Another Reason Not To Fly

(Hat tip to Neal Boortz for linking to this one.)

The real problem here is not the children per se, but the parents. A child under the age of about 10 really can't be expected to understand the complexities of social interactions, but the parents bloody well can!

Fortunately, some people have the right idea:

Earlier this year, a 3-year-old girl who threw a tantrum and refused to be belted into her seat was removed, along with her parents, from an AirTran Airways flight. AirTran reimbursed the parents for the flight, but when the parents went public with their protest, AirTran received more than 8,000 e-mail messages and phone calls — nearly all supporting the airline.

What gives one hope is not only that the airline did the right thing, but that so many people were willing to back them up.

Unfortunately, others haven't got a clue.

Ms. Foss, a flight attendant since 1985, says the way to maintain perspective in the air — even if a screaming infant is assailing your eardrums — is to grin and bear it.

"Maintaining perspective" does nothing to solve the actual problem. Holding people (e.g. parents) accountable for their actions -- and inactions - does.

Maybe the offending kids should be sent outside to play. And their parents as well.