crazy8534

I could tell we weren't really going to get on. But who cares? You can share an aircraft with someone for an hour, you don't have to like them.

She was standing at the front of the Fast-Track queue (not that there was anyone else in it yet) with the handle on her bag fully extended, her fully extended arm attached to that and then across to her shoulder, forming a barrier to prevent anyone else from daring to push past. When the time came I was secretly glad to play the special privileges card and walk around her. As a result we were settled in the cabin when she arrived, front row, same as us, huffed her bag overhead and slouched into her seat. Shoes off, socks off, feet up on bulkhead. Ouch. I'd be fibbing if I said her feet smelled but I wouldn't have liked her any less. Still, you can (almost) share an aircraft for an hour.

Then, as the droves filed in to the packed, already delayed, flight and settled down it appeared that trouble was brewing. Seats and overheads were filled, some kind souls agreed to check their luggage. Announcement made from the flight deck- we would try and make up some time. But door stayed open. Slight commotion, pilot left the cockpit and went up the gangway with a serious look on his face.

Hmmmmm...

Purser then comes on the tannoy- apparently there is a very young girl who is afraid of flying and the captain is making a last ditch attempt to get her on board so that her family can go on holiday. He asks us to be patient a bit longer, and suggests that we might feel some sympathy towards the family. I agree.

She doesn't. Up like a shot, straight out to the crew standing in the forward galley (still shoeless, sockless). I thought she might be about to go out of the aircraft and take matters into her own hand, but instead whips out her phone. A moderately long and extremely loud conversation ensues under the pretence of telling some long-suffering husband why she is further delayed (the point of which seems questionable as it is not yet at all clear when we might actually leave). Shouts of "shouldn't have been allowed through bl**dy security" "don't these people think about anyone other than themselves". I began to feel slightly concerned as to what she might say to this small child and her parents if they eventually made it on board to the 'walk of shame'. I resolved at that point that I would intervene if necessary, but it didn't come to that. The captain returned, the door shut behind him.

My wife made the gentlest of remonstrations, to which she snapped "I'm a COMMUTER, don't you know, I don't have time for this cr*p." At least she didn't say "I have a ruddy gold card..."

There is no happy end to this tale, no comeuppance where I pulled a DYKWIA of my own with a shiny card or told her to get back in her box by brandishing a series of letters before or after my own name. Life goes on. I wanted to have an argument but my own personality disorder is high functioning enough that I saw the error in starting my family holiday that way.

You can share an aircraft with someone, you don't have to like them.

Aztec_Flyer

As I'm regularly quoted by my wife : “Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

muscat

"- apparently there is a very young girl who is afraid of flying and the captain is making a last ditch attempt to get her on board so that her family can go on holiday. He asks us to be patient a bit longer, and suggests that we might feel some sympathy towards the family. I agree."
Why didn't the parents just drag the child on to the flight and strap her down? Ridiculous behaviour by the child and/or her parents for not controlling her.

GSTBK

You don't know the background of the child. They may have had learning disabilities etc.

Even if that isn't the case, it's hardly appropriate to force a terrified child (assuming they were't just misbehaving) to board an aircraft, in case it has psychological repercussions on the child, causes a medical problem on board, or just from a general passenger comfort point of view.

Let's face it- a 15min delay is hardly the end of the world.

matthandy

Sure and then the other passengers would have spent the entire flight with the child screaming so loudly that it would have probably distracted the pilots.

Unfortunately, children don't always do what they are told. For example, this weekend I went with my sister, brother in law, niece (2 and a half) and nephew (16 months) swimming. They both loved it until it was time to leave when my niece kicked off and had a tantrum as she didn't want to go. No amount of asking, telling or demanding would stop her so in the end she was ignored. It took a good 15 minutes or so for her to calm down. No, she is not spoilt or precious, she's just a toddler, that's what they do.

BERbound

A nicely written post crazy. People like that make me seethe.

crazy8534

Very much agree.

In my mind there are "those with binary views on child behaviour" and "those who have ever had significant responsibility for looking after a 2 year old."
The overlap of that particular Venn diagram consists only of "people who forget things".

muscat- someone did suggest that but I could hear them being told the child was too old/large (I suppose they must have seen the family waiting at the gate).

crazy8534

Yes, I only wrote it because I lost 30mins of my life seething about it afterwards (but then I was waiting for bags to arrive and everything about that makes me seethe anyway!!)

shorthauldad

Did you try this? It's guaranteed to work*

* except when it doesn't

Lee_Again

+1 Agreed. We don't know anything about the child or the situation. I would always trust the judgement of the captain in this situation. Who knows, they may have known that there was a 5 minute delay and decided to use it wisely. who knows.

But I fear we know all we need to about muscat following that post.

Fly Baby

She has a tiny little bit of my sympathy. After all she's blundering through life in a highly self-absorbed bubble - she probably has no idea that she's disliked even by strangers on a plane! Doubtless she'll learn some maturity and grace one day - but she well may be alone by then. Sad.

Nice of the captain to try to help and well done you for your restraint. ^

Moz

I have a friend from the US that has a great quote that he says to people that behave like that:

"Hey, its your world, we're just trying to live in it".

Sometimes they get the message........

Moz

What a charming approach to parenting and a lovely tolerant attitude to fellow passengers.

HighLife

Are you being serious?

Ridiculous is not the behaviour of the child or the parents. Ridiculous is your post, I'm afraid.

HighLife

I very much respect and admire your restraint, sir.

I don't think I would have been so tolerant of this odious passenger!