ExpressJet Mishap with FA
- Thread starter meritflyer
- Start date
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
LMAO!
Qgar
New Member
There are some good points on both sides of this argument. On 2 recent flights here's what I heard/observed.
1. FULLY BOOKED CO FLIGHT TO MCO (that I was working as a gate agent) -- a "gentleman" in his 60's with his wife who LOUDLY AND SARCASTICALLY states to the FA, "Geez, why didn't you tell me I'd be on the Kiddie Express today!" Obviously a nasty jab at a traveling family sitting near him going to Orlando (gee, surprise, surprise!!). Funny part is the kids were very well behaved and quiet. The parents didn't respond to him. Lucky thing he wasn't addressing my kids or I would have had a few choice words for him. I wanted to say, "you could always dig deep down into your pocket to pay for First Class or charter your own aircraft, Mr. Big Spender", but thought better of it and held my tongue.
2. I was a pax on SXM/EWR flight (also fully booked) and a cute little boy of about 2 walked up and down the aisle of a 757 for over 2 hours of that flight, getting in everyone's way. I'm sure his parents thought he was adorable, but come on! Not only is that highly annoying, but very unsafe in my opinion. Funny thing, his parents weren't exactly young. The daddy looked to be in his late 40's -- and should have known better. Of course, same family stands by me at the luggage carousel and allows the same baby to run all around the baggage carousel, unsupervised. Brilliant! They also allow their pre-teen daughter to take a "front row seat" at the carousel, blocking adults who are trying to retrieve their luggage. Kids have NO business being anywhere near that thing, especially when BOTH parents are traveling. Does anyone have common sense or courtesy anymore.
1. FULLY BOOKED CO FLIGHT TO MCO (that I was working as a gate agent) -- a "gentleman" in his 60's with his wife who LOUDLY AND SARCASTICALLY states to the FA, "Geez, why didn't you tell me I'd be on the Kiddie Express today!" Obviously a nasty jab at a traveling family sitting near him going to Orlando (gee, surprise, surprise!!). Funny part is the kids were very well behaved and quiet. The parents didn't respond to him. Lucky thing he wasn't addressing my kids or I would have had a few choice words for him. I wanted to say, "you could always dig deep down into your pocket to pay for First Class or charter your own aircraft, Mr. Big Spender", but thought better of it and held my tongue.
2. I was a pax on SXM/EWR flight (also fully booked) and a cute little boy of about 2 walked up and down the aisle of a 757 for over 2 hours of that flight, getting in everyone's way. I'm sure his parents thought he was adorable, but come on! Not only is that highly annoying, but very unsafe in my opinion. Funny thing, his parents weren't exactly young. The daddy looked to be in his late 40's -- and should have known better. Of course, same family stands by me at the luggage carousel and allows the same baby to run all around the baggage carousel, unsupervised. Brilliant! They also allow their pre-teen daughter to take a "front row seat" at the carousel, blocking adults who are trying to retrieve their luggage. Kids have NO business being anywhere near that thing, especially when BOTH parents are traveling. Does anyone have common sense or courtesy anymore.
Rocketman99
Frozen Guppy Manipulator
Does anyone have common sense or courtesy anymore.
No! Which is also 99% of the problem. Common sense, common decency, and/or common courtesy are none too common today. It just doesn't fit in with the values of today's society of me first and everything is everyone else's fault not mine.
This fiasco could have been avoided had the mom just made some attempt to shut the darn kid up. AFAIK, it didn't happen, and so they both got the boot. So sorry, bye bye. Probably could have been handled with a bit more tact on the FA's side though.
I don't mind if you bring your kids along to fly but they need to be kept in line. If the kids act up the PARENTS have the responsibility to at least try to rectify the situation. It does not then become the job of EVERYONE ELSE on the plane to deal with it. If they continue to be a disruption and enough of one at that to irritate more than the guy sitting next to them that can't stand kids and/or become a safety hazard then then sorry see ya.
Rocketman99
Frozen Guppy Manipulator
Yes I am. Born and raised as well.
I'm going to go out on the limb here.
I think the entire situation actually shows the anti-airline media bias.
If a lady had an unruly child in a movie theater or even The Sizzler and got ejected, it wouldn't be newsworthy. But since it happened on an airliner, especially a evil dinosaur legacy carrier (TIC), it's getting national attention.
Naturally, we're only hearing one side of the story.
Unfortunate, yes, but if the flight attendant can't complete her FAA-mandated safety demo because of a passenger (4 or 40 y.o!) that he feels is disruptive well, it's really his call.
Love it or hate it, that's kind of the way the cookie crumbles on an airplane.
I think the entire situation actually shows the anti-airline media bias.
If a lady had an unruly child in a movie theater or even The Sizzler and got ejected, it wouldn't be newsworthy. But since it happened on an airliner, especially a evil dinosaur legacy carrier (TIC), it's getting national attention.
Naturally, we're only hearing one side of the story.
Unfortunate, yes, but if the flight attendant can't complete her FAA-mandated safety demo because of a passenger (4 or 40 y.o!) that he feels is disruptive well, it's really his call.
Love it or hate it, that's kind of the way the cookie crumbles on an airplane.
I would like to hear the whole story.
I'm sure it's not as "fluffy" as the media is playing it! I'd be curious to hear from someone at XJet who talked to the crew involved.
And yes, unsupervised kids can create a safety hazard onboard. Most notably in the galley. I almost hit a kid of about 5 or 6 once with the cart. 200 pound cart vs. 45 pound kid..... Luckily I saw the kid in time, shooed him out and back to his seat, but YIKES I'd never let my kid, of that age, loose to roam around a plane!
I'm sure it's not as "fluffy" as the media is playing it! I'd be curious to hear from someone at XJet who talked to the crew involved.
And yes, unsupervised kids can create a safety hazard onboard. Most notably in the galley. I almost hit a kid of about 5 or 6 once with the cart. 200 pound cart vs. 45 pound kid..... Luckily I saw the kid in time, shooed him out and back to his seat, but YIKES I'd never let my kid, of that age, loose to roam around a plane!
NotCoolEnufToFly
Well-Known Member
Although I agree with CapnJim here, the story the way it was presented to us is all that we have for now and based on the reports the child was NOT screaming, the child was NOT misbehaving, the passengers obviously weren't annoyed as the story leads us to believe that they stuck up for the mother and her son, so where are some of you getting that she was an irresponsible mother? Assuming the story is true the way it was presented, the child was just talking. Since when is that not allowed. There is no silence rule when traveling by plane. And if you can't handle a child talking then maybe YOU should drive and like someone said before, isolate yourself from society. I know quite a few people who don't like children and never plan to have any of their own but even they can tolerate a well behaved child who is not bothering them.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Bingo. The mother knew the child was bing disruptive, knew the FA couldn't effectively do her safety demonstration, and intenionally let her child behave in the way an uncontrolled child will behave as a means of expressing her own personal issues. She used her child, in a very duplicitous and devious manner, to express her own frustrations.
The one thing missing from all the stories? "Did you make any attempt to control your child?" Know why? Because that's precicely where the culpability for the incident begins to sway from the airline and back onto the mother. And the media is never, ever going to pass up a chance to smear an airline-- so that little fact is neatly swept under the rug.
But ask yourself: Why didn't the mother make even the slightest attempt to control her child? To those here who read the story and immediately thought "Wait a minute... something's not adding up here.", that question is a darn good place to start.
Chain of events:
Mommy gets ejected.
Angry mommy calls the local rag.
Local rag turns up the heat on the story to make it salable.
Other rags/national media read story and report it.
Only source of information: Angry mommy.
Missing:
Quote from the airline (ain't gonna happen)
Quote from other passengers (ain't gonna happen)
More background facts
Prognosis: I'm afraid to say, but it's not news.
There's more profit to be made in the story being "Poor innocent mommy and child versus big bad evil dinosaur legacy carrier" than there is on a "Out of control child and apathetic mother create safety hazard on a jet".
It's all about the benjamins.
ComplexHiAv8r
Well-Known Member
First, mrambo.... Welcome to JC!!
Then the skys would be less busy, flights would have a better chance of being on time, and customers would be more satisfied. And maybe the 250/ME peoples wouldn't be flying PAX around. Don't think any pilots would lose their jobs, they cant find enough as it is now. Maybe even mainlines would consider putting the 100+ seat jets back on reducing some RJs as well.
Didn't directly say that, but I do have a problem with ANYONE effecting the safety of the crew. I think raising airline fares would do ALOT to help the industry out.
my .02
Then the skys would be less busy, flights would have a better chance of being on time, and customers would be more satisfied. And maybe the 250/ME peoples wouldn't be flying PAX around. Don't think any pilots would lose their jobs, they cant find enough as it is now. Maybe even mainlines would consider putting the 100+ seat jets back on reducing some RJs as well.
Didn't directly say that, but I do have a problem with ANYONE effecting the safety of the crew. I think raising airline fares would do ALOT to help the industry out.
my .02
NotCoolEnufToFly
Well-Known Member
I agree that this isn't news the way it happened. When I first heard this story on the radio, I was actually very irritated because I'm SURE things have been left out to make it look like a "poor innocent mommy" story. I'd bet the child was screaming and being disruptive. BUT we don't know that and IMO we can't just assume the mother was a terrible, horrible mother and kick all children off planes forever because of speculation. My comment was simply a way of saying what I felt the need to say without getting into it with a couple of people! Attempting to be a good girl here. I'm not big on fighting and arguing online!
Arguing on the internet is kewl. It makes me look smart and tough! I might not be dapper or affable in public, but capital letters, ASCII code and a browser tab opened to google and wikipedia I look smarter and a force to be reckoned with. Even when I don't have a point, I'll keep on typing and replying to show how tough and intelligent I am! 
ComplexHiAv8r
Well-Known Member
Arguing on the internet is kewl. It makes me look smart and tough! I might not be dapper or affable in public, but capital letters, ASCII code and a browser tab opened to google and wikipedia I look smarter and a force to be reckoned with. Even when I don't have a point, I'll keep on typing and replying to show how tough and intelligent I am!
You trying to start something??
Minuteman
I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING!
Aww, I don't have enough information about either party involved to have a strong argument or a point.
But, putting myself in that situation, I can offer an opinion of what I'd do. Unless the kid actually was grubbing-up my suit and drooling like an Oklahoman, I'd probably be tolerant. The last thing a a confined space needs is more energy.
Gosh, now I'm all self concious about trying to contribute anything intelligent. :hiya:
But, putting myself in that situation, I can offer an opinion of what I'd do. Unless the kid actually was grubbing-up my suit and drooling like an Oklahoman, I'd probably be tolerant. The last thing a a confined space needs is more energy.
Gosh, now I'm all self concious about trying to contribute anything intelligent. :hiya: