Family Stranded at Airport After Being Kicked Off Plane

[Taximom]

May she RIP, my aunt in the politically incorrect parenting of 1960's would have had one word for this situation:

dramamine

lol When my oldest was a baby, someone suggested Dimetapp (sp). I didn't use it though, but I've heard of people that do medicate their children (not for health issues) prior to flying.

 

[XcomSquaddie]

lol When my oldest was a baby, someone suggested Dimetapp (sp). I didn't use it though, but I've heard of people that do medicate their children (not for health issues) prior to flying.

LOL. I've suggested doing that to my dad. He hates flying and always makes himself a nervous wreck before a flight.

 

[XcomSquaddie]

On one hand over my dead body would my children be permitted to act like beasts in public.

Amen to that.

 

[Trino]

Re: flight attendants

My long time neighbor has been a flight attendance since the 1970's. She goes with the flow and puts on a smiley face for passengers. BUT, she has told me numerous times, "This ain't the good old days." She has mentioned rude and demanding passengers, guys hitting on her, drunks, but she hasn't complained about kids.

Times have changed, and now everyone flies, which might explain why these women had no money. Maybe someone else purchased their tickets, or maybe they saved for the trip.

This is the public comment from SW Air:
"They were being disruptive and unruly on the plane, and for the safety of our customers and the flight crew, we decided to not allow them to travel on to Seattle at that time. Typically if it's a threatening behavior, it's not safe to travel 30,000 feet in the air in a contained environment."

How were these kids a THREATENING behavior? One was autistic. One had cerebal palsey.

Detained by police? Isn't this a bit over the line?

 

[Taximom]

Family gets full refund:
http://www.kpho.com/news/16813576/detail.html

 

[lew657]

I think the other passengers on the plane deserve the refund ~ they were the ones who were put out. My BF's sister is autistic, we have flown with her and his mom makes sure the airline and flight attendants know before hand and because she goes out of her way with this they are very accomodating and allow her to bring an extra bag on board of things to keep her entertained. When she gets too excited she gets loud and would seem like an out of control brat - if we keep her seated and distract her with more calming things she is fine.

Don't get me wrong - she has had her moments on flights and I have been on flights with other overly excited 'normal' children. I think the bottomline is the behavior of the parent - if you are sitting there and the parent is trying to calm the child and disciplining them you are more willing to accept some 'bad' behavior... now if mom is just sitting there reading her magazine as the kids run up and down the aisle... it is a different store. ** I heard one passenger say the adults did nothing to try and control the children.**

 

[jblfelines]

:rant:
As a teacher of children with autism I disagree a bit. A lot of the behavior demonstrated by children with autism is learned. If you allow the child to get their way at home when they scream they will do it in public. I know that they do become overstimulated which causes behaviors, but over stimulation is not the cause for all behaviors. This mom should have known if her child would be OK on a flight. If she saw he child becoming overstimulated she should have left. I'm just getting sick of people who say children with autism should be excused for every little thing because they have autism. That's not true, Even my lowest functioning students can learn not to scream and sit calmly given the proper visual supports and reinforcement.

My grandson has PDD which is in the Autism spectrum and I helped out a lot in his classes when he was younger. He had an excellent teacher and I can tell you those children were so wonderful and behaved great on every field trip we took them on. Even the more severe children behaved well. I agree that autism should not be an excuse and if there is a problem then the parents should know not to put the child in a position that would cause problems. Under certain circumstances even normal children act up and get bored.

 

[Paladin]

SPARE ME PLEASE, a couple of unruly toddlers is annoying at best but a threat to the safety of other passengers as the airlines statement implies?
Give me a freakin break please!
Its not like these toddlers were running amok in the cockpit!

The safety hazard is having a stressed out businessman or traveler absolutely snap because a mother can't control her child. I don't care if the kid is autistic or not.

It's fine to say that airlines shouldn't use 9/11 as an excuse to be heavy-handed with passengers, but people shouldn't use disabilities as an excuse to be discourteous either.

Seriously, airlines should have one or two flights to each destination every day that are designated "children" flights. Then it can be expected that a bunch of kicking/screaming kids will be on the flight. If you choose to fly on this flight and don't have children, you will be given a reasonable discount.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I think that the problem begins in the line wating to get on the planes. By the time everyone gets on the plane and ready to go, nerves are so frazzled that it doesn't take much to set off people's moods. I think instead of peanuts, they should just give valium.

And by the way, anyone traveling with two disabled kids and a pregnant woman should always have a way home no matter what. I'm glad these people got their refund, but it was completely irresponsible of them to be away from home with no money to get back.

 

[Cypros]

I saw this family interviewed on the Today Show yesterday morning. The problem was not the children. It was the adults. They were loud and demanding and took no responsibility for their children's actions.

ETA: You could not pay me enough to work in the airline industry these days. Those poor people have to deal with too much cr@p from all walks of life.

 

[angelwngs]

I think that the problem begins in the line wating to get on the planes. By the time everyone gets on the plane and ready to go, nerves are so frazzled that it doesn't take much to set off people's moods. I think instead of peanuts, they should just give valium.

And by the way, anyone traveling with two disabled kids and a pregnant woman should always have a way home no matter what. I'm glad these people got their refund, but it was completely irresponsible of them to be away from home with no money to get back.

and replace the emergency drop down oxygen masks with Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) instead of oxygen. Then everyone could "Fly the Friendly Skies United...

 

[deanws]

LOL. I've suggested doing that to my dad. He hates flying and always makes himself a nervous wreck before a flight.

LOL...that is funny!:crazy:

 

[Beffie]

I saw this family interviewed on the Today show yesterday morning. The problem was not the children. It was the adults. They were loud and demanding and took no responsibility for their children's actions.

I seen this on the news this morning and they did have a few passengers on that said it was like nothing you have ever seen before, meaning this family. I guess they think everyone owes them something because they have disabled kids. When my son was a baby he was very colicy and we would never even dream of going to a restaurant because we knew he would cry, scream. We didn't think it was fair to everyone else who were paying for a nice night out to have to listen to our child....no he couldn't help it he had colic, but that was not everyone elses fault, nor was it my fault, but common sense and common courtesy kept us home. If we were too tired to cook we ordered in. I also would leave a store if they behaved badly. They were just having the terrible two or terrible threes moments, but I didn't think everyone had to get stressed out my kids temper tantrums.

 

[deanws]

I saw this family interviewed on the Today Show yesterday morning. The problem was not the children. It was the adults. They were loud and demanding and took no responsibility for their children's actions.

ETA: You could not pay me enough to work in the airline industry these days. Those poor people have to deal with too much cr@p from all walks of life.

WT..ugg!:rant: I can't STAND people like that!:bang: Thanks for posting the update.

 

[deanws]

I seen this on the news this morning and they did have a few passengers on that said it was like nothing you have ever seen before, meaning this family. I guess they think everyone owes them something because they have disabled kids. When my son was a baby he was very colicy and we would never even dream of going to a restaurant because we knew he would cry, scream. We didn't think it was fair to everyone else who were paying for a nice night out to have to listen to our child....no he couldn't help it he had colic, but that was not everyone elses fault, nor was it my fault, but common sense and common courtesy kept us home. If we were too tired to cook we ordered in. I also would leave a store if they behaved badly. They were just having the terrible two or terrible threes moments, but I didn't think everyone had to get stressed out my kids temper tantrums.

Exactly Beffie.:clap:

 

[Kiki]

and replace the emergency drop down oxygen masks with Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) instead of oxygen. Then everyone could "Fly the Friendly Skies United...

Thanks Angelwings, that did give me a laugh. I pictured a plane full of people chuckling like maniacs.

 

[XcomSquaddie]

I don't care if the kid is autistic or not.

It really shouldn't be the issue. However the media emphasizes it because it generates sales and some parents play it as a G.O.R. card. (Get Out of Responsibility card)

It's fine to say that airlines shouldn't use 9/11 as an excuse to be heavy-handed with passengers, but people shouldn't use disabilities as an excuse to be discourteous either.

Everything about air travel is a joke these days. The supposed security zones are penetrated at will and do nothing except inconvenience honest travelers.

Seriously, airlines should have one or two flights to each destination every day that are designated "children" flights. Then it can be expected that a bunch of kicking/screaming kids will be on the flight.

That's not a bad idea however I don't think it'd be too cost effective.

I do think that you're doing most kids a disservice. The vast majority of the children that participate in air travel do so without incident. The only ones you hear about are the worst examples.

 

[TheShadow]

What in the heck were they doing flying with 4 kids and they ahve no money or credit cards??? What if their flight got cancelled and they had to stay overnight? Do they not have ATM cards? There is an ATM in every airport. Were they going on vacation with no money to eat on? I think the no money story was just a line to get sympathy.

 

[Amraann]

Lew I just wanted to point out that the behavior of one autistic child in noway can be compared to that of another autistic child..

That being said I really think in this case it was some lazy mothers and then they used their child's disability as an excuse to be lazy.

Jeana and Paladin I agree with you both..

However, Paladin if an adult is going to snap because a child is on the plane fussing then its the adult with the problem and that person has their own issues .. We cannot hold a fussy toddler responsible for an adult that acts like an A$$.
Not that that was the case here.. just saying.
If the threat was truly that another adult would snap then we cannot blame a toddler for that.
And adult needs to be responsible for their own actions whereas children are not... That is why they have parents

I do think that there should be child designated flights but I do not think that those without children should get a discount.
If they choose that flight then they can deal with it.

 

[Amraann]

What in the heck were they doing flying with 4 kids and they ahve no money or credit cards??? What if their flight got cancelled and they had to stay overnight? Do they not have ATM cards? There is an ATM in every airport. Were they going on vacation with no money to eat on? I think the no money story was just a line to get sympathy.

I don't think it was a story... They did not look well off financially to me.
I do agree they should have not been traveling broke without some alternate plan.
Just seems totally irresponsible to me! But I have known people who do this.
Obviously their mother had the money to purchase 2000$ in tickets so mooching off of Grandma was the alternate plan.

My guess is they were going to visit family so their only concern was getting there and the family would feed and otherwise pay for them after that.