Babies on Planes - Why Are People Jerks?

Why are some people on planes so nasty to people flying with newborns/babies? Just boarded a Houston to Charlotte flight, with 3-4 babies aboard, and people actually said/did some pretty unkind things to a young mom who is clearly highly stressed and doing her best. To the point where if I were closer I would have gotten involved, but an older woman intervened. The baby isn't even crying (yet) and these people just default into jerk mode. I mean, do these people forget that they were once babies themselves? How about doing something to help? Sometimes people just suck I guess.

I come from a big family, and have two of my own, so maybe I'm just used to babies being, well, babies? Granted, a bratty 11 year old is something different, but I'm talking about babies.

Ok, rant off.

Because people are shiny happy people.

Agreed. We flew with our 2 month old to Hawaii and everyone was great to us. We came prepared with goody bags for the people around us that included ear plugs, aspirin and hard candy. Luckily we didn't need it and everyone was pretty awesome to us, but we'd flown enough that we knew that crying babies just suck and there is little you can do about it since you can't reason with them.

Had to scold a friend of mine about complaining about a family that he sat near at a restaurant for breakfast one day.

The babies were noisy and messy. He stated they shouldn't leave the house if they can't control them. Yeah, that's not how that works and unless you go to a bar to eat, you're going to run into families when you go out to eat.

Because flying sucks and seems to bring out the worst in most people. A small act of kindness toward the parents who are flying with little ones will turn you into a superhero that they talk about years later.

On a flight a few weeks ago I held a woman's 6month old a couple of times so she could go to the head. The look of gratitude was unsettling - it just shouldn't be that big a deal. And the baby was ALMOST cute enough to convince me to let my SWMBO have her way and try for #3.

I had that happen last time I flew with my daughter.

I had some old dude make a huge stink about putting the CARES harness over the seat behind his seat tray. It's not like he couldn't use it he was just being an shiny happy person.

Generally people back off when you readily tell them that you'd rather not be flying with a 14 month old either so STFU. A lot of people feel like they're entitled to be shiny happy people but they sure as E36 M3 back down when you demonstrate you won't tolerate it.

People also get interesting about breast feeding but that's a whole other ball of wax.

In short no one wants to travel with a young child that's just reality.

In reply to Stefan:

Man I dunno. Being a pre-emptive jerk to a parent that has a kid that isn't doing anything like crying or whatever, that's stupid, no question about it. But to also say that parents of noisy babies shouldn't recieve any blowback from others? Parent has kid they can't control, other person gets annoyed and says something about it, if the parent can't handle that then they probably shouldn't go out. Yeah, living in a shared society where we have public places isn't going to make someone immune from loud kids. It's also not going to make the parents of those loud kids immune from facing some blame for it.

My two cents, hope I'm not starting a dumpster fire.

Fact: taking a small child who can't process how to clear his or her ears out with pressure changes on a plane is a dick move.

However, being a dick to people when they make that mistake doesn't help.

Bottom line: Just don't bring babies on planes, and just don't be a dick.

Preemptive dickery is certainly not called for, and indeed there are far more constructive ways to approach the situation should it occur, but I am firmly in the camp of "don't bring your child into confined public spaces if you can't or won't control them while there." Parents who expect universal tolerance are taking a lot for granted from a bunch of strangers. I don't have children, and I don't want children; forcing me to endure an experience I've opted out of is not something I enjoy (the same goes for listening to other people's crappy music or loud conversations). I'd happily pay extra for a flight on an airline that prohibited children and had an enforced quiet flight policy.

If you choose not to have children and have no tolerance for children, maybe YOU shouldn't go out in public.

Don't bring babies on planes? So how does a family traverse the country/globe without using planes? All people with children should drive or take private boats to travel?

I can see frustration if the parent(s) aren't trying to do anything to quiet or settle down an upset child, but sometimes they do everything humanly possible and the child is inconsolable.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Stefan: Man I dunno. Being a pre-emptive jerk to a parent that has a kid that isn't doing anything like crying or whatever, that's stupid, no question about it. But to also say that parents of noisy babies shouldn't recieve any blowback from others? Parent has kid they can't control, other person gets annoyed and says something about it, if the parent can't handle that then they probably shouldn't go out. Yeah, living in a shared society where we have public places isn't going to make someone immune from loud kids. It's also not going to make the parents of those loud kids immune from facing some blame for it. My two cents, hope I'm not starting a dumpster fire.

Do you have kids? I have to guess that you don't. I consider myself a damn good parent, but there is no way on earth I could have prevented my kids from ever crying when they were babies. That's what little babies do. I was really good at helping control it, and we flew with them a few times when they were babies, but sometimes I couldn't 100% stop it. Is it my fault? No. My kids fault? No. It's called being a baby. Yeah, it's not fun, I've been on both sides of it. But now when I fly and there is a crying baby, no matter how much it annoys me personally ('cause I like to try to nap on planes), no way would I give the parent pushback. Anyone who gave me E36 M3 about it on a plane would have gotten a very quick, loud and clear STFU.

Osterkraut wrote: Fact: taking a small child who can't process how to clear his or her ears out with pressure changes on a plane is a dick move. However, being a dick to people when they make that mistake doesn't help. Bottom line: Just don't bring babies on planes, and just don't be a dick.

This. If you've ever had your ears painfully plug on a decent, imagine a baby that has no way to process what's happening. It's torture for that kid.

If you hate kids, you can avoid Chucky Cheese.If a baby is crying in a store, you can leave the store. You cant just leave an airliner at 35,000 ft. You are stuck with that baby.

In reply to Stefan:

Goodie bags? Dude you would rock.

After having a kid, crying babies really dont bother me, I just feel bad for the parents now. Yeah it can get annoying, but just think how much worse it it for the parent who is trying to deal with it.

On the other side of the coin, the second time I ever flew I was sat next to a new couple with a 1 year old. Expecting the worst, I had 2 vodkas and tried to sleep. The adults on the flight were bigger shiny happy people than that kid, and it was actually funny to see everyone walking by our row on the way out stopping to say how great the kid was and how they never expected it. Thing never cried from Sacramento to Chicago. I wonder if they used Benadryl...

I don't have kids but I would fully sympathize with a mother and a baby on a plane. It's gonna happen and it may not be pretty. What gets me is a situation in our church that occurs on a regular basis. A couple brings their noisy baby every week but they refuse to use the baby room that the church has set up for this exact situation. It's a glassed off room with a loud speaker to hear the service. It's ideal for everyone if the parents would just use it

In reply to Klayfish:

Yes, you could have prevented it; you didn't need to have them. I didn't bring something new into this world to annoy you.

Appleseed wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Fact: taking a small child who can't process how to clear his or her ears out with pressure changes on a plane is a dick move. However, being a dick to people when they make that mistake doesn't help. Bottom line: Just don't bring babies on planes, and just don't be a dick.

This. If you've ever had your ears painfully plug on a decent, imagine a baby that has no way to process what's happening. It's torture for that kid. If you hate kids, you can avoid Chucky Cheese.If a baby is crying in a store, you can leave the store. You cant just leave an airliner at 35,000 ft. You are stuck with that baby.

Give them something to suck on and it helps greatly. Ours breastfed pretty much the entire time or slept. I know that its not as easy when they are older and more active.

What about the jerkholes that stink up the plane with their funk? Smelly feet, swamp butt, entire bottles of crappy cologne/perfume, whatever the hell they ate that apparently died in their colon.

But, yeah parents who choose to or have to travel with children are the real berkeleying problem and these parents are purposely torturing them and you because they enjoy it. berkeley you for thinking this, berkeley you very much.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Yes, you could have prevented it; you didn't need to have them. I didn't bring something new into this world to annoy you.

You could also not berkeleying fly on the plane, rent your own plane/pilot, take the train, drive, etc.

We all have choices, you could choose to not care so much about what other people do with their reproductive organs.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Yes, you could have prevented it; you didn't need to have them. I didn't bring something new into this world to annoy you.

So you want the human race to fade into extinction? You're looking forward to being 90 years old and there being nobody younger than you in the entire world and sitting in your own E36 M3 and watching the world revert to nature?

pres589 wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Yes, you could have prevented it; you didn't need to have them. I didn't bring something new into this world to annoy you.

That's possible the most selfish comment I've ever read on GRM

In reply to dculberson:

Actually yes, but my desire for that has nothing to do with screaming babies.

NEALSMO wrote: If you choose not to have children and have no tolerance for children, maybe YOU shouldn't go out in public. Don't bring babies on planes? So how does a family traverse the country/globe without using planes? All people with children should drive or take private boats to travel? I can see frustration if the parent(s) aren't trying to do anything to quiet or settle down an upset child, but sometimes they do everything humanly possible and the child is inconsolable.

Believe me, I avoid going out in public and interacting with humanity whenever possible. I've driven and taken trains and ships to avoid the irritations of flying.

Far more often than the occasional inconsolable infant, I regularly see parents simply ignoring or actively encouraging child behavior that directly and negatively impacts those stuck with them on the plane.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Klayfish: I didn't bring something new into this world to annoy you.

maybe you didn't, but your parents sure did...

There are planes that are quiet and have no babies on them. They are called "charter jets". Anytime you want to live in an isolated bubble and avoid humanity, you are welcome to book a flight on one. Or drive yourself in a car. Or book a private room on a train.

But if you pay $99 each way to get on the big bus in the sky that is modern air travel, you should be so lucky that you only have to deal with a baby crying a few rows back.

Wow.