lot of work to do to prepare for his destination, heck a chatty child could even ruin whatever he was traveling to do in the first place. At least he brought him, I'm assuming they would have time to enjoy the trip once business was taken care of.
Best thing we ever did was get a van. Then the turds could have their own seat.
He didn't exactly ditch him - I mean, the kid as still on the plane.
Is entrusting him to the strangers seated next to him wise parenting?
For this dad, it might have been a pretty good option. Who would do a better job parenting, him or some random stranger who can afford to fly to China? It might not have worked out great this time, but I like the odds.
How hard is it to look menacing and say "Shut up kid"?
Step 2: Tell the flight attendant that you are willing to swap seats with the dad so he can take care of his annoying brat.
Step 3: Insist that the flight attendants baby sit him
Step 4: Put him in the overhead bin (or put him in the bathroom and wedge the door shut.)
OK, that last one is probably a felony, so don't actually do it. Put in headphones, go to sleep, and dream about doing it. (That might actually be what he did.)
My kids sat separately after they could carry their own carryon. Never a problem. They always got complements from adults on being well behaved and polite. Many many international flights. Just raise them to respect other people. Very good experience for them.
You know how they made it.
they were actual real parents. And other adults generally supported other parents to be actual real parents.
yeah, that stinks. For the price of a half of a day of this guy’s life he has to be around a talkative child, but he gets to cross a freaking ocean and span continents in a chair that is careening through the sky like magic. He’s also able to return to a spot halfway around the earth safely and continue his voyage. I wouldn’t like the arrangement myself either, but I’d manage without a blog post on the internet. Are we really that jaded that this miracle of science and engineering is overcome by your seatmate wanting to tell you about his many minecraft adventures for several hours?
I fly first class only
Where everyone else sits is unimportant ...
Put em in the cargo bay with a blankie
Hear hear
Upgrade first.
I once flew business on a 14 hour flight with a screaming baby a few rows back. Not fun.
Patrick Stewart talks about an annoying man on an airplane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZywqFsafww
The Most Annoying People on the Plane starring Sir Patrick Stewart - about 30 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObgpFydLOcw
Would have been more amusing if he’d sicced his kid on the business class instead.
It didn’t hurt trumps kids at all.
Some years ago my wife and I were flying to Hawaii in first class. At a stop in LA, Ozzy Osborne and family boarded the plane. Ozzie sat in first class while Sharon and the kids flew coach.
LOL
It did no good to say, "I. am. a. park. ranger. I am not a babysitter for your kids."
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