As I traveled the world before having children I encountered some unpleasant individuals on aeroplanes. One man abused me when I went to put my carry-on in the overhead locker because it was above his seat and therefore he believed it was his to use only. How I could have thought there was room in the overhead locker for my own small hand bag with his numerous cartons of cigarettes I simply don’t know. Another man seated in front of me kept poking his head over the top of the seat to say “When we land, we go have sex at hotel. No?” A big fat NO to that mister. On a flight with my sister she was subjected to the foulest of tirades by a young woman because she dared to recline her seat. The woman kept kicking my sister’s seat for the entire flight and muttering obscene insults just loud enough for the both of us to hear. Another extended plane journey saw me seated next to a prisoner in handcuffs and shackles that repeatedly asked me if I liked black men. His guard, gun in holster sat across the aisle from us.
Disturbing interactions are of course not limited to women travelers. I recall picking my disgusted husband up from the airport after an overseas trip. He had spent the final leg of a journey from England seated next to a drunk, malodorous chap. He of the body odour relegated my husband with explicit exploits of beer and prostitutes in Bali, all at the government’s expense courtesy of his dole cheque. When hubby requested a seat change he was told by fight staff to like it or lump it.
Given this history I was disturbed to hear that Air Asia is planning to provide segregated seating for those requesting to be accommodated away from children, as if children are a menace to be avoided. Flying economy creates a human melting pot, and being seated near a badly behaving adult, which as I have discovered is not uncommon is truly uncomfortable. A child may be unsettled during take-off and landing, and feel constrained on long haul journeys however it is the parents that wear the difficulty associated with this, with only mild inconvenience being experienced by other passengers. Parents should instead be provided with advice and assistance to manage their child in-flight e.g. by providing pre-flight information to assist parents prevent and manage earache, and supplying age appropriate meals and activity packs. A courteous reminder to parents about their responsibility to keep their children in check, such as preventing them from kicking the seat in front of them also would not go astray. For those passengers that can simply not abide the sound of children talking, laughing, or heaven forbid, crying there is a tried and true remedy – ear plugs.
If other airlines follow Air Asia’s lead and commence quarantining families away from others, a restriction on the number of seats available for families will be the outcome with an increase in prices for families the result. This is one trend that I sincerely hope will not take-off.
You may also be interested in “A letter to the grumpy passenger, the one that doesn’t want to be seated near my kids.”
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People on planes can be pigs!
They seem to think they own the plane or have the right to be rude to someone who they will then be stuck next to for hours!
Sam – It’s amazing isn’t it the way some people behave? Makes me appreciate the nice ones we encounter even more!