To think this man was rude on flight?

[Lionking1981]

On long haul night flight yesterday. My 5 year old would not fall asleep as she was quite excited and enjoying watching all the cartoons. After 5 hours, I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and drifted off. I was awakened by the man infront shouting 'oh for fucks sake' and throwing his headphones on the floor. I realised my daughter had been kicking his chair, I apologised, got my child to apologise but he didn't even answer - just threw a glare and turned round. I of course stayed awake for the rest of the flight to make sure she didn't do it again. At the end of the flight, he stood up and said loudly that that was the last time he will ever fly with the cattle class. I know I should have theoretically made sure she did not kick his chair and I know it is annoying but surely this was just bloody rude ?

Thank you Junosrevenge, I would have absolutely acted if he had told me what was happening. I had only been dozing for 20 minutes at most.

He could have handled it differently. On occasion - on trains or buses as I don't fly - I will speak directly to a child that's kicking the seat. It usually works because the child has heard from a complete stranger; and invariably the parent will then check the child better. But you have to do the speaking in a reasonable and polite way. The man was right to be annoyed but he'd have got more effective results if he hadn't got so angry and shouty over it.

I think you have to look after your children on a flight, the same as a bus ride. Shame that you didn't.

Swearing and ranting like that is just as bad as your daughter kicking the seat in the first place! The only difference is that one was a 5-year-old child and the other was an adult. Both were acting like 5 year old children though.

If it was me, I would wake the parent and ask them to tell their child to stop. It's not rocket science.

I think you have to look after your children on a flight, the same as a bus ride. Shame that you didn't.

I think that you have to not swear at other people on a flight, same as a bus ride - or any ride. Shame that he didn't.'

He was most certainly NOT being unreasonable. I'd have said at least that. Can't stand lazy parents especially on planes.

FFS he was rude and I really don't think he would have behaved that way if a man had been with you.
Flying is stressful with lots of people cooped up in a small space.
I've flown loads with children and without for my job. They have usually been well behaved but sometimes shit happens, they puke, they cry.
The most bad behaviour and inconvenience I've ever suffered on flights has been from adults not children.
There were other ways this man could have solved the problem without throwing his toys out of the pram and aggressive abusive behaviour is never acceptable. Maybe you should have complained about him.

OP was rude, her child was rude, the man in front was rude in return.

YABU.
Please learn to control your child. 5 is old enough to know how to behave.
you are a typical entitled parent.

Yabu.

Your child kicking my seat would have left me in agony.
Everyone saying he should have woken the op, yes because that always works out so well doesn't it!
I wouldn't dare tell or even speak to a child off incase their parents came at me.
Sorry op yabu, even if he did swear.
He may have been awake for 24 hours too and fed up with your child kicking his seat.
I think i would have been the same!

smiling yes and maybe he should have complained about the op and her child.

This thread could be a described as a bear pit. Some of you are horrible.

The man was being polite? Did we read the same OP?

But then again, I must be a terrible parent, I've slept next to my children plenty of times on planes. It's just plain luck the little blighters didn't escape and get tangled up in the landing gear.

He was certainly rude in how he delivered his speech - yes I completely agree why he was annoyed and I understand why he felt angry, but I think he could have been more civilised in how he dealt with the situation e.g. Asking you much earlier to control your child etc. There is no need for ranting and raving.

So many perfect parents on here it seems. I know from experience that sometimes the eyes just shut. No matter how much you try to fight it, it happens. But you'll be held to the same standard as the perfect parents here and that means you can't possibly fall asleep at Amy time you're looking after your child...

IMO he was rude. There was no need to be aggressive. He could have politely asked or even just sternly said something without the swearing. No need for that, no matter how annoying the child is being at the time. So YANBU.

I wouldn't like to address a small child while her parent was asleep on a flight. He probably turned around glaring a fair few times before losing his rag.

More that's what flight attendants are for surely? Not hard to ring for one and ask them to wake the Mother up.

It really wouldn't cross my mind to have done that, I think that's rather putting on the flight attendants. I just wouldn't want to tell a child off while its mother was sleeping next to it.

More better to put on them a little in that way than to risk losing your temper and throwing things and swearing. I think airline staff would agree with me there.

No way would I approach the child while the parent slept either. Which is why, rather than have a massive tantrum, the man should have called for assistance.

YABU

There is nothing more annoying than seeing someone else asleep when you cannot get to sleep yourself because of them. Five hours into a night flight and everyone wants to be asleep. The OP was clearly very tired and quite possibly so was the man that her child was kicking. The difference is that she got to drop off and he didn't.

If the dc really was kicking the chair then it may have been more than just annoying, but actually quite painful. Certainly pretty intrusive and whilst everyone should try and be understanding about children there comes a point when it can just get to be too much.

I would say that on balance the man losing his cool was the lessor offense than the child kicking his seat. Sure he shouldn't have sworn, but he obviously was at the end of his tether. Five hours of over excited child followed by seat kicking for up to 20 mins (and probably there was some impact before that if she was wriggly as there is so little room on long haul flights). I think I woudl have been feeling fairly massively pissed off too.

Yanbu op. Man shouldvnot have sworn. You fell asleep. Those saying tabs have they really not ever nodded off at an inappropriate time due to being well human? You apologized and got your child to do the same.

Tabs is that of course.

I'm struggling to work out how he threw his headphones on the floor from a window seat in economy. There usually isn't a gap big enough to reach the floor.

To everyone saying he should have asked politely - maybe he did. There's no way of knowing because the OP was asleep.

OP If your DC had been kicking the back of my seat I suspect I'd have said the same thing. (And a 5 year old is more than old enough to know not to do that) If your DC is too much of a snowflake to have swearing anywhere near them then maybe don't take them anywhere public? Or at least make sure they don't cause discomfort to other people if you do?

Oh I love this. The guy who was willing to swear in front of a five year old is too delicate to either ask her mother or the cabin crew to stop her from kicking the seat, so to save him from being driven to such extreme measures the OP should have stayed awake the whole night. Presumably if the DD had fallen asleep first she should have still stayed awake as we must always be vigilant to the danger that our small kids momentarily inconvenience a grown adult with several other options to end his suffering rather than passive-aggressive swearing at our backs.