To think this father was an idiot (Aggressive woman on plane calmed by 8-year-old)

The drunken woman is clearly the only person responsible for her aggressive behaviour, @PollyBell - but the man is responsible for taking the reckless decision to sit a drunk and aggressive woman next to his young son. I’m not saying he is responsible for her behaviour, but he is responsible for exposing his son to that behaviour.

You say that, but how many other items are restricted or banned on flights that 99% of people wouldn't dream of using inappropriately? E.g. liquids over 100ml. Why does alcohol get a free pass?

Liquids over 100ml aren't banned on flights.

Even at airports with the 100ml restrictions you can usually purchase >100ml bottles of water, alcohol, sun tan lotion, whatever, once airside, and take them onboard the aircraft.

Every liquid is allowed after security, you cant take alcohol through security either, just like any other liquid. Do you really think you cant take a bottle of water on a plane over 100ml.

Your post reads like you were on the plane with them too?

You say that, but how many other items are restricted or banned on flights that 99% of people wouldn't dream of using inappropriately? E.g. liquids over 100ml. Why does alcohol get a free pass?

Unlike most items that are banned or restricted on flights, alcohol has the power to change the behaviour of a passenger from harmless to dangerous, yet it's not only allowed, but promoted.

And if you can't wait till you get to your destination to relax with your G&T then you have poor self-control.

One of the nurses at my work is from Salford and she could de escalate a riot without even taking a pause from drinking her tea. Salford people are the absolute bomb.

Fantastic father and fantastic son.

Well done to them both.

The dad obviously assessed the situation and did so correctly.

FWIW I work in a male dominated field with some aggressive men.
As a woman, I will be the one to try and de-escalate the situation first because I am less threatening than the big men.
If it doesn’t work, then I can still call the big men to take over if I need to.

This woman was seated next to a child, who was not a threat to her and this likely calmed her down.
The dad was there to step in if needed and of course if it didn’t work they would have just gone back to whatever they were trying before.

This.

What this article probably won’t go on to explain is how that happened in the first place - as in how they felt them stepping in would have helped. Maybe she took a liking to the son, maybe he smiled at her and it was enough to see that they were going to have a productive conversation. It probably wasn’t as straightforward as man sees drunk woman and decides to get his son to sit next to her and calm her down.

👏🏼

What a steaming pile of utter dribbling shite 😅😂

So anyway, as we all know, the father behaved like a total fuckwit, and he shouldn't have done that.

@DownyBirch

I'm sure that if anyone, including airline staff, thought the situation was actually dangerous the boy wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the woman.

Very much agree.

It would have to be close to a crisis for a professional crew to think about involving passengers as back up, let alone an 8 year old...and if there had been disruption of that magnitude the police would have been very involved on arrival.

This sounds more like a case of lady a bit worse for wear, equipped with BYO drink, being called out by the cabin crew and reacting to it...

Threatened with a diversion she calms down.

Dad and Son then get involved.

It sounds like his son who chose to be involved. I'm sure that if anyone, including airline staff, thought the situation was actually dangerous the boy wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the woman.

Exactly. It sounds like it was a mutual decision between him and his son, anyway, and I'm sure he'd have moved his son away very fast if the tactic hadn't worked quite quickly.

This thread is a bit of a fuss about nothing, TBH.

I know OP. If more people do this we might have children getting a sense of achievement, having been exposed to mild discomfort or danger.

And then they might grow into resilient and capable adults! Perish the thought.

Of course they should! A G&T on a holiday flight is all part of the experience.
Why punish everyone for the extreme actions of the few?

Yuk.

I wouldnt sit a drunk woman or man next to my child for the duration of a flight.

Funnily enough if you search there are some slightly differing versions events on-line.

At least report one I've seen states that initially the cabin crew told the father not to get involved, and that they only OK'd his move after the lady had quietened down/calmed down slightly..

Also (according to a report in the Liverpool Echo) after arrival

"Greater Manchester Police said officers attended, but no crimes were reported."

I don't think there's any doubt it was an unpleasant incident but in terms of severity on a scale of 1 to 10, risk to the 8 year old, and whether a diversion was really on the cards or just threatened to get the lady to calm down....who knows?

I was going to say you’re right but then I saw the kid was from Salford. Will have been a walk in the park for him. 😆

His son is 8. His EQ is not relevant. He's not even close to the age of consent and he's not a stab vest or emotional support animal for angry drunks. His father behaved with poor judgement and definitely should not be congratulated for doing something so utterly stupid.

No parent has the right to put their child in harm's way through choice. This father did so. This is irrefutable. He should be told never to be so stupid again.

So a father chose to put his son in harm's way and he is also a man, which isn't relevant except that if it had been a woman she would be far more seriously lambasted for doing something so stupid?

Fixed your comment for you.

Only a man would think of doing this lets face it! Well done to the lad though.

Good fot them. I had kept my 8 yo away from her.

Clearly both the father and son have high EQ.

Dad made a judgement of risk and believed that calm conversation could prevent escalation and distract, perhaps drawing on previous experience

The only part I am not comfortable with is that he chose to put his very young son's face into the media

So a drunk women is aggressive and a man is to blame for all this?

Right. It's not actually his place, as a father, to choose to involve his son with aggressive drunks and possibly dangerous situations. His son is not a bodyshield or comfort blanket for drunken arseholes.

The father indisputably behaved - on this occasion - like an utter fuckwit.