Passenger Dislikes Kids

September 21, 2010

in Baby & Kid Stories

Wednesday night my son, my husband, and I returned to Boston on the red-eye from California. Due to their current booking policies, the airline we flew on would not book all three seats together. The new policy is such that if you want to sit with someone in particular you need to pay an extra $55 to “upgrade” your seat. My son is only seven, so we were automatically “upgraded” by default to a window and middle seat in the second row of the plane. The seat was fully booked, and my husband was seated in row 25.

My son took the window seat, and I took the middle seat. A young professional looking woman, probably in her early 30s, wearing a business suit sat in the aisle seat. About 45 minutes into the flight my son said he needed to go to the bathroom. I let the young woman know that we needed to get out. Clearly irritated she rolled her eyes, let out an exasperated puff of air, and stood up to let us get out. About two hours after that my son had to go to the bathroom again. When I let the woman know we wanted to get out she said, “Again?” in an exasperated tone. When we returned she refused to stand up, so we had to climb over her. When my son went by she said, “Ow” like he stepped on her foot (he did not) and gave us an evil look.

After we took our seats, she told me in an arrogant tone that we shouldn’t buy seats by the window and in the middle if we thought we’d have to get out! Apparently using the facilities is not allowed. I told her we didn’t buy the seats but that we were assigned the seats. She then said, “You are rude.” At this point I had enough, and offered her the window seat. She said, “I don’t want the window seat. Have I bothered you at all on this flight?” meaning asking us to get up. When she continued to complain I finally said, “I’ve had enough of your attitude” at which point she called me “rude.” My patience at the limit I said, “Oh, please, like you’re not.” Kicking it up a notch, she called me “incredibly rude.” At this point we were locked in a stare-down. She then called me rude a couple more times. I was ready to call a flight attendant. Thankfully, we broke stares and came to a truce for the rest of the flight.

I will say I am impressed with the woman’s holding capacity. She didn’t get up to go to the bathroom until we almost reached our final destination six hours later. Now I know kids can be difficult on a plane, but let me say my son was very well behaved throughout the flight. He quietly watched TV during the flight, and fell asleep after the second trip to the bathroom. Frankly, he was the most well behaved of the three of us. I am a pretty mild mannered person, but this woman’s arrogance was unbelievable. She clearly didn’t like children, and we were clearly not expected to disturb her to use the facilities. Also during the flight a young girl, about 13, quietly walked up to the restroom and made the mistake of putting her hand on the woman’s seat. The woman turned around and made an unpleasant comment to her as well.

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

Mom to 2 September 22, 2010 at 3:07 am

I know…. let's have a special section for adults who never need or want to get up during the duration of the flight!!!! That's the solution for all these problems, isn't it? Oh, and by the way… those that sit in that section (so that they aren't "bothered" by another passenger) that medically shouldn't…. maybe offer free blot clot exams at the end of each flight????

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Amy Lynn September 22, 2010 at 7:00 am

I just like the fact that the OP recognized the fact her son was the best behaved out of the three of them.

That being said, the if the 3rd passenger was so put out by having to move for someone to get to the bathroom, why didn't she ask a FA to be moved to a different seat, or ask someone to swap for her? Because she wouldn't have had anything to complain about! Moving two times for a kid to get to the bathroom, or having your seat touched for balance, doesn't seem like such a crisis. She was just high maintenance!

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John McIntosh September 22, 2010 at 10:04 am

I disagree Mom to 2, we've flown to and from Europe several times. These were 12+ flights and all I wanted to do is sleep there and back again. As a consequence I make sure to guzzle down a good deal of fluids the day before. Then I severely restrict my fluid intake the next day. As a result I seldom use the facilities during the flight. Where you have a problem is when you have these folks who sit there drinking every liquid they can to keep from being "dehydrated". So to prevent this they not only drink all the drinks provided by the airline but buy a big 1 liter bottle on the concourse after they clear security. And now they want me to be pleasant when they get up and bump into my seat/me 6-7 times while I'm trying to sleep . Sorry ain't gonna happen. As for the blood clot problem. 1. Take enteric-coated aspirin starting the week before the flights. 2. You CAN do exercises the aid blood flow while in your seat.

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Lon September 22, 2010 at 10:26 am

I don't normally side with the poster, but I agree that lady was intolerant and unreasonable to be annoyed with 2 bathroom trips in a 5 hour period. Sorry John, you're wrong on this one. If you want to sleep on a long flight, make sure you get a window seat….otherwise you have no right to complain.

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John McIntosh September 22, 2010 at 10:49 pm

No, sorry, I wasn't clear. My wife, SWMBO, takes the window seat. I either take the middle seat or aisle depending on configuration. She might use the facilities twice in a 12 hr. flight, which is fine. It's the folks across the aisle and behind me who can't get up without bumping me I have a problem with. Last October coming back from Italy there were two older gentlemen across the aisle who had a tag team going in the restroom derby. Neither was all that steady on their feet and EVERY 45 mins. to an hour, they were up going to the restroom. Bumping me and grabbing the seat back. Didn't matter if the seatbelt sign was on or not. Turbulence? Ha! They HAD to go! And within fifteen minutes of returning to their seats, out came their bottles of water. They obviously had difficulties with frequent urination and just made it worse with all the fluid intake.

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rerere September 22, 2010 at 11:12 am

I hate buisness travellers. They are more unbehaved than most kids I see fly. As I say, they should either take a train, suck it up, or fly first class.

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Don September 22, 2010 at 11:38 am

Sorry, you don't like people crawling over you, don't get an aisle seat. If that person was sitting beside me, it would have been my mission to get up and "go" every half hour. I usually try to leave my seat as little as possible, but let your attitude come out, and well, I can give you reason for attitude.

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Dina September 22, 2010 at 12:28 pm

Exactly. I get the aisle seat because I *am* one of those people getting up every hour to pee, but I'm not going to complain if someone else has to crawl over me! That's the price you pay for an aisle seat.

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Stephanie September 23, 2010 at 1:12 am

Me too – a combination of nerves (not a fearless flier) and the fact my husband has Parkinsons, we usually both get aisle seats across the aisle from each other. Gives him more room and let's me not crawl across people to go to the bathroom.

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Geoff September 25, 2010 at 4:19 am

I like the aisle seats because when the plane lands its quicker to get out of the infernal machine. But you have to realize airplanes are a form of public transportation. You are not in it alone. So suck it up having to get up to let people use the restrooms or people banging into your seats. They also paid their fares, just as you did. everyone is equal and noone deserves special treatment or special seating (unless you pay extra for it) If you want privacy, rent a car and drive. This lady the OP referred to had a sense of entitlement she didn't deserve, even when the window seat was offered she refused. She needs to grow up and realize other people are in the world.

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TommyBoy September 28, 2010 at 4:51 am

I would have offered the lady a complete strip-search by TSA at airport of destination. People who don't need to go to the lavatory during a long flight are always suspicious to be a potential drug mule 😉

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Kevin Porter September 28, 2010 at 5:35 pm

Yeah, she shouldn't have made an issue of it, but then again, you shouldn't have had such an ego that you almost got into cat fight over something so trivial. Let me guess, you were both Massholes? You all come up to Maine all the time, and 85% bring the Massachusetts attitude with them!

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Laura October 7, 2010 at 7:20 pm

Oh dear. I'm sure even if your son hadn't had to go to the bathroom she would have found something futile to bitch and moan about. Some folks just can't be civil no matter what.

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Kyle July 28, 2011 at 1:06 pm

So your son went to the WC 2 or 3 times on a six hour flight, that let me clear up is normal. When I was a kid traveling back and forth between the US Mainland and Hawaii I had to go at least two times. There are just some people though who cannot be troubled getting up, I for one was upset at the passenger by me when I had to use a WC 6,5 hours in a 9 hour flight.

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Kyle July 28, 2011 at 1:07 pm

On a 9 hour flight*

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Jason July 25, 2018 at 9:06 pm

I like the business women in the isle seat. I would have done the same. This is the usual I have a kid with me so I’m now your problem. I think I want to date the business women.

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