/sarc
Posted on 01/23/2007 10:26:18 AM PST by Fawn
On Jan. 14, 3-year-old Elly Kulesza and her parents, Julie and Gerald, were kicked off an AirTran Airways flight from Florida to their Worcester, Mass., home because Elly would not stop crying.
Elly, who had been a model passenger on the flight to Florida four days earlier, began to cry uncontrollably once she got on the plane, throwing a temper tantrum on the floor.
AirTran employees demanded that the Kuleszas calm down their child. When Elly didn't stop crying, the crew banned the Kuleszas from flying for 24 hours. Later, AirTran offered an apology to the family along with a refund on their tickets.
"As we have an obligation to the 112 other passengers onboard the flight to operate the flight on time," AirTran said in a statement, "we had to make an operational decision to ask the Kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."
On "Good Morning America," the Kuleszas insisted that their toddler wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
"I don't know what happened. No one can tell when something like this is going to happen. She had a great morning, but then she got on the plane and she started to cry," Julie Kulesza said.
"She's like the typical 3-year-old. She has her moments, but overall she's a very, very good child."
The Kuleszas said that unlike the AirTran crew, the passengers on the flight were sympathetic to their situation.
"I jokingly turned around and asked the three gentlemen behind me, 'Aren't you glad you got these seats?" Julie said. "Another passenger offered up a lollipop to try and calm her down."
Despite AirTran's apology and offer of a complimentary flight, the Kuleszas don't plan to fly with the airline anytime soon.
"We'll pass on that," Gerald Kulesza said. "After that, I told them I'd never fly with them again." PAGE 2 CONTINUED AT SITE
Because your prediction was not what actually happened.
What did mommy and daddy do to little tantrum child?
Among other things, they removed them from the scene. I don't know whether or not they spanked their kid in private, though it wouldn't surprise me if some did -- though it isn't strictly necessary to do so.
It's generally bad practice to do so in public, as it tends to make problems worse rather than better.
You're fighting a losing battle, pal. Real life trumps your pronunciamentos.
It is ABSOLUTELY neccessary that they do so.. and the issue is... not did they throw a tantrum, but did they do it again after being handled properly.
It's understandable that an unmarried man who has never had kids might find that a crying kid gets on his nerves.
MIGHT... is an understatement.
I would have been pleasantly surprised at the child and privately mortified at the parents.
Uh huh. There you go with that broad brush stuff again. "Properly" depends on all manner of things -- not just your own particular ideas.
I think you're arguing with a moral relativist. Best to give up.
Handled properly means child was punished in such a way as to know its NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR... you honestly can't tell me whether it was first one for this child, or what punishment, other than being removed from your sight, that the child recieved.
You are hardly proving your case.... but whatever makes you feel good, you believe whatever you want.
I used to fly a lot in a previous job and I've been very unlucky with whom I've been seated near:
1. Between two incredibly obese four-eyed fat-ass redneck retards wearing cheap business wear who couldn't stop farting, chewed with their mouths open, and asked the stewardess for seconds. They were going to some sort of agricultural equipment sales convention in Kansas City. I spent the entire flight wedged between rolls of blubber on each side as they continually jostled in discomfort because they were so fat. Then they started sweating because they were jostling so much. The stewardess looked at me and silent-mouthed 'I am SO sorry' to me, which only made me angrier. I still hate those two clowns, whereever they are, even to this day.
2. Seated right in front of two drunks who somehow managed to carry their tiny yipping dog in a cage with them. Naturally, they let the dog out of the cage and ignore the stewardess who tells them to put the dog back inside. A male steward had to come over and tell them again, and they ignored him too and called him a queer. The copilot had to come back and tell them to follow orders or there will be big trouble. Nothing doing. The dog wouldn't stop barking the whole flight and the drunk started kicking the back of my seat while he argued with the air crew. I wish I would have had the courage to reach back, grab their dog, and snap it's little neck. When we landed, the captain asked everyone to remain seated for the cops to come aboard the plane. The cops got the drunks up, out of the plane, and the rest of us passengers watched them get taken away as we deplaned.
3. Ghetto fabulous La'tanikiawanda. This chick had a mile high pile of metallic green, red, and yellow braids on her head, six-inch long coiled fingernails in the same color scheme, and had never flown on a plane before. She let everyone know that she was about to embark on a great adventure and was so excited. I thought she was kinda nice and funny until the plane's engines started and we rolled back away from the gate. She instantly turned into a comical minstrel character like Butterfly McQueen's character from 'Gone With The Wind' on PCP. "OOH! WHAT WAS THAT?!", "WHAT'S THAT MEAN?!" ("Ma'am, please buckle your seatb--) "HOW THE DRIVER KNOW WHAT HE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" ("Ma'am, please observe the flight attendents for a demonstra--") "WHERE THE DOOR AT?" ("In the event of a water landing, flotat--") "BUT I CAN'T SWIM!"... In the air, it was "EXCUUUUSE ME! I CAN'T EAT THIS FOOD" and "EXCUUUUSE ME! I CAN'T CUT THIS MEAT!" and "I DON'T LIKE COFFEE! DO YOU HAVE HAWAIIAN PUNCH?!". She eventually calmed down a bit bt sparked right back up again when I brought my laptop out. "OOH! LET ME SEE THAT!". Yes, it's a computer. Just like you see on the teevee. Good grief. I had a window seat and the second time she leaned across me to put her face to the porthole, I gave her a look that said 'Don't do that again' and instantly I got treated like David Duke for the rest of the flight. I thought it was just theatrics and she was rehearsed, but no, it was real. I will never fly into or out of Atlanta again if I can help it.
There used to be a time in the golden age of air travel where people would actually dress up to take a plane trip. I can't even count how many slobs and degenerates I've had sitting next to me wearing bedroom slippers, unwashed sweatpants with matted animal hair on them, big passenger pillows, blankies from home, and the passenger had that hideous 'fat person' smell that has the odor of wet dog fur mixed with cookies.
Should read:
"...find that a crying kid gets on his nerves mightily..."
I'm not willing to cut these parents a break because I doubt they tried everything they could to keep her quiet. Did they try sticking a pacifer in her mouth?
The issue that seems to be being ignored: Picture this plane developing trouble on takeoff and needing to be evacuated. Half the passengers can't hear the crew's directions over the little monster, and they other half trip over it.
Your post made me laugh out loud here in my little cube. Your writing style is quite hilarious! Atlanta is the worst, isn't it? We had an all-black-clad man reading The Communist Manifesto sit next to us last Atlanta adventure. Then we got to ride in the tran-bus deal next to a man wearing a long-sleeved wool turtle neck sweater and long wool pants. Fine, but it was Atlanta in August - around 97 degrees outside. His pants were soaked straight through, his hair was soaked, he absolutely reeked of b.o. We wondered if he was hiding something under his bulky sweater - no one is that stupid!
Is that a pedal-powered flight out of Transylvania?
Their child caused a problem for over a hundred people. There were consequences. As parents, they needed only to deal w/the problem child, fly home or accept their ticket refunds. Why did they feel the need to appear on "Good Morning, America"?
I'm surprised that the child's doctor allowed her to fly so soon after ear surgery. I wonder if the parents even checked with the doctor before the trip.
Well, that's a mindless comment.
It's not a matter of "moral relativism," it's merely a matter of addressing how kids' minds work.
An interesting thing about little ones is that their behavior -- including even tantrums -- is often quite logical, based on their view of the world right then.
The trick lies in figuring out where the kid started out. If you can do that, it's often pretty easy to work the problem out -- no beatings required.
Often times all it takes is having them take a couple of deep breaths, or maybe getting them outside to take a breath of fresh air, or distracting them. Maybe they're just hot or uncomfortable from their clothes -- easily handled.
When all is said and done, the goal is to address your kid's behavior. Very often it's possible -- and preferable -- to do so without spankings or punishment.
HJ wants to impose his one or two ideas on everybody, and label it "proper handling." It's bunkum.
/sarc
LOL....my dad used to refer to it as, "The Board of Correction."
How many 3 year olds use pacifiers???? That's for newborns.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.