This news article about a 3-year-old girl who threw such a tantrum on a Air Tran Airways flight that she and her parents were booted from the plane may be an extreme case, but it occasioned some commentary on a blog I read to the effect that parents who can’t control their children ought to seek other transport.
It reminded me of a flight we made with Mr. Boy, from Baltimore to Austin, when he was barely a year old. He started screaming in the waiting lounge and kept it up until the plane was at cruise altitude, when he finally fell asleep. We could tell from their faces that the other passengers clearly hated us, and one old fellow was pretty vocal about it. We did our best but nothing worked until sleep took over.
The blog’s commenters were all childless, and irritated at potentially being denied their alleged right to peace in the aluminum cattle car. I can see their point, but also the problem of the 3-year-old’s parents, and sympathize with both. But I’d hate to see air transport denied to parents of young children for the sake of the selfish, particularly those inane pet lovers who seem to be multiplying who pretend that they are "parents" to fifi and fido who can be conveniently isolated in a cage or box. Is there any such danger? Probably not, but you have to wonder.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 