Verbally abused on a long haul flight with DCs

[mckenzie]

On friday I flew from Heathrow to Singapore with DS (6) and DD (3). At the end of the flight three people congratulated me on how well behaved the children were (DS slept for about 8 hours and DD slept for about 10 hours. How lucky was I?)

Last night we flew out of Singapore and arrived in Melbourne this morning and in the very early hours I had finally got the pair of then asleep (we had seats where the arm rest could not move up so they were unable to lie across the seats as they had done on the first flight and neither of them it seemed could get comfortable). Off I went to the toilet only to be verbally abused by a gentlemen sitting about three or 4 rows behind.
I'm quite a tough cookie but this man reduced me to tears.
He threatened to go and wake the children, called me a terrible mother, said my daughter was the most badly behaved child he had ever come across and basically I should be totally ashamed of myself. And it was all said with such spite and venom I'm surprised i managed to make it to the toilet before the tears came.

I'm not sure why I am posting this really but I feel a bit better for having told the tale and this time I haven't cried again while telling it (unlike when i told my sister when she met us at the airport!)

I was so proud of my children after the first flight and feeling quite chuffed with myself for the way it had all gone. I was feeling awful enough about the situation on this second flight (DS was no trouble at all, just watched movies and played his DS but DD was so tired she was crying a bit, whinging and playing up sometimes) but the man managed to make me feel like crap

Yep, I bet he was a smoker!

Not that that excuses his behaviour, what a tosser.

What a prat. Like LaurieFairyCake I would say ... "She like that because she's 3, what's your excuse for having a tantrum?"
Had a similar experience last year when my ds had a bad flight. People behind were whinging about it - nothing I could do. DS was exhausted and hardly slept on the flight. I did my best but he did cry a lot and I was sorry about it, but there was nothing else I could do.
Same for you - you did everything you could - it's about him and not about you. Imagine what his life must be like - he must be a very unhappy person. I doubt if he has happy relationships if he is so vindictive about a small child.

he was just spoiling for a fight at that stage though, anything you'd said he would have flared up at. Idiot. Thing the best thing was probably to say nothing, though it irks no end

he sounds like an idiot.my children wouldnt know how to behave on a plane and i think it sounds like your children did very well!and well done to you too!what did he want you to do??????what did he expect!

Oh No!

I would just walk away and rejoice in the fact that you've made this prank's flight a total misery.

Shame you were not sitting right behind him. You could have asked DD to throw in 15 mn of continuous kicking on his seat for free!

There is only one word I can use here.

Wanker.

Well done for not letting him see you cry.

And I truely hope your children made his flight a misery. I would have probably woken all mine up and told them to go and jump on him.

Sorry, I meant W**er.

That's really unreasonable - sorry for you.

Children can be difficult on flights and it's so hard for the parents. I had the world's worst flight once when there was a family of five. The father went and sat separately leaving the poor mum to cope with one babe on lap alternately breast feeding and crying, and two of the worst behaved children I have ever seen, continuously kicking and punching our seats, shouting, arguing and at one stage actually fighting, spilling drinks and to finish it all off, vomiting copiously and neatly managing to catch DS. Now that truly was hell and we never said a word ....

I was sat behind a mum with two little ones coming back from Egypt. Baby was screaming and toddler was whingeing.

Once the seatbelt lights went off I offered to take the toddler in a seat beside me and read her stories so mum could breast feed the little screamer. Happiness all around.

People need to put up and shut up or be prepared to help out when they are all shoved together like sardines on a plane.

mckenzie, remember that nutters are allowed on flights as well as children. They don't test people's reason and common sense before letting them fly. To add to this, they don't really encourage people to fly sober.

Agree completely with lauriefairycake.

McKenzie

Am very sorry you were subjected to such crap behaviour from a fellow pax.

I hope you had a word with the cabin crew about this particular individual at the time of this incident. If you did not then please speak with such people if and or when this happens again. They are usually pretty good at calming down tossers.

I have sympathy as something similar happened to me 4 weeks ago, I was flying to Sydney from Heathrow via Kuala Lumpur with DH and a 4 and 5 year old. We left Heathrow late at night, the kids were excited, we had just got on the plane and in our seats, they were wide awake and fidgeting in their seats a bit, I wasnt too bothered because we had only just taken off, lights werent out and I knew that they would eventually sleep loads, the person behind us tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I could keep my kids under control. Now I know that what they were doing could be irritating but we had just taken off, nobobdy was asleep and they hadnt even served the food. After the meal and their milk they fell asleep and slept for most of the flight. As we approached Kuala Lumpur, and I was waiting in the toilet queue, the person sitting next to the man that complained commented on how well the kids were and she didnt see what the problem was.

You should have stuck a huge piece of bread in his mouth while he was snoring, idiot.

Heahtrow to Singapore is a LONG flight. I thin k your dd did just fine.

Bristling with outrage on your behalf McKenzie - why don't these nutters have any compassion for mothers travelling on their own with children!!!! I'd like to see him try ....

What a great line LaurieFairyCake (writes mental note for future use)

God, people really do forget that planes are public transport, so they're going to have to deal with members of the public

You should have told him to get a bloody Gulfstream if kids on flights annoyed him so much.

what an utter C*nt!

some chinless pommy wonder just tutted and shook his head when obne of my fragrant boys squealed just now on the plane here. Thsnk the Lord DH didn't see him as he is a throat ripper outerer when it comes to incidents of this nature. Another 5 hours ahead of us, I actually secretly hope we do get some sport!

I would have complained to the airline staff in a very loud voice. Bastard.