To have told this woman that the world doesn't revolve around her kid?

[FatFacedDog]

Sat on a plane, window seat. In front of me, a kid aged about 5/6. The way the windows were placed I had one slightly behind me (which I would have to crank my neck to look through) and one in front of me which I could see through perfectly.

Long flight.

As the plane starts driving towards runway the kid in front decides to close all the shutters of the windows he can reach meaning the one in front of him and the one behind him (mine!). I didn't say anything at this point as I a) assumed his mother would as that wasn't his window to prat about with and b) the staff would ensure all shutters were up for takeoff anyway.

So the staff walk down the aisle and see "my" window with the shutter down and tell ME sternly to do the shutter up as has been requested already. I said "I didn't put it down!" And hastily push it back up. With this the kid spins around and says "hey! I want that closed!" So I said nicely "well it has to be open I'm afraid". His useless mother paying no attention. He reaches behind him to close it and I stop him and say "no! It's to remain open!".

At this point he whines to his mother that I keep opening the "curtain" when he wants it shut so she said "you can close it when we start flying". It was my window!!!

So once up in the air he spins around, gives me the look and slams the shutter down. REALLY irritated at this point I open it back up and say "I'm sorry, I'm keeping my shutter open for now". He screams and shouts at his mother that the horrible lady behind won't let him shut the curtains. She turns around and says "sorry, he really likes them closed". I say "well he can close his shutter but this one is mine and I like them open". She gasped dramatically and said "are you serious? He's a child!".

Now I'm proper fuming at this point and said "well maybe this is a great opportunity to teach him about respecting those around him". He snaps back "what do you mean by that??" And I say "that the world doesn't revolve around him!".

Now sensing the whole thing was snowballing I say "look, im sorry but it's a long flight and I'm claustrophobic, I can't sit for 7 hours with my shutter closed".

She spun back in her chair and snapped at the kid "just leave it open, some people are just selfish!".

SO wibu??? DH seems to think so!

Thank you for doing this. I'm so sick of people who are raising children to believe the world does indeed revolve around them. Silly bint needs parenting classes.

Of course YABU. Next time don't fly if you're so fucking claustrophobic you can't handle your shutter being closed. How would your claustrophobia have handled someone like me, who gets migraines on planes and so often has to pull down shutters? I wouldn't have argued with you - I probably would have turned around and thrown up all over your lap. You were being as entitled as the mum with the kid. Selfish the lot of you

You're just as rude and obnoxious as the mother and her brat in the OP. If you tried pulling down my shade when I was in the window seat it would immediately be pulled back up. If you think it's okay to deliberately vomit on someone instead of using a sick bag or your own lap, then you have very serious issues that you need to seek help for.

OP - bravo! It's probably the first time anyone's said 'no' to Bratley or his vile mother. However, I'd have pushed the blind up immediately he'd pulled it down. Any further attempts at his pulling it down would've been met with "No. Do not play with my blind again".

This thread is hilarious. Logan thinks they should take precedence . And I say this as a migraine sufferer, who often hates having the shutter open because this could trigger one.

Can believe two people actually said the OP was being unreasonable.
I had something similar except it was an older teenager on a coach trip we had booked while on holiday to Tunesia. The trip was from north to south including the Sahara dessert.
I had a window right next to me and the teenager behind me had one right next to him, as soon as we got on the coach he shut the curtain on his window and then leaned right forward and shut mine. I opened it again and he shut it and this went on for a few minutes.
Next thing his mum stood up and said that I needed to shut my curtain as her son had been up late drinking the night before and the sun was hurting his eyes as he a handover!!!!
I told her very firmly that it was a coach trip to see a country I had never been to before and I was not closing my curtain. She turned to her son and said don't worry I will go and talk to the rep on the coach, who told her the same. She sat down muttering about selfish people.
They were a pain the whole trip, complaining about the food (no chips), kept saying the country was dirty and horrible.
On the second day of the trip we had to be up at 5am so we could travel to see the sunrise over some salt fields and of course they were nowere to be seen. They only appeared when the rep went and knocked on their room to say the coach would leave without them if they were not there in ten minutes. (They were apparently still in bed).
They arrived in ten minutes with her screeching that it was stupid to make us all get up at this time and they were on holiday (times had been fully explained before you booked the trip) and that she had not been able to do her makeup
By this time all of the other passengers had had enough and a man told her to sit down and shut up with loud agreements from other passengers.

She sat down and looked stunned that anyone would think she was being unreasonable.
She we got back to our hotel she stormed straight up to the Thompson Reps desk and started to complain about everything, how it had been the trip from hell bla bla bla and they wanted a full refund.
I took great pleasure in butting in and letting the rep know that her and her family had been the problem and if anyone should be giving anyone money it should be the women to the other passengers for putting up with her. She opened her mouth like a goldfish a few times and stormed off. The rep thanked me and said she had been a nightmare from the moment she stepped off the plane from the UK.
The husband incidently never said a word the whole trip
Anyway sorry for hijacking your thread OP, i suppose the two people who have said you were unreasonable think I should have closed my curtain on the coach as well so the teenager could nurse his hangover the in dark.

YANBU. I too would be mortified if one of my children acted like that.

Next time don't fly if you're so fucking claustrophobic you can't handle your shutter being closed. How would your claustrophobia have handled someone like me, who gets migraines on planes and so often has to pull down shutters?
Flip side. Why do you fly if you get migraines?
Why do you fly if you feel you have the right to dictate how anyone else flies just because you don't like it? I second other posters; you sound as bad as that child's mother.

There's an obvious solution:

1. OP has a window seat and leaves it open
2. A migraine sufferer (such as myself) would fly with dark glasses/eye mask and some migraine medicine

Both people are polite and manage their issues.

Sadly, as you and this mother have proven there are people who think the world should revolve around heir problems whilst other people shouldn't fly if they are so fucking claustrophobic and can't handle things. But rich when you're telling the world you can't handle things but expect everyone else to cater to to you

I hope you took a firm grip of your tray and pushed it back and forwards so that the kid's seat was rocking backwards and forwards. Next time mutter "Bang Bang Bang I eat small children yum yum bang bang'.

They might be upgraded after that and then it becomes First Class problem.

This sounds like something my dp would do with our dd. It drives me nuts. If we was on a plane and our dd wanted all the Windows shut he would honestly think everyone should close them to please her.
I can't take him to kids party's. He kicks off if she doesn't win.
But YANBU.
My dp would say yabu. But don't listen to him.

Shutters. Not Windows. Obviously everyone would want those shut

@MaisyPops 🖒

Amazing how so many MNetters have some kind of trouble on flights.

I don't find this surprising in the least. Flights where there hasn't been someone acting like an arse are in the minority in my experience. Perhaps you don't fly very much?

I really hate this thing where children get to dictate all kinds of stuff.

How did we get to this point? People have become so child-centred lately - it's nuts.

This, in spades.

Well done OP - she sounded like a dick

YANBU at all

Raggy - love your story, bloody cheek.

OP - You were very restrained, I wouldn't have engaged in the shutting and closing. He'd have got a sharp warning from the onset and the mother would have got hers to.

I think my former friend has capacity to be one of these people. When we went on holiday to wales with another friend and my DD, she was right miserable bitch. "Dont do that, dont do this."

Went on a steam train up into the hills. She didnt look out of the window once and stayed on the train. Luckily, my other friend is a gobby cow and told her straight.

I wouldnt be surprised if she pulled some of that shit.

runloganrun wow you are a piece of work. The world doesn't revolve around uou either. Don't fly if you have migraines why should other people bend over backwards for you?

If I was flying with you and you insisted on me closing MY window seat I will intentionally leave it open, leave all my reading lights on and possibly shine a flash light in your face.

You live in cuckoo land

YANBU.

And I hate it when people talk to their children to say things that are blatantly directed at you ('some people are so selfish' / 'just ignore the mean lady' etc.)

Thank goodness for people like you. We all learn one way or another, the easy way is as a child, the hard way is to be punched by the bloke in the pub you are annoying.
These 'doting' parents are doing their children no favours whatsoever.

Well done you!

Rude rude rude rude child and mother.

No you are ablutely not BU .

Sounds like the mother was doing anything for a quiet life and expecting the world to comply .
I dunno if I'd have dealt with it to the point that it was on my mind ever since , I'd have probably called for the flight attendant and explained you're on the plane to fly from A to B and aren't in the business of battling with other people's naughty children.

The reason the binds have to be up for takeoff and landing is to get you used to the natural light outside. If it is bright you need to be ready for brightness. If it is dark you need to be ready to be in the dark - hence why they also dim the lights for takeoff and landing at night. People having to get used to the light/dark would slow down an evacuation of the aircraft in an emergency situation. Mere seconds can make all the difference.

YANBU. Then again, I'm the passenger that asks the person behind before I recline my seat or DD's. No way would I let DD shut the blind if it affected more than just us. Especially not during takeoff and landing!

Kid behind kept kicking my seat so I braced and next time my seat didn't move hope it hurt! Yanbu

Raggydolly3
Good for you!

Of course YABU. Next time don't fly if you're so fucking claustrophobic you can't handle your shutter being closed. How would your claustrophobia have handled someone like me, who gets migraines on planes and so often has to pull down shutters? I wouldn't have argued with you - I probably would have turned around and thrown up all over your lap.

Why do you fly if you get migraines on planes? Why can't you see how ironic your post is? Why should everyone else have to acommodate you??

You are JUST as selfish as the child who wants the shutter down - but you are an adult and should know better.

FrancisCrawford

www.highgatemums.com/