If you were trying to be funny you failed miserably.

If i read the article correctly, this is an FAA regulation that no reptiles are in the cabin. So Airtran is just enforcing the policies that they should be following in the first place.

Also, if you look, its Illegal to purchase or sell a turtle less then 4", why is no one asking where they got the turtle in the first place? Guess that doesnt make for a cute little story though, oh the evil airline taking it out on the poor innocent kids.

What a joke. The Employee should have kept the turtle for his kid, at least then it might have gotten some care and not thrown in the trash because the kids were impatient and couldnt wait a few hours (has it ever been determined WHY they "HAD" to be on that particular flight?) I feel bad for the turtle.

Neville Flynn: Hey, hey, hey, we have to figure something out.

Rick: All right. Well, I know what I gotta do. We're in a 200-foot aluminum tube and we're 30,000 feet in the air. And any one of those slimy little things can trip a circuit or a relay or a hydraulic and this bird goes down faster than a Thai hooker. So my job is to keep LAX informed on how totally screwed we are, and then find some way to keep this mother in the sky another two hours. Figure that out.

I feel bad for the turtle, too. As for the size of the turtle (and I doubt this as the case in this situation) turtles do breed. I once raised a turtle from an egg. As a hatchling, he as way less than 4 inches.

But I digress. Even as a 10 year old (and I'm 39 now) I would have fought, scratched, and screamed bloody murder if anyone so much as suggested that any living being get thrown away like garbage.

That being said, it seems to me like these were girls who had not been taught to be assertive, but to blindly obey "authority." Scary. Especially since an animal got thrown in the trash because of it.

Exactly, I dont know about blindly obeying authority though, as they were supposedly given multiple opportunities to wait for their dad to come back to get the turtle, and insisted on being on the flight. They were the ones who chose to throw away the turtle. It just shows a callous lack of respect for another living being to me for whatever selfish reason (again i ask, why did they have to be on that particular flight?) they had. They seemed to be quite assertive for what i would consider all the wrong reasons.

If the Simpsons have taught us anything, it is that the bolded statement is not true.

Groundskeeper Willie--"If I don't save the wee turtles, who will?"

(whilst being attacked by the wee turtles): "Ack! Save me from the wee turtles! They were too quick for me."

Those suckers are nothing but trouble.

The problem with animals this small is that if they do get out of their cage, they can access very small areas where the electrical wires are and start chewing. I don't think you would want to be on that aircraft.

Who would we blame if something happened due to a turttle got out of the cage and started chewing on wires? Would we blame the child who brought it on the plane?? NO!!! Would you blame the parents?? NO!!! You would blame the airline for allowing it.

Rules like this are in place for a reason. It is a safety issue.

Really? How long does the average 2" turtle take to destroy wiring in an aircraft? Can you cite a study?

That little turtle has nothing on the maggots on a US Air flight today:

Link

Part 121 aircraft have very robust systems. If critters getting aboard an aircraft and "chewing the wires" was an issue, we'd see incidents of this happening at GA aircraft/ airports in more rural settings. The only common problems in this instance are bird nests mostly.

This was so exceptional on US Airways that it needed a news article?

Most people do not have ANY CLUE about the REASON FOR GRADUALLY INDOCTRINATING PEOPLE TO ACCEPT "ZERO TOLERANCE" RULE ENFORCEMENT.

The reason, my friends is to psychologically prepare you for computerized ENFORCEMENT of the rule, the laws, the ordinances, the codes, and the restrictions by which you will be controlled in the future. AUTOMATED GOVERNANCE, AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT ONLY WORKS IF VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS ARE PROGRAMMED INTO THE HARDWARE. No JUDGEMENT, or COMMON SENSE will mitigate automated reprisals for those triggering a rule enforcement response FROM A MACHINE WITH THE AUTHORITY TO IN SOME WAY STRIKE YOU.

So keep accepting "zero tolerance" policing, enforcement, school ruling, governing and political correctness. You shape yourself subservient and submissive to those who would rule you in the future WITH A LITERAL IRON HAND. You should NOT let your children keep being indoctrinated to accept "zero tolerance rules" in schools either. SPEAK OUT AND INTERCEDE TO SAVE THEM FROM A HORRIBLE FUTURE.