<p>quote:</p>
<p>“Perhaps AirTran, and Freedom, the airline that recently kicked a breastfeeding mother and child off a plane, need to consider putting a “family section” in the back of their planes and assign only flight attendants with compassion.” "</p>
<p>Plane can’t take off with a passanger unbuckled, regardless of how much compassion the crew has. Airtran was absolutely right to tell them to leave so that the plane could take off.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Geez. Just plain intolerance of children is unnecessary. Even screaming kids don’t bother me all that much. I don’t know. I barely notice it, and my hearing is fine. I can’t stand sudden loud noises but a baby crying isn’t that bad. Somewhat heart-wrenching, but if it’s that bad, that’s what earplugs are for. You can barely hear anything that isn’t directly next to you on a plane. A few small children cried at takeoff and landing and intermittently through the last flight I was on. At the end the kid next to me (college I would guess) was talking (loudly) on his cell phone, relating rather dull stories about his day, and a kid like five rows behind us starts crying and he starts in with “That baby has been crying for the last TWO HOURS and there’s NOTHING I can do about it.” Um, he was asleep most of the flight and baby wasn’t crying or even anywhere near us. Babies (and toddlers, and sometimes children) cry. Especially when they don’t know what’s going on and all the adults around them are freaking out.</p>
<p>Having raised mine already, when around crying babies my immediate thought is “oh I’m so glad those days are behind me” and I have to smile. The cryiing doesn’t bother me (I use earplugs/Ipod), but having my seatback kicked repeatedly for 2 hours is rather uncomfortable (that happened during the holidays).
I’ve never understood the public nursing thing, though. I nursed my baby on a plane, beside a stranger, under a blanket. He was startled at the end of the flight to find out I had a baby in my arms! I guess he must have thought I was really cold. Anyway, I have no desire to expose myself in public places, so I always bundled up for privacy.</p>
<p>
Sure kids and adults can and will do all of the above, and can go right ahead so long as they are buckled in. As I said before, I totally sympathize with parents of crying babies, sick kids, frightened toddlers, whatever, but get them in the seat!! </p>
<p>I never spent even 5 minutes in my driveway persuading my kids to get into their infant carseats or be buckled in.</p>
<p>Doubleplay–</p>
<p>How long did you nurse your children? I nursed each of mine for a year (breast cancer in family, plus it’s good for them!) and after a few months neither of mine put up with having a face covered! They’d claw the blanket off. I expected that someone would try to kick me out of places, but it didn’t happen. </p>
<p>After having visited Africa last year, I find it even more amazing that people think it’s “dirty” to breastfeed in public!</p>
<p>Only about 7-8 months. We travelled early on tho, when my wee one was only a few months old. I hear what you’re saying about cultural norms, but I respect that other people in the US just don’t want to see my breast. I’ve seen what some of the men wear (or not) in Africa and other parts, and I really wouldn’t want a guy to sit next to me on a plane like that, either. lol.</p>
<p>Princedog, The man was not really being intolerant. His tone was friendly and I think he truly found the incessant questions annoying, while I found them charming, and was trying to express sympathy. By now he’s probably got a child or two of his own, and I’m sure his attitude has changed.</p>
<p>I am always surprised when I hear of children refusing to be strapped into carseats or plane seats, or unbuckling themselves from carseats while the car is in motion. My children are far from perfect, but it would never have occurred to them to question the “buckling up.” I think that children are able to pick up on parents’ cues about what is and isn’t open to negotiation.</p>
<p>"My children are far from perfect, but it would never have occurred to them to question the “buckling up.” "</p>
<p>Well, I tried this on my mom when I was 5 or so. When she realized I’d unbuckled, she immediately pulled the car over on the side of the freeway to scream at me to put it back on, and we wouldn’t be moving till I did. I got the message. I’d say that was a pretty good cue about the seat belt not being open to negotiation. :)</p>
<p>On one trip (back in the late 80s so I have no idea what the rules are today) we brought the two-year-old’s booster seat. She sat in it happily on both westbound flights and the first eastbound flight. Rush to make the connecting flight, sink into the seat, strap her in, only to be told by the flight attendant that she can’t use that booster seat. Same airline. Needless to say a tired 2 who was used to her booster seat everywhere, was not happy to have it taken away. She screamed, she thrashed, and I ended up using a body block to hold her in the seat and strap her in.</p>
<p>Sometimes it isn’t the parent’s fault. As an adult I get annoyed by the inconsistencies in airline rules. For a little kid it can be too much.</p>
<p>In the OP case though, I’m in the forget reasoning, drag her out, strap her in, and take off camp.</p>