Did any of you see this???

[Bigsweetie]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/07/12/kim.ga.toddler.kicked.off.plane.wsb
Mom Says She, Toddler Kicked Off Plane
By Associated Press
2:15 PM EDT, July 12, 2007
ATLANTA
A woman said she and her toddler son were kicked off a plane after she refused a flight attendant's request to medicate her son to get him to quiet down and stop saying "Bye bye, plane."
Kate Penland, of suburban Atlanta, said she and her 19-month-old son, Garren, were flying from Atlanta to Oklahoma last month on a Continental Express flight that made a stop in Houston.
As the plane was taxiing in Houston en route to Oklahoma, "he started saying 'Bye, bye plane,' Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta. The flight attendant objected, she said.
"At the end of her speech, she leaned over the gentleman beside me and said, 'It's not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up,'" Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta.
When Penland asked the woman if she was joking, she said the stewardess replied, "You know, it's called baby Benadryl."
"And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight,'" Penland told the TV station.
Penland said other passengers began speaking up on her behalf, and the flight attendant announced they were turning around and that Penland and Garren were going to be taken off the plane.
Penland and her son were let off the plane and did not complete the trip to Oklahoma, said Kristy Nicholas, spokeswoman for Express Jet Airlines, which flies as Continental Express on behalf of Continental Airlines.
Attempts by the Associated Press to reach Penland under a telephone listing that matched her last name were unsuccessful.
"I was crying, I was upset and I was thinking, 'What am I going to do? I don't have anything with me, I don't have any more diapers for the baby, no juice, no milk," Penland told WSB.
Nicholas said, "We received Ms. Penland's letter expressing her concerns and intend to investigate its contents."
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press

[MQAAord]

Yeah.

It sounds like that F/A needs some remedial customer service training, if she still has a job.

BUT, knowing the media, I also really want to hear the crew's side of the story too. The media rarely presents a fair and "balanced" report, especially when airlines are involved. Just curious to hear what everyone involved has to say, ya know?

[Brenda]

I couldn't believe it! And from what I heard on CNN i think, the captain was beyond pissed and embarassed that the f/a lied about the situation and made them go to the gate. She made it sound like it was a major threat that the child couldn't control his actions and the mother was just watching.
There is absolutely no excuse to suggest to a parent to drug their child or to tell them to shut their kid up.

[Bigsweetie]

Originally Posted by Brenda

I couldn't believe it! And from what I heard on CNN i think, the captain was beyond pissed and embarassed that the f/a lied about the situation and made them go to the gate. She made it sound like it was a major threat that the child couldn't control his actions and the mother was just watching.
There is absolutely no excuse to suggest to a parent to drug their child or to tell them to shut their kid up.

I was wondering what she must have said to him/her (the capt) to get them to turn the plane around. I hope she's out of a job!!! I agree with Amber though, i'd like to hear her side of it.

[Imachickadee75]

I'm curious about the crew's side too. However, after my experience yesterday am, I wouldn't be surprised. I traveled United Mainline and they were some of the rudest people I've ever met! Not at all tolerant of my 2 yo DS, and he's a pretty darn easy traveler. I was really surprised. I expect mainline to be a little more formal than the regionals but at the same time more polite. Not this crew.

Jackie

[ccbegay]

I read/heard that the F/A had said something to the effect that the woman threatened her...I don't know, either way it was handled in question...but so, what about witnesses and such? speak up..I want the 411..

[Brenda]

Well, that's the thing. When they were questioning the pax, non of them had anything bad to say about the woman or child. The toddlers voice was no louder than the next person on the plane. But you know, these days, you pretty much can't breathe a wrong way, make eye contact or anything else cause you'll get kicked off the plane.

[roz]

I heard the same, that the child was just repeating "Bye bye plane". He wasn't screaming or crying. I also saw videos of passengers who confirmed this as well as the fact that the FA was way out of control--putting her hands on her hips and proclaiming that this was her aircraft.

I also saw the GMA segment. It was early AM and the family had been flown into NYC for the taping. So all were tired. The kid was a trooper (although those without kids who are on line posters are saying this confirms that the kid was out of control and the mother does nothing to control him). Diane Sawyer is trying to talk to the mom--lights are blaring and strangers are all over the place. Finally, her sidekick comes in (he has a two year old) and entertains the boy. Diane gives him a minature space shuttle. He crawls on the coffee table and is playing with it. It falls off the edge. He wants it and wants to go after it. His mother is talking to Diane. His mother holds him back for safety reasons but no one noticed that the toy went over the side of the table onto the floor because they are involved in an interview--he wants his toy. He cries. No other toy will do, so the sidekick picks him up and removes him.

All the boy wanted was the toy! But the dolts on the internet interpret this as: the mother can't control the child; the child is a problem; the mother is trailer trash; on and on and on.

When my son was younger we had a terrible experience as revenue paying (high fares too) on United. I vowed never to fly them again and I never will . All my son was doing was coughing in his sleep. We had gone to visit my parents in SEA and he got sick. We saw an MD and he got medicine and was getting better. We were there for two weeks. But he had a residual cough. He was ok, but still had this cough to work out. He was asleep. The FA told me, in front of an entire plane full of passengers, that I was an unfit mother and that he should be removed from my custody. This is on top of the outbound flight in they stuck all the 12 UM"s with me and expected me to be the babysitter--even to the point of demanding that I share the snacks I had brought for my son with the 12 UM's because the plane was delayed! The plane was delayed on the runway for three hours. By the time they served breakfast (pancakes and syrup), the kids were on a sugar high and throwing it all over ME! The FA laughed and said she was glad it wasn't her. That was it! She didn't offer any wet napkins or anything.

[UKcats06]

I can't believe they get away with things like that! I thought this was a fairly recent thing, but isn't your son around 20? (I am in NO way saying you are old!) That is crazy. If that were to happen in like a grocery store or something like that, they would never hear the end of it.

[mcmuffinpilot]

yes I saw this clip...really hope it doesn't hurt EXJet 's rep...

I think someone should get a hold of that black box and play for us all to hear before judgements are passed .