Really upsetting letter

[agaazaa]

I am not normally upset by such things as other peoples letters, but today in the Travel section of the Times under Readers Rants - someone has written in complaining about a flight they were on for 3 1/2 hours and it was ruined by children either behaving badly (ie like children) or screaming. This has really upset me. Travelling with children is really difficult and quite stressful, but travel does broaden their little minds.

Did anyone else see this letter? Should I respond? I don't like to get into a slanging match about it, and think most parents who read it will respond anyhow.

agaazaa
I saw that letter too! Made my blood boil. I cannot imagine ANY parent reading it and not wanting to punch the lights out of the person who wrote the letter.
I'm game for a slanging match - but where do we hold it??!!

I didn't see the letter. But to be honest that person was probably upset by the kids; not everyone has kids and understands their side of things. I'm more understanding now but I still hate those Charlie Chalk etc pubs where kids run round, at least I can choose not to go there. Anyway as we were not there we don't really know if the complaint was justified (some people let their kids do anything)or whether this person is just a bad tempered old boot! There are other more important things to worry about.

Different subject but same principle, someone once wrote to our local paper in response to a letter complaining about dogpoo on children's shoes and saying dogowners should clean up, saying why should they, the parents should make sure the children don't step in it!!!!!!!!!

agaazaa

The sort of people who haven't got anything better to do with their pathetic lives than write letters complainng about children, are those who either: haven't ever had children, or had chidren but brought the poor little things up with abhorent strictness. These sad people have never enjoyed the 'real' joys of parenthood and so, in my opinion have lost out completely. Don't get stressed out by these inadequate non-entities. They don't deserve a response, just think of them with the contempt that they do deserve and move on to what matters.

Roxie...

I have to put my hand up and say that, before children, I used to look round the lounge at the gate and pick out all the families I was certain we were going to be stuck next to for an 8 hour flight. Having said that, I remember one such flight where the most annoying passenger was the grandmother across the aisle who kept trying to attract her (maybe 3 yo) grand daughter's attention. The child was behaving impeccably

I have now, of course, been in possession of one of those screaming children for an 8 hour flight and do feel twinges of guilt for my BC feelings.

Maybe we could have a Mumsnet letter campaign to enlighten the writer of that letter? I'll type the text of the letter in in case anyone's not seen it.

One has to imagine that a 3 1/2 hour flight would probably be to one of the more popular family destinations in Europe which makes me think that if the writer had "one iota of intelligence" they would have picked a different destination.

"On a recent flight, my wife and I were subjected to three and a half hours of unruly children and screaming infants. If the parents possessed one iota of intelligence, they would not travel abroad until their offspring are older and can behave in such a way as not to annoy fellow passengers.
Also, why doesn't the airline identify all families and put them together in one section of the aircraft, much as they did with smokers in the old days?" C. Edwards, St Helier.

It was in the Sunday Times Travel section.

Yes! Let's have a leper colony especially for families. Grr... makes me want to whip my kids into a frenzy and take them off to Jersey.

How many children have been arrested for assaulting staff or unruly behaviour!!! Sounds v. pompous to me.

Hey, why don't we extend the ban on children to trains, shops and all public places.

Seen and not heard that's what I say!

On second thoughts... let's have a family area on aircraft. With some space for the kids to play, some books and drawing materials, bigger toilets so you can change a nappy without banging your elbows on all four walls, and good simple food. And let's have a Grumps area too, and charge the Grumps a supplement to subsidise the family area (after all, we'd be doing them a favour to use it!)

Nice one Babster. They do something similar at peak holiday times on trains on the continent. Are you listening, Mr Branson?

Babster -

what a fantastic response - your paragraph alone should feature as the reply. Says it all really.
Miserable old git!!!

And yes, Im fighting now, was a little laid back earlier, but getting angrier the longer i think about it!!!

Getting insanely drunk, pinching the bottom of the air hostess or steward, having * in the loo....since when did children do any of these commonly reported air rage crimes? Or don't the grumps care about adult misbehaviour?

Reminds me of the other day, when in the supermarket with dd1 and dd2. DD1, 2, has mild cerebral palsy and doesn't walk much so I let her walk around the shop. She was being good looking at all the food, when she nearly walked into a trolley. Some old grumpy git shouted at me "to put her in a trolley" Me and my mum just went "ooooooooooo" and laughed. People like that either have no kids or have forgotten what kids are like. I hate the fact that half of the old people think that they can tell MY kids how to behave. My children are well behaved and love to chat to people but because of how grumpy and annoying some old people are I don't let them. DS and DD1 both have CP and many older people have told me that they should be walking and not in a buggy (special needs buggy I hasten to add),
Oh dear I am begining to sound like them,
I'll stop now.
Maria

I'm glad it's not just me then that feels upset by the letter. I try really hard on flights to keep DS entertained, am dreading flying with a new baby.

I am not super human, I too once turned up my nose if put next to someone with children in my designer clothes days! pre-husband, pre-children.

I do think that C.Edwards (is a man, must be?) doesn't have children. If you do have them, yes you would think it was a pain for 3 1/2 hours but you would sympathise with the parents. Anyhow it makes me think C.Edwards is a bit of a prat himself actually. What a nerd. I hope the Germans took his sunbathing space every morning. I also hope on this occasion the kids peeed in the pool.

Here's hoping it was the holiday from hell!

So when's the mumsnet (and kids) meet up in Jersey, then? (hope Mr Edwards has a big front garden...).

Personally, I'd like a time to shop when people over 60 (except my mum of course) are banned. They just can't get up enough speed...

On our recent trip to San Francisco the person behind moaned when he saw we were in front (under his breath, but not enough!), but by half way through the flight he and his wife were waving and playing with dd.

Don't get upset - he's an idiot. Travelling on a plane next to kids can be a nightmare but so can loads of other aspects of travelling.

I'm going to be on a plane for 4 hours on friday with my 17 month old DS. I'm keeping my fingers crossed very tightly that we don't have to sit next to a Mr Edwards.

On a flight back from Portugal, us 'families' were all lumped together. Most of the children cried as the plane was taking off, as they were frightened and had to be strapped into their own seats - why can't they be strapped on their mum's knees like babies can? - some of the children were getting close to hysterical and I could see some of the other passengers looking towards us with disdain. It really gets to me how other people can look down their noses at you because you have a child, like it automatically makes you a second-class citizen.

mckenzie I am keeping my fingers crossed that you DO sit beside Mr Edwards!

I hope every journey he now has is a nightmare.

Wonder if Mr Edwards is the same person as the old git who whinged because I dared to take my youngest ds into Starbucks?

Ought to write an en-masse 'mumsnet' response to that letter - really should NOT go unanswered - I was shocked when I read what Soupdragon had written pp Mr Edwards.
Anyone good at letters - know there are a few on here - lets blind him with our combined intelligence and disdain for such a sad little man .........

We travelled back from holiday when DS was 23 and a half months, therefore had to sit on my knee. (Yes it was a cheap charter flight) I had bought him a new tractor which he was happily 'brooming' along the back of the seats in front. Unfortunately, there was a shiny bald head rising above the level of the seat in front. Yes, he broomed it over the bald head! Oops! Maybe it was Mr Edwards!

Dear Sunday Times,

I was recently subjected to a very unpleasant minute reading a letter written by a Sunday Times Travel section reader. He appeared to have forgotten that he was once a child himself and clearly didn't have the intelligence and good sense to travel by Lear jet in order to avoid children and their parents.

When will airlines realise that most people can't bear to be seated near grumpy tossers like this and allocate them their own area of the plane and/or parachutes should they need to leave urgently? Or perhaps they could simply avoid going abroad?

Up Yours etc

hope a child with projectile vomiting is close to Edwards next time he pops down the shops on the bus