Posted on 11/29/2005 7:35:41 AM PST by Millee
One will bring the kid up to the departure gate, have a flight attendant look after the child during the flight and the other will pick the child up at the destination gate.
Another great aspect of our divorce-happy culture.
This touches on one of my personal phobias; I hate it on the bus, when there are plenty of empty seats, when another man sits next to me, particularly one who's a big sloppy lunk. I'd much rather sit next to a woman - any woman - than to a man. I thought this kind of phobia - perhaps as exemplified by George Costanza - would be a good story line for a "Seinfeld" episode.
(the recent decision by New Zealand's opposition National Party to name one of its lawmakers, Wayne Mapp, as a spokesman on eradicating "political correctness.")
Great idea! This will help showcase stories like this in the media and create the long overdue backlash.
Whaddarthey, afraid he might explain tax policy to the kid???!?
Sheesh.
Lawsuit time. Embarrassment, sex discrimination... I wish they'd do this to me, I'd like to travel free for the rest of my life.
acceptable prudence on the part of the airline, IMO.
But the seat assignment should have been considered and issued in compliance with said prudence PRIOR to boarding, to avoid the (awkward and embarrasing) situation that occurred.
Men are considered to be nothing more than piggy banks and potential sexual predators these days.
If I'm sitting next to some kid and he says I "touched" him, who is going to be believed, and who is going to jail?
Would they have done this if he was black?
"Most males in the world, I'm sure, are perfectly law-abiding, good parents, good fathers, brothers, whatever,"
That's perfectly true. But it's also true that, while there are female pedophiles, the vast majority of pedophiles who act on their desires are men. It's too bad that a tiny minority make all of us look bad, but that's the way it is.
I recall a MAD Magazine comic where a freaky looking guy is walking down the aisle of a bus while a young woman has "Please God don't let him sit next to me" in a thought bubble. The guy sits next to her and says "God told me to sit next to you".
Think it can't happen? You'd be surprised.
I would have requested to move to another seat if they put me next to an unaccompanied child. I wouldn't have the patience to put up with it for the duration of the flight.
Statistically, most predatory child abusers are males. And many security experts now tell children who are lost or separated from their parents to find a woman to assist them in lieu of a policeman or fireman.
Actually, as a parent, I think this is a good move by the airline. There's no way a flight attendant is going to be able to watch a child closely for an entire flight.
They did the right thing to err on the side of caution.
I am the youngest of five children. My siblings are scattered all over the eastern seaboard. One sibling in upstate New York, two in Virginia, one in North Carolina, and I live in Georgia.
On a couple occasions, I flew from our home in Virginia to visit my brother in NY, and once to visit my sister in NC. Now that I live in Georgia, some of my nieces and nephews sometimes fly to visit me.
The first time I flew alone, I was twelve. I had to make a connection in Pittsburgh LOL.
But does the airline believe that a pedophile is going to try to pull something [no pun intended] on a crowded airplane?
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