Toddler tantrum grounds jet

This Is London ^ | 12 March 2003 | James Sturcke

[eyespysomething]

Toddler tantrum grounds jet By James Sturcke, Evening Standard 12 March 2003 Like any two-year-old Marcello Ferrand is prone to the occasional tantrum.

So when an aircraft crew tried to make him wear a seatbelt he panicked and sat under the seat - the kind of scene any parent will recognise.

However, for the staff of a British Airways flight from Milan to Heathrow it demanded immediate action - which resulted in the police being called and Marcello, along with his grandparents, being hauled off the plane.

The airline's ground staff then refused to let the elderly couple and Marcello, who lives in Kensal Rise, travel on a later flight. They then had to pay £300 for tickets with Alitalia to get home.

Marcello's grandmother Mariella DeNatale, 70, said the cabin crew had completely overreacted and had been responsible for scaring the toddler in the first place.

She said: "The police came aboard, checked our passports and then took us to a waiting car. I have flown all over the world and never had an experience like this. I felt like a Third World citizen."

The Airbus A319 with about 100 passengers was further delayed while the family's luggage was removed. It arrived at Heathrow 45 minutes behind schedule. Ms DeNatale, a former fashion editor for Vogue in Italy, added: "We were treated like rubbish. The captain told us he was not prepared to take us to London. It was a very bad experience. I will never buy another ticket with BA."

The scene took place as the aircraft was taxiing to the runway on Sunday morning carrying Ms DeNatale, her husband Peter Van Schalwyk and Marcello.

The couple boarded the 11.45am flight with their grandson, who had been staying at their Milan home. Marcello went to Milan with his mother, Margherita Gardella, 39,

deputy fashion editor of Harpers & Queen, who was attending fashion shows. Ms Gardella then flew to France for Paris Fashion Week, leaving the grandparents to bring Marcello back.

Mr Van Schalwyk, 64, a retired advertising director, said: " Marcello was in the seat between Mariella and myself. We had trouble getting him to put on his seatbelt. Three cabin staff crowded round him. They were quite aggressive. When one appeared with a special child seatbelt, Marcello took fright and hid under the seat. He was scared. He cried a bit but he was not screaming madly or anything. It's not like he was Dennis the Menace taking the plane apart."

Marcello's father, Nick Ferrand, 41, who owns an architect and interior design firm, said: "I was waiting in arrivals at Heathrow for over 90 minutes and no one told me anything. As a dad you fear the worse.

"Of course two-year-olds have tantrums but Marcello doesn't have any more than any child his age. Eventually I was informed they had been removed from the flight. I know airlines have to be careful but throwing an elderly couple and a two-year-old off the flight was ridiculous." A British Airways spokeswoman said: "It is absolutely imperative for all passengers to be wearing a seatbelt during take-off, landing and when the fasten seatbelt light is turned on. This is for their safety.

"The captain was called and reinforced the importance of being strapped in the chair. After speaking with the accompanying adults he made the decision to off-load the family."

[johnb838]

fascist.

[Xenalyte]

On occasion. Now I can almost always outrun whoever's out to spank me.

[John O]

I totally don't understand.

What did I say that lead you to believe I supported a strong central government and strict socio-economic control?

OR why did you feel the need to make a personal attack against me?

[isom35]

flight attendants should be equiped with hypos full of ritalin.

[billygoatgruff]

The child's name wasn't Damien was it????? Maybe they were getting to close to a church??

[TChris]

He's two years old. He doesn't need to be spanked.

He needs to be picked up, put in the chair, and buckled.

This shouldn't be complicated.

Thank you! Spanking a two-year-old is mostly a waste of time. I reserve very mild swats for times when its needed to get my child's attention in the midst of a tantrum, but it doesn't sound like this lad was that bad off. If the crew would have shown a little patience, I'm sure he could have been persuaded or pulled from under the seat by his grandparents.

Its just astounding to me how utterly helpless some adults can become when faced with a difficult child. Police pull out the Taser, schools expel and now airlines boot them off as if they're a violent drunk! Pathetic.

[PatriotBill]

This whole episode could have been solved with duct tape! Living in Texas, I never leave home without it! (I'm so damn glad I never reproduced.)

[NavyCanDo]

We flew from Seattle to Hawaii and back (6 hour flight) with our 2 1/2 year old son without him making a fuss.

Reading all the horror stories about traveling with toddlers, we came up with this trick - We played airplane with him before we ever left. We would set up kitchen chairs and practice boarding, buckling, taking off, flying, and landing. He loved the game and we must of played it a dozen times before our real flight, which he anticipated.

Our only problem was on the way back, he would sing a 2 year olds rendition of "Tiny Bubbles" over and over again including giving himself applause after each song. The other passengers thought it was real cute, until about about the 50th time.

[The SISU kid]

The couple boarded the 11.45am flight with their grandson, who had been staying at their Milan home.

She said: "The police came aboard, checked our passports and then took us to a waiting car. I have flown all over the world and never had an experience like this. I felt like a Third World citizen."

Um, excuse me, but you are a Third World Citizen....

8^)

[BellStar]

And everyone on the plane would have had to listen to the bratty two-year-old Marcello Ferrand scream bloody murder all the way from Milan to Heathrow. The Pilot and crew did the right thing.

[gridlock]

Playing "Airplane". Very smart. You have one lucky kid!