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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Or was cabin crew? My child scolded herself.

289 replies

maxbradbury · 07/04/2013 19:42

Ok flying home from Easter holiday. We went with a large group of us so all four children sat in the row in front with us sitting behind them on the plane. Cabin crew come through serving hot drinks and I have my nose in a book so do not notice. All of a sudden my six year old starts to scream. She had split hot chocolate all over herself . Turns out a member of crew asked if she would like a hot drink and she asked for a hot chocolate which was given to her without a lid or my consent. A member of crew took us to the loos and dressed to burn. I asked if it is normal procedure to give a young child a hot drink without consent and a lid. She said it wasn't and they would normally get consent and even then water it down with milk and pop on a lid.

Husband wants to make a complaint but I sort of feel I was partly to blame as I was not sat with her. She still has marks on her legs five days on. So am I to blame for not sitting with her or should I make a complaint?

OP posts:
SamuelWestsMistress · 08/04/2013 07:26

Go on, sue them! Contribute to the popular culture that drives the cost up of everything and means that lawyers can afford to feed their family naice ham.

Roshbegosh · 08/04/2013 07:26

It was your responsibility to look after your child. Simple.

OnwardBound · 08/04/2013 08:14

OP, I bet you wished you'd never posted now!

There are some very odd points of view here and an obsession with thinking that if you had been sitting next to your 6 year old this accident wouldn't have happened. And how could you have missed the drinks trolley coming through as no-one in the history of flying has ever ever ever missed a drinks trolley Hmm

So say that were the case, and you were sitting next to child, and for arguments sake you said that yes she could have a hot chocolate...

Then the 6 year old [not 2 or 3 year old] might still have spilt the 'too hot' hot chocolate and hurt herself.

How would OP sitting next to her child and noticing the drinks trolley have solved this issue? I guess she could have said no to the girl having a hot chocolate but why? Children have hot chocolate made by parents and cafes all the time. Or she could have held the cup to the girl's lips for her but she is 6 years old, not 2, so again why?

So maybe, just maybe then the OP should let the airline know of this incident and that cabin crew should really offer hot chocolate to children that has been cooled down with milk and also perhaps has a lid on it.

Why is this so hard for some of you to understand?

The poster who said that the OP would not be able to locate the life jackets in the event of a plane crash due to being sat behind child and having nose stuck in a book really takes the biscuit Hmm and Biscuit

FreshLeticia · 08/04/2013 08:17

Why did your daughter tell herself off?
I think you mean scalded , OP.
Biscuit

OnwardBound · 08/04/2013 08:22

Oh seriously Leticia, 200 plus messages in and you don't think that OPs typo has been mentioned before?

OP, I think I need to leave this thread now as I am getting too irritated on your behalf.

Good luck with your complaint/feedback if you choose to go down that route.

SoupDragon · 08/04/2013 08:24

Yes, I would complain. Not to get any compensation but to ensure their own policy is properly implemented on all occasions.

The other staff member said it was policy to ask an adult, cool down the drink and put a lid on.

I have been on many flights with paper cup type drinks which are scalding hot.

yousankmybattleship · 08/04/2013 08:25

It has been said before, but I'll say it again. Your child, your responsibility. You should have been looking after her properly instead of just opting our and reading a book. There is no complaint to be made.

SoupDragon · 08/04/2013 08:29

There is no complaint to be made.

Apart from the fact that the staff member admitted a mistake had been made and they hadn't followed their own normal procedure when serving a young child.

Growlithe · 08/04/2013 08:31

They hadn't followed their own normal procedure by allowing the children to travel without sitting next to a guardian over 16. This was the more serious breach.

SoupDragon · 08/04/2013 08:35

That didn't result in a scald though.

QuintessentialShallots · 08/04/2013 08:37

Oh absolutely you must complain.

To ensure that airlines enforce their rules so that parents/carers cant abdicate their responsibility for their own children, and then make an outcry if there is an issue. Hmm

Growlithe · 08/04/2013 08:40

It could have resulted in any number of mishaps.

SoupDragon · 08/04/2013 08:41

It's 50/50.

It wouldn't have happened had the member of staff followed procedure wrt the hot drink
It wouldn't have happened had the OP been sitting next to her DD.

I suspect the OP has learnt and won't do it again. A letter of complaint would help ensure staff members perhaps don't do it again.

JenaiMorris · 08/04/2013 08:51

Not to complain as such, but to raise the issue I think you should write to the airline, yes.

fwiw assuming the children were well behaved I really don't see the issue with them sitting away from you, OP, and I'm a bit Hmm at the implication that other posters have made regarding your level of supervision.

malteserzz · 08/04/2013 08:55

I agree with people who have said that she is your responsibility and you should have either sat with her or at least be listening out for her

Growlithe · 08/04/2013 09:00

If not one of six adults sitting in the close confinement of 3 plane rows did not hear a 6 yo ordering a hot chocolate, then yes I would question the level of supervision. Hmm

differentnameforthis · 08/04/2013 09:17

I think a 6yr should be with a parent, to be honest & you should have been paying attention. When I flew with my 4 & 9 yr old, I took their plates first & unwrapped their food as the food is always bloody hot. It is my responsibility to look after my children.

QuintessentialShallots · 08/04/2013 12:04

Just who were supposed to help the children with their food and drink if they were not sitting next to any adult?

LadyBeagleEyes · 08/04/2013 12:10

When will people accept that accidents, yes it was an Accident, will happen.
I get so sick of this blame culture.
Wasn't like this in my day.

JenaiMorris · 08/04/2013 12:10

Bearing in mind the youngest was 6 and the eldest 12, ordinarily they wouldn't need any help with their food and drink, surely?

Clearly both she and I are proven wrong by what actually happened, I just don't think it was something one would have anticipated. For sure it pays to expect the unexpected with children but there's not much that can go wrong in the confines of a plane.

QuintessentialShallots · 08/04/2013 12:14

Oh, I do think the OP is proof that a 6 year old needs help with their food and drink. Clearly.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 08/04/2013 12:18

onwardbound - are you the OP?!

As former cabin crew, actually, the extra few seconds it would take to locate a life jacket for a child not seated next to its parents could make all the difference in an emergency situation. We used to have 180 seconds to get 400 people off an escape slide. Yes, three short minutes. If you've landed on water and the plane is filling up rapidly, you could well be talking the difference between life and death.

OP - if you come back, what type of plane were you flying on? As I'd be interested to know who is manufacturing planes these days that have the ability to produce boiling hot drinks...

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 08/04/2013 12:20

Exactly ladybeagleeyes - as I said up thread, sometimes there is no one to blame.

nethunsreject · 08/04/2013 12:22

What LadyBeagleEyes said - it was an accident.

Passmethecrisps · 08/04/2013 12:23

Blimey. I am sure the OP would notice the plan crashing to the ground. How ridiculous.

I think there is joint responsibility here with the final responsibility falling on OP probably. However, I would write to the company to explain what happened and just to make them aware.

My DH received a really nasty burn in a cafe with self-service soup. He was given treatment but he took full responsibility. However, the company took an incident report and changed their policy re the soup.

So I think OP WBU to complain but WNBU to inform the company