AIBU to think KLM's breastfeeding 'policy' is absurd?

[Celebelly]

'Breastfeeding is permitted at KLM flights. However, to ensure that all our passengers of all backgrounds feel comfortable on board, we may request a mother to cover herself while breastfeeding, should other passengers be offended by this.'

This was posted on their official Twitter today.

'Permitted'. Thank god it's 'permitted' to feed your child.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

If covering up helps with that then so be it.

If covering up distresses her baby who refuses to feed when covered, what then?

And why is it not on the “uncomfortable” people to “keep the peace” by averting their eyes?!

*User6949617

Just because you don't believe something doesn't mean you cannot respect it*

SAME WITH THE RIGHT OF A MOTHER TO BREASTFEED UNCOVERED!! Where’s the respect there?! What a contradictory statement ffs.

angelomysterio

I personally was using “flop” ironically and to make fun of another poster!

You speak to the attendant and ask to move to the back or somewhere more private after explaining the situation. There are ways round it. If it was a restaurant with the policy the of course it would be totally ludicrous. But people being offended can leave in that case not sadly not a plane where I think it's perfectly understandable from a keeping the peace perspective if not from any other!
They have not said you must always cover up only of offence is caused. Which obviously it shouldn't be but different stokes and all that.

Person A does not want to see a woman breastfeeding

Person B wants to feel comfortable breastfeeding.

If person B covers up, person A gets what they want and person B does not. It’s not a compromise, one person entirely gets their way. How is that a fair compromise?!

And where have you got that from @hammeringinmyhead can you point me in the direction of any poster on this thread that thinks that breast feeding woman should do so in the toilet?

You speak to the attendant and ask to move to the back or somewhere more private after explaining the situation.

But why should you? You aren't doing anything wrong. In fact you're nourishing your baby in the best way you know how. What kind of fuckwittery would try to inhibit you doing that

It's not exactly easy to move in a plane with a baby and all their paraphernalia. And you might be moving away from your family/friends/support network. You might not be long post partum and still sore and stiff.

Do you know what's really easy in comparison? The offended person looking the other way

Sometimes, I can't fucking understand this world.

Can I use ‘wapping out the wangers’ instead of flopping?

You speak to the attendant and ask to move to the back or somewhere more private after explaining the situation

I don't think you've ever breastfed. Or been on a plane.

• Small babies may be on and off the boob numerous times. You would go and sit somewhere more private each time?
• Where exactly is the more private place in a standard passenger aircraft? The crew really does not want you in a galley while they're preparing meals. Toilet?

-babies often want to be fed during take off and landing, to help with pressure. The seatbelt sign will be on, you cannot be moved anywhere.

• why can't the person who is offended and not in charge of a small child ask to be moved somewhere more private? Why is it the responsibility of a mother who is simply trying to feed their baby? Do you also believe a woman should be forced to find solutions if there is a man on the plane who refuses to sit next to females?

Why should you? Because not everyone like it. You are a single entity in a massive room of people no one is ever going to agree.
If you have one pissy arse on a flight that is kicking off you defuse it as quickly and efficiently as possible by removing the offence if at all possible.
So you go and ask the mother breastfeeding to cover up or please come to the back and then ply her with free drinks and snacks as an I'm sorry we boarded a twat.
You keep the peace!
A plane is not a normal environment as we see every day on the news people can be sane on the ground and turn into raging loonies in the air.
Policy is designed to be a warning more than anything of this is what may happen please be aware.

@mnhq I honestly think, as a key parenting organisation in the U.K., you should be writing to the CEO of KLM to complain about their stance here. It is outrageous.

So what about situations where someone is offended by homosexual passengers? Passengers of a certain race, or disabled passengers? All protected characteristics, just like maternity and breastfeeding. Should they also go to the back?

Why should you? Because not everyone likes it

I don’t like watch other people eating. Disgusting.

So if I’m on a plane, can I get them to stick a cover on their head? Or go somewhere private to do it?

After all, keeping the peace is very important!

I think the issue was that no one on the plane complained but the air stewardess DID still ask her to stop or cover herself more and treated her poorly after that. KLM then instead of apologising for the steward’s behaviour just repeated their stupid line that breastfeeding is “allowed” but people need to be sensitive of others and blah blah (fuck that - I’m “allowed” to not let my baby starve??). They should have issued an uncomplicated apology and clarified that women can feed their babies whenever, wherever, however.

If you have one pissy arse on a flight that is kicking off

Then they are the problem and should be dealt with.

That's crap and not at all what I have said and you know it.
The policy is literally a warning on this may happen pls take note it is not out of line or unacceptable.
It should not be the case but it is that not everyone likes breasts or breastfeeding or alot of other things for that matter! It's not a personal attack or a vilifying statement.
People get moved all the time for many many reasons and yes sometimes due to those reasons. When you are so damn high in the sky your last resort is calling the Fing military who sit outside like pretty ornimants who cannot stop your staff or passengers getting assulted you do all you can to defuse.
They have not said this is what happens they have not said you cannot breastfeed essentially it's a please be mindful of others sign.

Yes they are the problem and dealing with them is removing them from the situation or the situation from them what ever is easiest and leas likely to result in a greater fuss or escalation

as I'm sorry we boarded a twat.

Why is that the bfing mother's problem though? She's not doing anything wrong.

What if the twat is offended by the presence of women? Or a gay couple? Or a disabled person? Should they all be covered up/moved too?

Of course not. Civilised society shouldn't pander to twats and their twatish opinions. People's rights are more important than your desire to 'keep the peace'.

That not everyone likes breasts or breastfeeding or a lot of other things for that matter!

Not everyone likes women. Not everyone likes gay people. Not everyone likes the elderly.

But they have to put up with them, because other people's rights to live their lives are more important than the preferences of idiots.

Yes they are the problem and dealing with them is removing them from the situation or the situation from them what ever is easiest and leas likely to result in a greater fuss or escalation

So on a plane, gay people should not be allowed to make it clear that they are in a couple in case a homophobe is upset and escalates?

You are all totally missing the point of working in such a confined place.
It is not a personal attack!
People have been moved to new seats because they where offended by the colour of their neighbours hair for goodness sake. If they are loud and unruly you defuse in any which way. What is that so hard to understand!

Because pandering to people wherever you are is bullshit. The arsehole can sit in the jumpseat and the issue is removed

You are all totally missing the point of working in such a confined place.

You are totally missing the point of respecting rights and not giving into bullies.

Would you move a disabled person, an older person, a gay person?

Anyone can kick off on a plane for any reason. There are measures in place to deal with these people. If someone gets shirty because of a bfing mother I suggest they deploy those measures to ‘keep the peace’

People have been moved to new seats because they where offended by the colour of their neighbours hair for goodness sake. If they are loud and unruly you defuse in any which way. What is that so hard to understand!

You deal with it by moving the person complaining, offering them an eye mask to cover their own eyes or telling them to look in a different direction and pipe down.

You do not deal with it by requiring a BFing mother to cover up.

how utterly disrespectful would it be to go to a country with certain dress codes and completely disregard them because you don't believe the so they don't count?

Indeed, when in Rome.

Or, in this case, when Malaysia, breastfeed discreetly because that is the law.

When on a KLM flight, accept you might see a breastfeeding boob. Because they are a dutch airline and public breastfeeding is a widely accepted practise in the Netherlands.

Interestly, I'd originally used Saudi Arabia as my first example because I'd assumed their strict indecency laws probably covered BF. I was wrong. Public breastfeeding totally legal there. As it was in almost every other country I looked up so I'd love to know exactly whose religion or education is deeming it so unacceptable...