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Toddler's temper ousts family from plane
Associated Press via Yahoo News ^ | January 23, 2007 | Jim Ellis

Posted on 01/23/2007 10:25:48 AM PST by presidio9

AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.

AirTran officials said they followed Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.

"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

Julie and Gerry Kulesza, who were headed home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, said they just needed a little more time to calm their daughter, Elly.

"We weren't given an opportunity to hold her, console her or anything," Julie Kulesza said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

The Kuleszas said they told a flight attendant they had paid for their daughter's seat, but asked whether she could sit in her mother's lap. The request was denied.

She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, Graham-Weaver said.

The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family $595.80, the cost of the three tickets, and the Kuleszas flew home the next day.

They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies, Graham-Weaver said.

The father said his family would never fly AirTran again.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: loons
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To: linda_22003

The couple looked annoyed at him, because he told them he does the one thing they didn't have the brains and guts to do.

Never threaten the kid with anything you aren't willing to do.

Never fail to do what you've promised.

Yelling and screaming is counter-productive ... it shows that you're out of control.

Foul language is even more counter-productive ... little kids learn to use the words even though they haven't a clue what the words mean.


81 posted on 01/23/2007 11:12:19 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
Listen bub, come back and talk to me when you have your first child, and we'll see if you've had a change of heart.

Been there done that. Never had a bit of trouble with any of my kids. So it's either genetics or parenting.

82 posted on 01/23/2007 11:12:48 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your most dangerous enemy is your own government)
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To: Muzzle_em
I cannot get over the part about "she wouldn't get into her seat." I think a 3-yr. old is light enough to be lifted by a parent and forced into a seat, strapped into the seat, and HELD FIRMLY into place.

I'd agree, had I not been blessed with an extremely strong-willed daughter of my own. To have forced her into a seat, would have required us to risk physical injury.... AND it wouldn't have solved the problem of her screaming.

She's become a pretty great young lady now, though -- and now that she's gained a good measure of control over it, her strong will is going to be a definite asset.

Sometimes a kid just gets too worked up for anything to get them under control ... and then you have to be able to leave them alone someplace, which clearly was not an option on the airplane.

As noted above, I think the airline was right in removing the family from the plane. Given the airline's subsequent offers, the family should have accepted it with good grace.

83 posted on 01/23/2007 11:13:19 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Red Badger
3 year olds should be put in checked baggage.....

But how would they breathe? ;-)

84 posted on 01/23/2007 11:13:43 AM PST by Gay State Conservative ("The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism."-Karl Marx)
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To: LadyNavyVet
Air Tran did absolutely the right thing, and if I were running the airline, these poor excuses for parents wouldn't have gotten free tickets, either.

Amen!

85 posted on 01/23/2007 11:14:05 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your most dangerous enemy is your own government)
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To: Red Badger

...you missed my point....the point is...some parents do not have control over their kids...


86 posted on 01/23/2007 11:14:23 AM PST by auto power
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To: ArrogantBustard

"Never threaten the kid with anything you aren't willing to do."

"Never fail to do what you've promised."

You, sir, are a good parent. Because those two sentences, in a nutshell, are the keys to effective parenting. Mean what you say and carry through. Works every time it's tried.


87 posted on 01/23/2007 11:14:32 AM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: presidio9

As the father of a 4 year old and a two year old, I can say first hand my wife and I have made a concerted effort to avoid just these kinds of situations. We don't put our kids on long flights or any flights frankly. I dont want to be responsible for a tantrum at the gate or at 40k feet. Its not fair to the kid or the other passengers.

Same holds true for most restaurants and movie theaters.

Wait till they are 5 and older, you'll find they are pretty much good to go.


88 posted on 01/23/2007 11:14:44 AM PST by RadioCirca1970 (Hey D.U.--F.U...)
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To: from occupied ga
So it's either genetics or parenting.

It's both. And also the day of the week, and tomorrow's weather forecast. And whether they've slept well, or are ill, or have an ear infection. Or if their schedule's all messed up.

Fact is, some kids are easier than others, and some are just downright difficult.

89 posted on 01/23/2007 11:15:28 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
No but you can pick him up and strap him in a seat and make him sit there. Letting a child hit you, climb under seats,and refuse to sit down is not disciplining. I don't have an issue with the crying. Dogs are going to bark. Kids are going to cry. My comments are the other behavior that was allowed.
90 posted on 01/23/2007 11:17:16 AM PST by CindyDawg
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To: Just another Joe
One swat on the bottom and the admonition, "Straighten up!", always did it for mine.

Yep, that's how I was raised.

We've become such a permissive society and discipline is a thing of the past. It's just wrong.

People and children seem to have no consideration for others. Kids are going to cry on planes, yes. A little crying is to be expected. They're kids. You comfort them, distract them and nove on. But a full out tantrum at the moment the plane is to take off -- airlines have schedules to keep - well, the parents should be expected to be ushered off the plane in circumstances like that and shouldn't complain as it's for the good of everyone involved. Just MHO.
91 posted on 01/23/2007 11:18:35 AM PST by California74
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To: LadyNavyVet
But they were unwilling to take the action necessary to get the "little darling" to sit the heck down so the plan could legally take off.

And what exactly would that be? A good spanking in public? These days that could get you a visit from Social Services or worse, jail time.

(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1770061/posts)

92 posted on 01/23/2007 11:18:35 AM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner ("Si vis pacem para bellum")
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

--Based upon my own experience with his random, uncontrollable bouts of crying in public places, I think the airline should be ashamed of itself and deserves every bit of the criticism that will be forthcoming on the web.--

Spoiled kid, huh?


93 posted on 01/23/2007 11:19:09 AM PST by UpAllNight
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To: r9etb
Fact is, some kids are easier than others, and some are just downright difficult.

No doubt true, but I don't recall any of the "parents" who are criticizing the Airline writing and asking me permission to download a kid, so why should I be subject the the annoyance or disruption (of a possible missed connection) because they can't control their offspring?

94 posted on 01/23/2007 11:19:18 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your most dangerous enemy is your own government)
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To: Gay State Conservative

The pets in cages don't have a problem.....a little chilly and cramped, but hey it's not my problem!.......


95 posted on 01/23/2007 11:19:41 AM PST by Red Badger (Rachel Carson is responsible for more deaths than Adolf Hitler...............)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

I have kids and I can handle them. If you can't handle them you have no right to disrupt others. The airlind did wht they should have, except they should have never given the so called parents free tickets.


96 posted on 01/23/2007 11:20:24 AM PST by John D
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To: LadyNavyVet
This child, like her parents and so many others in our society, is desperately in need of discipline.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I have to fly to Orlando for a legal conference in February--yes, February, when all the linoleum lizards will be at Disney World on too much sugar and not enough sleep. I think I would rather go to Siberia. Of course, sitting across the aisle from a guy who whistled the entire flight between Detroit and Baltimore last weekend wasn't much better, so it's not just the kids.
97 posted on 01/23/2007 11:21:47 AM PST by piperpilot
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To: UpAllNight

Nope...teething.


98 posted on 01/23/2007 11:22:00 AM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner ("Si vis pacem para bellum")
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To: Red Badger
The pets in cages don't have a problem.....

That's right..I forgot about pets.

99 posted on 01/23/2007 11:22:09 AM PST by Gay State Conservative ("The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism."-Karl Marx)
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To: from occupied ga
so why should I be subject the the annoyance or disruption (of a possible missed connection) because they can't control their offspring?

I never suggested you should.

I just distrust most comments made by parents about how well they controlled their own kids. There are too many factors that govern a little kid's behavior on any given day, of which parenting is only one (albeit very important) part.

100 posted on 01/23/2007 11:22:34 AM PST by r9etb
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