Middle seat diaper change
 

On a relatively full AA flight last week in coach class, a mother decided to change a dirty diaper right in the middle seat next to my business colleague. I was sitting across the aisle at the window seat but was shocked someone would just stand a toddler up on a seat and change its diaper there in front of other passengers, just prior to landing! Half way through the process she asked him to hold the taped up diaper as she struggled to clean up her kid. My questions are: has anyone else observed a similar incident? and don't people use the fold down changing shelves in the lavs?

observed this on a KL AMS-ORD flight and demanded the mother take the kid to the lavortory. I told her it was unsanity, smelly, and not polite to other passengers. I got a nasty look but she complied.

i once observed friends of mine changing baby diapers on the table of a chinese restaurant after they had paid the bill. there were still people eating at surrounding tables. i asked them if they were going to leave the diaper on the table and they replied "we tipped them well enough."

IMO, no tip is big enough. it is amazing how inconsiderate people can be.

Absolutely Filthy McNasty.

I am sympathetic to Mom's travelling with kids but I would definitely have asked her to use the bathroom. What a lot of nerve!!

FWIW there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of posts on this subject, in just about every forum, over the last four years.

Just do a search, the keyword "diaper" might be a good start.

My observations (based on past posts : http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif):

1.) The poster likely does not have children, and if they do, they have not had to change a diaper.

2.) The poster has no recollection of ever having solied a diaper themselves. Presumably they walked to the bathroom immediately after birth to pee/poop.

3.) The poster does have children but has always handled every similar situation with aplomb and grace just like Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn would have in a movie.

4.) The poster's children are perfect and do not pee/poop.

Come on people, air travel is like riding a bus or a train. This is real life. People have children, they poop, not all parents handle every single child-rearing experience perfectly.

Close to landing, seatbelt sign is on, or bathrooms are occupied. What do I do? The best I can given the situation.

What is someone supposed to do, given it's a possible criminal offence to rise from one's seat starting 30 minutes prior to landing? I hate to think of how humiliating it would be to be an adult in an urgent situation in this instance.

I hate to think of how humiliating it would be to be an adult in an urgent situation in this instance. [/QUOTE][/b]

Babies do what they do. I am a mother of four. Routinely, I would travel with my diaper-clad babies.. It was never an "urgent situation." It was more a situation of convenience.,There is little need to change a baby on-board. If so, do it in the lav. Do most planes now have changing tables? I cannot recall one of my kids being so in need of a diaper change that I would ever change him on a middle seat. When flying with my babies, I was more concerned about their having an earache than a full diaper. Thus, I would focus more on easing his ear discomfort and focus little on his wet or messy diaper. One, causes pain-- the other, a little discomfort.

It's a gross situation all around, but given it was near landing, going to the lav was obviously not an option and could have subjected her to criminal penalties.

If possible, and if I had ever flown with a baby (which I did not), I think I would probably try to tough it out - but I can't say categorically this woman took the worst of all possible options, because I don't know how bad the diaper situation was.

Quit assuming that every mother with a baby that is in need of a diaper change is flying to DCA.

>>> changing baby diapers on the table of a chinese restaurant ...

Prejudiced racists!

Diapers should not be changed in the airplane seats because of the problem of elbowing seatmates and getting filth all over.

A good place to change a diaper is on the floor just inside the airplane door. Just plenty of room. Lay down some paper towels.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

I can't believe what I'm reading.

This is fecal matter we're discussing! There is never any excuse for why feces should be in plain view on an airplane. Plopping an open used diaper on a tray table next to me is no different than someone pulling down their pants and releaving themselves onto a paper towel. It is insulting, disgusting and threatens my health in the process.

What caves do some people emerge from to even consider such a nothing, let alone carry it out!

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Best regards,
Dairenn Lombard
Los Angeles, CA

It's great to get the point of view from a mother of 4 children. Thank you for sharing what I always thought to be the case---there is no urgency, just a matter of convenience. Babies can wait with loaded diapers. I hate when some self righteous person says "You're not a mother so you have no right to make any comments".

Thank you, obscure2k, for stating quite clearly what I had always thought. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

As a father of a toddler that flies quite often between Europe and the US, I'm definitely sympathetic to this mother's plight.

Personally, if it was just to change because the baby had to pee, I wouldn't be offended. I don't do it, but it doesn't bother me that much to see it.

To change a diaper because the baby pooped, it's best to change in the lav. If it's during landing, I don't know that it's a big deal. I don't see the problem with letting baby sit in a soiled nappy for an extra 15 minutes. OFten, the wee ones don't seem to notice the difference.

That said, I understand the mother's frustration and why she did it. Travelling alone (I'm assuming she was travelling alone, or I missed that part) with a small child is very tough -- especially on a long-haul flight. It's very easy to do something out of convenience that we wouldn't normally do.

As a mother of three-- the youngest currently 5 months old (and a former flight attendant)--I can tell you that there are many times when the baby can't wait and many times when no better changing place is available.

Despite the wonders of disposables-- they will leak when overfilled. If you think watching the baby being changed is gross, I doubt you will much appove of loose stool running down the babies legs onto the airplane seat.