Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Really upsetting letter

93 replies

agaazaa · 17/11/2002 22:00

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.

OP posts:
robinw · 18/11/2002 18:38

message withdrawn

Chinchilla · 18/11/2002 18:45

www -

Let's hope Mr Edwards does not have the same bigotry towards foreigners as he does towards families! We would be getting the following in the Sunday Times...

'I was recently subjected to two weeks of unruly Spaniards. If they had one iota of intelligence, they would leave their home whilst I was in their resort, so as not to annoy English people. Also, why does the Spanish government not put them all on an island during the holiday season...'

GeorginaA · 18/11/2002 19:43

I think a big impact on reducing crying babies and frazzled parents would be for airlines to put in enough oxygen masks in the rows. Me, my husband, my young toddler (sitting in our laps) couldn't sit in our allocated seats because our friends we were travelling with also had a baby (only one spare oxygen mask per row) - I then got moved (sans husband) to two different seats (first move didn't have any spare masks) until my final seat was rows behind my husband and my friends - on my own with a very squirmy baby for 3 1/2 hours!

How on earth do couples travelling with two young children cope? Or do they end up having to buy an extra seat even when for take off and landing they have to be on your lap?!

rosehip · 18/11/2002 20:47

Only read the first post so may be repeating, but I'm sure if they are so anti-children they probably have not got any and could afford to travel first class where there mus be fewer children. (only go 'cattle class myself!) Travelled alot before children and although at that time very uninterested in kids can HONESTLY say I never noticed any on a flight.

jac34 · 18/11/2002 21:07

Dh and I travelled to Spain with our 1yo twin ds's, we had to sit miles away from each other, because of the oxygen mask problem.
The boys also got more upset because they could not see the other parent.Also, neither of us were able to eat a meal, since we were alone, with a child on our lap.
They are now 4, and have travelled frequently as dh's mum lives in Spain.I wonder,does this Mr Edwards feel that we should not have let our ds's see their grandmother until they were, say 8 or 9, a more reasonable age to travel by plane.

jasper · 18/11/2002 21:20

RobinW you have bravely said what I was thinking. I had a similar experience on a four hour flight with an almost two year old kicking the back of my seat really hard for the entire flight. Would any of you allow your children to do that? I certainly wouldn't.
You have to expect children to be children but getting your back kicked in for four hours isn't really on.

Java · 18/11/2002 21:29

I was on a trip to the Caribbean some years ago and my elbow connected hard with the head of a particularly obnoxious child kicking my seat and leaping around in the seat/aisle behind me. A genuine accident, but it had an improving effect on the child's behaviour, so I couldn't help feeling pleased.

jasper · 18/11/2002 21:38

Java you are wicked but I like your style

SoupDragon · 19/11/2002 08:14

Perhaps all small children should be offered a drink on boarding by the flight attendants which contains a liberal dose of something sedative.

bundle · 19/11/2002 09:52

when I was nearly 6 mths pregnant I flew to San Francisco and on the way back the flight was full and I ended up in an aisle seat (thank goodness) but next to a very large man who almost continually played one of those computer games (the kind actually supplied by the airline) with his elbows sticking out, furiously pressing buttons, shaking the seat and basically making my life hell. I was very aware of the risk of DVT so moved about a lot anyway, but I think all of us, no matter what age, should have consideration for our fellow passengers

ellasmum · 19/11/2002 09:54

Soupdragon - there was a programme about airstewards on TV and they said that is exactly what they did to children being a pain. They slipped some gin into orange juice!!!

Lizzer · 19/11/2002 12:11

LOL www!

Bugsy · 19/11/2002 12:21

I think C Edwards must have been sitting in front of us when we flew to France last year. There was a 50 minute delay before take off and ds (20 months) went absolutely balistic. Total screaming hysteria, it was really grim. The miserable git in front of us turned around and said in a loud voice that we should control our child as he hadn't paid to listen to such a racket. Needless, to say my blood was up and I told him in no uncertain terms that I hadn't paid to listen to that racket either and if he had any suggestion better than gagging my son, I was all ears. I then thanked him for being so tolerant and improving the situation no end!!!!

Rhubarb · 19/11/2002 14:36

www - I dare you to send that letter off!

Original poster
agaazaa · 19/11/2002 22:08

why don't we all send in www's letter, but from ourselves. If the ST got enough copies of the same letter they may publish it?

or we could just go to Jersey and stalk him!

we would have to fly - of course!

OP posts:
IDismyname · 19/11/2002 22:18

agaazaa
Should we take the children when we go to Jersey en masse?

Original poster
agaazaa · 19/11/2002 22:34

OF COURSE!!!!!

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 19/11/2002 23:39

OK I emailed it but doubt it will be printed

SoupDragon · 20/11/2002 09:23

Well done WWW!! I'll have to ensure I get the Sunday Times regularly from no on to look out for it.

If nothing else, I bet it gives the letters editor a laugh.

Original poster
agaazaa · 20/11/2002 09:50

WWW spill the beans! what is the email address we all need to send it too.

Thanks

agaazaa

OP posts:
emmaij · 20/11/2002 10:37

I don't believe it!

About 10 days ago, dh, myself and toddler returned from Maderia - a 3 1/2 flight. Infront of us was a very unhappy, elderly couple - unhappy about my daughter, and the other child sitting nearby on the flight.

We could overhear them talking and they were saying that their should be seperate flights for families with children - just like in the letter! When my daughter screamed the woman - who was the most verbal and annoyed - shouted in her best Victor Meldrew voice, 'OH, SHUT UP!'

Yes, it was us! I'm sure of it.

Dh and I couldn't help finding it quite funny - and we thought my daughter, apart from the odd bout of screaming, behaved really well.

babster · 20/11/2002 11:31

Emmaij, how funny! Cue response:
"On a recent flight, my family and I were subjected to three and a half hours of whinging, tutting geriatrics. If their offspring possessed one iota of intelligence, they would not allow their aged parents to travel abroad without earplugs, sedatives, a good supply of Werther's Original and a copy of the People's Friend to ensure that they behave in such a way as not to annoy fellow passengers.
Also, why doesn't the airline identify all crumblies and put them together in one section of the aircraft, much as they did with smokers in the old days?"

Oh dear - I'm not really anti- old people, just those of the C. Edwards ilk!

SoupDragon · 20/11/2002 11:38

LOL! Please, please send it!!

emmaij · 20/11/2002 12:09

Fantastic, babster!

You must send that!

babster · 20/11/2002 12:14

No, emmaij, the pleasure is all yours - you had to put up with them!

Swipe left for the next trending thread