Flying with Children
Flying is stressful in even the best circumstances. I get nervous easily and irritated, even, if the child in front of me is crying or a couple of tipsy businessmen are talking loudly and laughing too boisterously. There are hundreds of us enclosed in a small space and the least we can do for one another is be quiet.
When I started flying with a child, I did what I could to keep her quiet so we would not disrupt the other passengers. When she was an infant, I would nurse her for the ENTIRE flight. It was awkward, but it kept her peaceful and the seating agents were nice about making sure I was seated next to a woman.
I’m a mixed bag of opinions when I see this story about a woman and her autistic child being asked to leave an American Eagle flight in North Carolina. The article I read painted the flight crew as unsympathetic. I imagine they were feeling a lot of pressure from other passengers, though. On the flip side, the mother apparently was not keeping her son buckled in during take off and refused to allow her carry-on bag to be placed in the overhead compartment. She was seated in bulkhead, where there is not a seat in front of you to put your bag under.
While I have a lot of understanding for those who parent disabled children, I also believe you must know the limitations for yourself and your children. If your child is upset by seeing you upset, you have to make more effort than ever to never appear rattled in public. If you need to have your carry on within reach at all times, do not request a bulkhead seat. If your child cannot abide being restrained, perhaps drive or ride the train when traveling. The family in questions did say they will take the train now and I think that is a wise move.
I read some comments by other people on the original report of this story and at least one mother of another autistic child felt that the airline workers should have been specially trained to deal with disabled children and should have given special considerations. Another mother of a special needs child pointed out that the airline still needed to follow FAA rules. One personal called the motehr “entitled”.
I agree that she did seem entitled to special treatment. Many of us live with children that see the world in a unique way. I have to make special plans every time I travel. However, I would never expect it to be OK if my child disrupted other passengers or if our situation was making it impossible for FAA rules to be followed. I do not expect society to make allowances for my life. The work-around might be difficult for me to accomplish, but it is always there if I look.
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