Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Nicole Gustas — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:01:46 GMT

I just wanted to tell you this was a great post. I referenced it from this page:

www.mahalo.com/How_to_Fly_With_Kids

Thanks for this and your other excellent posts!

Nicole

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Nate — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:29:14 GMT

GET AN IPOD AND SHUT UP!!!! You were all babys once and did the same thing. If you can handel other people then dont fly!!

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

EasternPI — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 06:21:54 GMT

As for the child bouncing around on TV I have to add this. If the mother had yelled NO at the child on National TV she would have been labeled a manic Mom, if she had swatted his bottom she would have been labeled a child abuser. There was no place at that time to give him a time out and what time is that show aired? I believe it's pretty early and the kid probably got up at around 2 a.m. to get there. They did the logical thing they took him off the set. How many parents out there hand your toddler to your spouse and say "please take him/her for a minute and see if you can quiet them?"

He was fussy, he was not having a temper tantrum and I has seen some real temper tantrums and that didn't even come close. Remember, a toddler is not a a mini adult. I often think about the idiots I have caught when watching TV with my mother and she always watches The Price is Right and how they act on TV, this child was acting like a saint compared to them. He was also probably curious by the lights and cameras and as any toddler would be wanted to go check them out and was being restrained from doing so causing some of his frustration.

I'd much rather be on a plane with a child saying "bye bye plane" then an adult who spent his layover in a bar and thought he should be the entertainment on the flight I was on as has happened in the past.

Unless that FA has an M.D. behind her name she has no business telling any parent to give drugs to a child.

I find it kind of funny that all I can find in response from the airline is that they are looking into her complaint. They aren't even defending the FA.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Karen Murphy — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:55:19 GMT

I don't know, I'd probably resemble a deer in the headlights if I was ever on TV. I'm not sure I'd be able to utter an intelligible word at all. It's easy to judge "regular" people by the yardstick of the professionals that we're so used to observing on TV, but I'm not sure it's fair to do so.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Lisa — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:49:10 GMT

The kid was acting like a typical toddler on Good Morning America. His behavior was perfectly normal. HOWEVER, the mother should have at least tried to settle him down or say "Sit still. Wait til Mommy is finished talking." or something along those lines.

Instead, she sat there and ignored the behavior. If Diane Sawyer and Chris hadn't stepped in, that kid would have that set tore into pieces. Which would have made for good TV - to watch a toddler have a complete temper tantrum while his mother just sits there saying "He was only saying 'Bye bye plane'

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Kristy — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:43:23 GMT

Ban all kids-just kidding.

I also watched the Good Morning episode and her child was pretty much "bouncing off the walls." The mother just sat there while the tv anchors were trying to figure out what to do with the child.

I'm sure that was embarrassing-so who should she sue? Good Morning America for not following some protocol that could have stopped the problem as soon as it occurred? Or perhaps she should add it to the lawsuit she planned on having towards the Airlines-if they didn't kick her off the plane, she wouldn't have to go on national tv to discuss her emotional distress and how her schedule was screwed up-and her kid wouldn't have been acting up on tv...

I am not accusing her of lying, or trying to pick one side or the other (though it may seem)-i just feel that we're only hearing her side of the story and because her schedule is all upside down now-doesn't mean you should sue...

Take the free trip the next day, take the free hotel room and just move on.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

theresa — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:05:23 GMT

I read the story, and there are a couple of points I would like to bring up.

1. the flight was delayed for 11 hours, which if you have any children this is an eternity to keep a 19 month old occupied.

2.The flight would have only been about 45 minutes long.

3. The police found the charges totally unwarrented - they did not even issue a ticket.

4. When the FA got really bent out of shape, it was because the other passengers told the FA to leave the mother alone, according to another passenger the FA said it was her plane.

5. After the 11hour delay, the mother was running out of snacks, diapers, juice when she was thrown off the plane.

6. There was monetary damage, If she would have been convicted with a false charge this will stay on your record for the rest of your life, obviously she would have to fight this and lawyers don't come cheap. Where does she stay if she can't get a connectig flight and who pays for the room-did she have to pay for a cab- Who pays for the meals out. Has she now listed as a potential problem on flights.

7. Is this a FA you want on your next flight, what if you have a legit problem but she does not want to deal with it.Do you want to be the next person thrown off a plane charged with a non-existant crime

8. Before I get all these replies about how I don't understand about the public and pain in the a$$ customers, I have worked with the public for 20 years, customer complaint resolution for about 15 years of that. The FA should have been able to resolve the situation or she should not be in this job....period!!!!

theresa

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

David — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:40:52 GMT

Kate Penland is nothing but a gold-digging opportunist. She is one of those people who saw dollar signs when an FA asked her to calm her child so that others could hear the very important safety demonstration. She read about how some other people made off with free plane tickets and she was hoping to cash in and get a free ride as well.

Her brat was probably thrashing around and screaming at the top of its lungs. Mommy Dearest probably just sat there thinking how adorable her little Garren is. The other passengers more than likely applauded and celebrated when the Devil's Spawn was ejected from the flight. Kate should not breed. It is obvious that she doesn't have a clue on how to raise a child. We'll be seeing little Garren in the news again - wanted for armed robbery - when he is about 15.

Kate - get your tubes tied.....NOW.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Lisa Tucker — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:32:01 GMT

I agree with Michael....security threats on airplanes are taken very seriously. I of course would not know what penalties, if any, there are for a flight crew member falsely accusing a pax of making a threat; but I would also safely assume that there would be some type of repercussions for the lying flight attendant.

I don't really get what penalties have to do with Michael Savage or some business hotshot armrest hogger, though. ????

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Michael — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:27:32 GMT

Mythago,

Did you bother to read my post?

A flight attendant that gets caught making false allegations would more than likely be fired. Airplanes are controlled by the federal government - any type of threat made on a flight crew would be investigated thoroughly. If it turns out that the flight attendant lied about being threatened, don't you think that she will lose her job?

I don't really understand why you have such a problem with what I posted.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

mythago — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:12:38 GMT

<I>First of all, making false allegations of a threat from a passenger must carry severe penalties, I'm thinking.</I>

What are you "thinking" those severe penalties might be? Did you bother to read Karen's original post?

You know, there are a lot of things fellow passengers do that bug the hell out of me. Next time I sit behind a guy talking loudly about how cool Michael Savage is, or I get stuck next to Mr. Business Hotshot who elbows me in the process of hogging both armrests, I'll ask the FA if he or she can lie to the pilot on my behalf and get the offender booted off the plane!

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Michael — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:46:18 GMT

I agree with the fact that there has to be another side to this story. I seriously doubt that any flight attendant would jeapardize their job over a little quiet chanting from a 2 year old. I know that there are FA's from hell out there, but I don't think that one would lie to the captain just to oust a toddler from a flight. First of all, making false allegations of a threat from a passenger must carry severe penalties, I'm thinking. And the FA would know that there are witnesses, so why would they risk that?

On the flipside, it was a regional jet and the pilots and FA's on those flights are typically underpaid and somewhat inexperienced. The regional jets are somewhat of a training ground for flight crews until they gain enough flight time and experience to graduate to the major airlines. So maybe it is true; we won't know until the airline makes a statement about the events.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

David G. — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:30:45 GMT

Why do people think that Kate Penland should sue? For what? Emotional distress? The only thing that the airline might owe her is a refund for the flight and MAYBE a voucher for future travel. But is she really entitled to millions of dollars for a few hours of inconvenience and a little embarassment?

As far as the comment above about stories of parents getting kicked off airplanes because of their kids - that's a myth. The only other story is the one where a mother claims she was kicked off the airplane because her kid was crying. It was an outright lie. The airline confirmed that the family was kicked off because the child refused to sit in her seat and be buckled in prior to takeoff. It is an FAA regulation that all people over the age of two be seated and buckled during taxi, takeoff and landing. The airline made the decision to kcik them off because there were 112 other passengers that had already been delayed 15 minutes. The parents were upset because they wanted more time to "console" their 4 year old. Sorry, the parents needed to grab the child, strap her in her seat, and hold her there until after takeoff.

The airline more than compensated them for the inconvenience but said that the plane needed to take off and they weren't about to break a federal law to do so.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Hillary — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:20:34 GMT

I'm sorry, but a child loudly saying "bye, bye plane" over and over and over during takeoff would drive me to the brink of insanity. A couple of times is cute, but I have a feeling that it had been going on for a while loud enough to drown out the safety demonstration.

As an extremely nervous flyer, the words "bye, bye plane" would scare the bjeezus out of me for one thing. I would be all superstitious and think it was some kind of omen that the plane was going to crash or something. I definitely would not be able to handle sitting next to lil Garren for an entire flight - I'd be a nervous wreck.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Jules — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:15:41 GMT

I saw the Good Morning America piece on this story. One thing that stood out to me was that at no time did the mother, Kate, ever tell the child "NO". The kid was wriggling, screaming, grabbing stuff off the table and Kate just giggled. It was Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo that had to act like the parents and attempt to control the child. the kid grabbed a pen off the table and diane took it from him. You didn't see mommy Kate try to do anything.

Kate Penland is one of those typical first-time mothers who think that their child is the most precious, adorable thing ever created and expect the rest of the world to cater to him. Usually, by the time the second child arrives, thankfully, they figure it out and actually start acting like real parents.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Karen — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:05:38 GMT

I think that we are only hearing one side of the story here. And the so-called witnesses to the events are probably relatives of Kate Penland. She made it sound like her and Garren were flying by themselves, yet there are photographs of them on the airplane, the airport, and the police car after her ouster from the plane. So who took the pictures? Her relatives that were flying with her, that's who. I doubt she handed her camera to somebody at the airport, on the plane, and especially in the police car and said "Please take a picture of me and my son."

I bet once the airline responds to her allegations, it will turn out that Kate really did threaten the flight attendant and that the FA never said "Shut your baby up." The kid was probably running all over the place screaming.

Seems odd to me that this event took place a month ago and just now Kate is talking to the press about it.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

George Ulicny — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:08:29 GMT

I hope this lady sues the pants off Continental and the stewardess. I'm becoming concerned with the trend of passengers being screwed by any cabin crew who they happen to annoy, with the cabin crew taking advantage of the post- 9/11 climate.

While the cabin crew on the 7 flights my wife and I recently took were hard-working, competent people, it would seem that if they want to, that they can really make you regret having been on "their" airplane. It's time to redress this situation, imo.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

erin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:00:28 GMT

I just flew with my 3 children, 6, 4, and 1. On the descent my teething one year old screamed the whole way down (at least 20-30 min). She wouldn't nurse or suck her thumb. Nothing could calm her. I felt terrible for her and all the passengers around us. As I got off the plane, the flight attendant said, "Your a good mommy and I am sure she is happy to be on the ground." It really made me feel better about the situation. Flight attendants can be so wonderful. I'm sad to hear how awful this one was.

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

Grammy — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:49:05 GMT

My heart goes out to that Mom. It should not have happened. Little children cannot understand and get cranky when tired or stressed. I would like to put that Flight Attendant in a pre-school classroom and make her sit still for 3 days!

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

baciamille — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:27:58 GMT

I had a horrible experience on a 15 hour flight from Washington DC to South African with my 3.5 year old and 15 month old. He creid for about 20 minutes at "bedtime" and I was lectured by a woman behind us who suggested I take him for a walk, and then literally accosted by another woman, who the flight attendant had to pull off me. She was yelling at me that she knew what my kid needed and I wasn't giving it to him. What was it? Brandy...go figure...I sobbed all the way to the back galley, and she really ruined what could have been a fun trip.

Oh the way back home, an 18 hour flight, I came armed. I stood up before the plane took off and made an anoucement: that we were travelling with a teething 16 month old (my 3.5 year old doesn't make a peep, thank God) and that while we were going to do our best to take care of him, he's just a little guy on a long flight. I then offered out earplugs, which some people actually took (!) and said that if things really got bad, I had a stash of valium in my handbag. Everyone laughed, nobody bothered us, I felt calm and comfortable. And of course, my son slept for about 15 hours. Oh, and then projectile vomited on me, but that's another story...

re: Toddler (and Mom) Thrown Off Plane for Saying Buh-Bye

mimi — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:23:56 GMT

This makes me afraid to fly with my kids, and they are almost always quiet, well behaved, and happy about air travel. (I'm not kidding!) But even my kids do annoying things like repeat Bye Bye endlessly. I would be so pissed if I got kicked off a plane for any reason, but to get kicked off for having a happy and pretty well behaved child? That's crazy! And I would almost as pissed if I was one of the other passangers on board who now has a delayed flight.

It would be great if all the passangers on board could collectively join in a lawsuit against the airline. Maybe that would put an end to the ridiculous stories of kids getting kicked off of planes for being kids.