paradocs

Call me "curious" too. I would love an arsenal to combat these seat kickers.

Library Dragon

Do they work with the adult seat kickers as well?

PhxArisen

I agree there should be certain sections on the plane that should be for families only. Preferably soundproof! I would think it would be beneficial for both other passengers (not to be tortured) and parents (not be glared at).

Every time I fly, I inevitably get the only child on the plane within 3 rows of my seat. Or if my luck is exceptionally bad, ALL the children on the flight are within 3 rows of me. I usually just go the evil stare route but I realize, beyond that there's not much I can do but count my woes. Analise's sneeze remedy is interesting but after a while, I think it would require too much energy on my behalf to keep sneezing!

Of all my flights, only three incidents really pissed me off.

3. HKG-EWR - 14 hours of hell listening to a 18 month old say "Mama" nonstop throughout the entire flight. I switched seats in order to not be in the row directly in front and promptly felt sorry for the person I switched with. The kid was climbing all over the back of their seat!

2. LAX-SYD - 8 year old plays video game behind me and I was treated to several hours of frenetic seat-kicking action. Parent tried to help but soon fell asleep. Fortunately, I was so tired, I fell asleep too - despite the kicking. However, I deplaned with an awful backache.

1. Same flight as #2. This one takes the cake. 4 year old kid in the middle aisle of 747 (I was in the section on the right - same row) was the perfect picture of a well-mannered child. I was dreading the inevitable wailing but that never materialized. It was the parents that were ill-mannered (loud, obnoxious and drunk). They drank themselves into inconsciousness and left the child unattended! The poor kid didn't know what to do when she had to use the bathroom. No less than 3 flight attendants, 4 passengers and their child were needed to wake these people up!

drtravels

It's been my experience children learn by example action than words. I would think the important thing would be being honest rather than doing or saying something that isn't true. I would suggest deception is a harmful example of remedy for a situation.

FAs are there primarily for your safety but I think after polite, honest attempts to change the situation you might ask for their assistance.

CozumelJen

sorry - this isn't a "plane" story but in the category of obnoxious parents - I was just in Mexico, where they have a pool with a swim up bar (adult pool!) and I was sitting on a seat reading a paperback. Pool was not crowded. A kid came next to me on the seat (I am some kind of kid-magnet) and started splashing deliberately. He soaked me and my book. Now some might argue that I should not have been reading in the pool but I was not harming anyone and not expecting this kid. I told him to stop it. I was ignored and splashed again. I said it again, again ignored and splashed. I then said "vete" (go away, pretty rude but figured he would get it.)

The father overheard and both he and the mother said that the kid could do whatever he wanted. I said I was just asking it to move away and splash somewhere else. They were very rude and said that this is a pool, everyone can do what they want to and the man actually called me a "puta". Like someone else posted, I felt my blood pressure rising and thought of saying "oh well if this pool is for everyone to do whatever they want then I think I will drown this kid or kick your head in" or something. Of course all I could do was leave but I hate these kind of parents. What are they thinking? what kind of person will this kid grow up to be if treated like this as a child? I am sorry, but adults have rights too. And I do feel that I have more rights than a bratty child, unfair as that might seem to some.

Seat kickers - I also would love to hear some strategies, short of reaching back and grabbing their legs (I did this once at a Mets game after repeated requests fell on deaf ears and no place to move. My BF saw and got really mad at me. This kind of thing does not bother him at all.)

[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 08-25-2002).]

Punki

I am amazed at all these reports of bratty children and negligent parents who let them run wild.

I fly a lot and I simply can't remember any such incidents. Oh, I have certainly seen little ones cry at take off and landing, which is very understandable as they don't know how to equalize the pressure on their ears. Fortunately crying a bit accomplishes that. I have seen restless and fussy toddlers and young children, but they usually settle right down. I have also had people, both big and little, touch the back of my seat from time to time, but I never had the impression that their so doing was in anyway designed to annoy me.

I guess I am just really, really lucky.

anonplz

FWIW, I do not agree that being honest is always the best response. For example, if your wife/significant other looks like crap in those stupid gym shoes she loves so much, and she asks you how she looks, you say, "Fine!"

Likewise, if a child's parent is aware that their child is kicking the back of the seat and that it's disturbing other passengers and they are still unwilling to chastise their child, the other passenger is not likely to try reasoning with a four year old. They are simply going to take whatever steps are necessary to effect a favorable outcome.

As I see it, children learn from this two things: 1) despite what their parents' actions say, if they refuse to behave in pulic, they risk being punished (short of corporal punishment, of course), if not by their parents, then by the people they are disturbing, because children are members of society just like adults, and may need to be disciplined; 2) lying/manipulation are sometimes the only effective strategies in some situations.

EDIT: An FA is supposed to take care of these situations, but they probably don't care what's going on, because they are not being subjected to this harassment. It's just easier for them to let the passengers work it out.

Furthermore, lest you think I am being too harsh, let me tell you, when I was a child, and I did something wrong, and the teacher scolded me, and my mother found out about it, she was very likely to take the teacher's side and let me take my lumps.

[This message has been edited by anonplz (edited 08-25-2002).]

drtravels

Punki - there is a good reason for your "luck." Smiles and kind hearts bring good responses.

guy

We were flying back from London to SFO this July and in a row behind us were a mother and father with 18 month old triplets! The flight was delayed almost 2 hours becasuse of electrical problems, so the kids became increasingly restless. Long story short, about 1 hour into the flight a man in the row in front of the family turned around and hit the mother and one of the children! She, in turn, stood up, hit him back, and a huge fight ensued. After 9/11 we're all a little on edge, so this was all it took to put the whole flight on edge. I don't think anyone slept the entire way. The flight attendants moved the man, but the rest of us had to continue the trip with the 3 crying babies and the angry parents. What fun!

Punki

Was the man arrested upon landing?

ScottC

Either that or because families with kids don't usually fly business class?

Viajera

It happened to me last week BWI-ORD. A kid was kicking my seat and I just gave the parents a bad look. I was too tired and sleeping most of the time. When the FA served the refreshments, she noticed it too and told the parents to control the kid and it stopped! Thanks AA FA!

pinniped

A friend of mine told me an anti-seat-kicker remedy one time. Apparently, whenever a child is kicking his seat and the parents refuse to discipline the little brat, he turns around and whispers real soft to the offender "If you don't stop kicking my seat, I'm going to eat your fingers."

He says the method has a 100% success rate - the kid sits down, shuts up, and puts his hands in his pockets.

(BTW, I've never tried this. I don't think I could keep a straight face...)

Analise

That's the best news yet, Viajera. I'm heartened to read that FA's are addressing not only the child but the arrogant parent who would not discipline their child! Good job American Airlines.

sfpaul900

I love the idea of a separate section for children. I was behind a seat-kicking child in a transcon business class section and i was ready to rip his little feet off. His father couldn't be bothered even talking to the kid, preferring to concentrate on his laptop, and ignoring the whole thing. If I had my way, children under 16 would be barred from 1) First Class 2) Business Class 3) the first half of coach 4) airline club rooms. I am so sick of parents who feel they are spending 'quality time' if they drag little Ashley or Hunter on a business trip with them. My father traveled quite a bit in the 1960's and I asked him once if he would take me along. He replied that, in his absence, he needed me to be 'the man of the house' and that was the end of that. If you want to spend time with your kids, then take a job that doesn't require you to be on the road. (I know several parents in my company who have done just that). Personally, I'm glad God made me gay so I'll never have to deal with kids of my own brecause I'd either tie them into the seat or give them a sleeping pill (go ahead, let me have it!)
Paul