Screaming children+Aircraft= Hell

What about these screaming, wailing children on aircraft?

Clearly it isn’t fair when I am on a long flight, like this Sunday from Lima. Peru to L.A. , and we were completely exhausted and desperately needed sleep, but were not allowed to because of a extraordinarily spoiled child that screamed and screamed at the top of her petulant lungs for hours. This was not a sick child, this child had developed through many hours of practice, the ability to scream relentlessly. I pointed this child out to my wife before we were even on the plane. It was obvious the child was going to be a huge problem and the three women enablers who wouldn’t just leave the child alone were just multipliers.

Hey I paid good money for that seat and I shouldn’t have to put up with idiocy like that on a plane ride, at a nice restaurant or a movie theater.

Today I see an article titled “Kids on a plane! 5 fixes for unruly passengers” (Christopher Elliot). However I don’t see any of the ideas presented as really feasible or effective. Can something be done? You bet! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/29/kids.on.planes/index.html
First of all it is not a people with kids or no kids thing. Many people take the time and trouble to raise their children properly. Virtually never is the real problem the infant child, it is usually a two to four year old with an attitude and a parent that clearly isn’t running the show. Just because people have children doesn’t mean they sympathize with non-involved parents. Conversely, there are people with no children that have the patience of Job.

Some ideas to address this runaway issue:
1) Passengers should have an outlet to complain to the flight attendant and document the time and concern. If enough people complain on a flight and the airline was on the hook to compensate in some way then things will improve naturally.
2) There should be a type of in-flight warning and then a fine or penalty that the flight attendant can levy. The flight attendant could say to the mother/guardian “I have eight complaints about the obnoxious noise coming from your seat you have to get your child under control or I will ticket you”.
3) If the parent was looking at a financial penalty at least they would realize how their behavior was affecting others. If they didn’t pay the fine they would be banned from that particular airline.
4) There should be a hand out card to help people understand the rules and concerns and give some ideas for parents traveling. Some people clearly live this way and put up with complete chaos all the time at home, they might actually think this behavior is normal for Christ’s sake.

If you say it is impossible it is not. Remember when people smoked on planes? Things can be changed if we work toward a solution and start speaking up for our traveling rights.