Women Travelers - Interesting Man v. Woman Reaction to Traveling Mama's Blog

I'm a fairly regular reader of lucky9876coins' blog over at boardingarea.com. Recently, he blogged (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2009/01/28/traveling-mamas-dont-seem-to-get-it/) on an article posted on another blog (http://travelingmamas.com/2009/01/24/uniteds-economy-plus-policy-stinks/) where the author (MountainMama) complained that she was not allowed to self-upgrade on UA from E- to E+.

You can read for yourself, but the 2-second summary is that lucky disagreed with MountainMama's POV in what I consider to be an amusing and irreverant manner. Personally, I agree with lucky's assessment of the situation. However, what I don't agree with is the incredible level of vitriol that erupted both in lucky's comments section and the travelingmamas' comment section (much of that has apparently now been redacted). Numerous people made snide remarks about the author's weight, habits, children and childraising, and proper place (ie, the kitchen or the bedroom). I don't think that the responses would have been quite so shockingly personal if something like this had appeared in a man's blog.

I guess what I am so disappointed about is that I think that many of lucky's readers come from FT. One of the people who made a comment is a FTer with whom I had cordially corresponded in the past (my userid is gender-neutral, but I've never really hidden that I'm a woman). I know that many people make these kind of assumptions about women, but it hurts to hear it from a community whose opinion I normally value.

Thoughts?

I'm too late to the blogs to be able to read the posts to which you refer. I would have found it distasteful in this day and age that anyone should suggest that women should stay at home. I was a pioneer in breaking glass ceilings in male dominated fields. I'd bristle at any posts that suggested that we shouldn't be exactly where we are.

However, as the blogs are at this moment, I find more to fault with Traveling Mama. I'm a 1K 1MM flyer on UA, so I understand the E+ product. I'm bewildered that Traveling Mama still thinks she should have been allowed to move to the E+ section of UA, despite numerous explanations as to how it is a differently priced product.

However, as the blogs are at this moment, I find more to fault with Traveling Mama. I'm a 1K 1MM flyer on UA, so I understand the E+ product. I'm bewildered that Traveling Mama still thinks she should have been allowed to move to the E+ section of UA, despite numerous explanations as to how it is a differently priced product.

+1. Kudos to the FA. MountainMama should no more be allowed to mooch an E+ seat on UA than an usher would allow me to sneak up to a stage-side seat in a concert when I've paid for nose-bleed seats. It's a paid service. If she wants those seats, pay for them or earn status.

And my reaction goes both ways, there was a thread the other day about a tall man hoping for a free upgrade to E+ so he would be more comfortable. You want it? Same thing: earn or pay for it.

. . .

I don't think that the responses would have been quite so shockingly personal if something like this had appeared in a man's blog.

. . .

I guess what I am so disappointed about is that I think that many of lucky's readers come from FT. One of the people who made a comment is a FTer with whom I had cordially corresponded in the past (my userid is gender-neutral, but I've never really hidden that I'm a woman).

Thoughts?

I'm a man, but then again, there is no Men's Forum on FT for reasons unknown.

Neither gender has a monopoly on nastiness. There are nice people on FT of both genders and nasty people of both genders.

Frankly, I would ordinarily have no idea how one could divine the gender of a member from a "handle" like lucky9876coins nor would I care. I take people's posts at face value, i.e. some have value and others less so.

On the AA forum there are occasional posts where people want something for nothing and they are invariably greeted with derision regardless of gender. I agree. If the airline charges for something and you want it for nothing, it doesn't matter whether you are a "mama" or "papa."

Courtesy is the issue, not gender.

Neither gender has a monopoly on nastiness. There are nice people on FT of both genders and nasty people of both genders. ...

Courtesy is the issue, not gender.

Well said.

Well said.

Off-topic - I realized today that I haven't seen your moniker for almost literally ages, and did a search, and here you are. :D (Makes me realize how little I get out of the garbage pail of FT anymore. ;) ) Hope you are well. :)

By the way, didn't you change your moniker? I mean, some of the letters were once transposed, no?

There have been many posts on FT that are appallingly sexist. Mostly by folks who come and then mercifully go. The regulars tend to maintain a polite face. But it's a very thin veneer in many cases. YMMV.

Most FTers are exceedingly polite and generous in person. Most, not all. FT is like the real world:the good, bad and the ugly meet up with the good, bad and the beautiful,

Hey anon,

I'll send you a PM to not take this off-topic. :)