Most unhelpful airline attendants ever!

[ehartsay]

But what about the poor mothers fellow passenger? She stood up and wouldn't sit with them, offering no help and treating them like a leper, I bet that took quite a bit of time and wasn't the mother's fault. Why has nobody addressed her causing the situation to be worse? She sounds like the worst of them all.

Why? How did she cause the situation to be worse because she did not want to be next to a potential puke fountain? I would have done the same thing - I would DEFINATELY asked if I could be moved. It is in NO WAY her job to expose herself to the mess, the wet, the smell, the puke or the germs. I would probably have thrown up myself if I had been in THE ROW NEXT TO THEM, let alone the seat next to them.

I think the point was everyone was talking about how much of a hazard it was for the mother to be standing while the plane is taxiing, and even saying that the OP madeit worse by standing while taxiing in order to offer help when the FAs (who ARE allowed to stand while taxiing) did nothing. Yet everyone is jumping to the defense of the passenger who jumped up and demanded to be moved - WHILE TAXIING. She was not only creating the same hazzard as the others who are being chastised in this thread, but she was making it worse, as it not only takes time to relocate someone to a new seat on an airplane, but I'm sure the vomit-covered mother was delayed in getting settled while waiting for this woman to gather her things and move.

No one is saying she shouldn't have asked to be moved, I think they are saying that she, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS THREAD, should have waited until the flight was airborne and it was safe to stand again before she demanded to move seats. A weak stomach is not an excuse, just like a vomitting baby, or a desire to help is no excuse.

***

I'm wondering if maybe the baby was motion sick. I ALWAYS throw up when airplanes are taxiing. never in the air, only when we're going down the runway, either before takeoff or landing. I'm queasy the whole flight, but I only vomit when we taxi. Unfortunately, that is also when  can't run to the rest room. Thank goodness for airsickness bags.

Good. Point.

Personally, I only know that should someone vomit near to me, not only would I be vomiting too, I would probably not have asked to be moved as I would have allready either climbed OVER the seat in front of me to get away or sunk into a hyperventilating mass in the corner. But then again, I actually am phobic about vomit, not merely weak stomached, so I am not much of an example.

[ZipTheWonder]

Personally, I only know that should someone vomit near to me, not only would I be vomiting too, I would probably not have asked to be moved as I would have allready either climbed OVER the seat in front of me to get away or sunk into a hyperventilating mass in the corner.

I think you've just answered your own question.   ("Why would it have killed this woman to have been pukey until after takeoff when someone could have helped her without risking the takeoff?")

[MsEva]

But, couldn't the FA have even handed the poor woman some paper towels, or better yet, an extra shirt? 

I agree that the paper towels probably could have been given, but just where would this extra shirt come from?

[Cyndi]

What if this mother were trying to escape Godzilla who was nipping at her heels the whole time she was rushing to the airport because the child had an alien creature lodged in it and she was trying to get to the only hospital in the world who could get the necessary supplies from outer space to heal the baby?

Thanks, I'm cleaning up cookie crumbs and milk off my monitor now.


I think if I ever had to fly sick with a cough, I'd wear a surgeon's mask or one of those masks I see people wear when working in dusty places. Barring that, a hanky wrapped in plastic to cough in.

I feel so bad for that mom. I think the FA's were mean to yell at her instead of just politely saying they'd offer some assistance when it was safe to fly.

Oh and I'm also one of those people that ends up needing to pee at the worst times. It's embarrassing and even though I have an iron bladder I can be very uncomfortable.

[ehartsay]

Personally, I only know that should someone vomit near to me, not only would I be vomiting too, I would probably not have asked to be moved as I would have allready either climbed OVER the seat in front of me to get away or sunk into a hyperventilating mass in the corner.

I think you've just answered your own question.   ("Why would it have killed this woman to have been pukey until after takeoff when someone could have helped her without risking the takeoff?")

Perhaps, but even if it had been ME next to her going white and doing that scary breathing thing that I do when I am trying not to puke, I think that we would have both survived until we got airborne. That or my airsick bag would have been used by me. But I would probably have survived even that 

[ehartsay]

As for the argument for not being able to depend on the kindness of strangers, I disagree.  I count on the kindness of strangers when needed and/or in an emergency - I do not DEPEND on it.  I try to be prepared and hope that my fellow humans can lend a hand if I really need it.  But to expect everyone around you to compensate for everything you may need - not reasonable.  A subtle difference I know, but a difference all the same.  If the mother (or anyone) overburdens herself to the point that she cannot function getting on and off a plane with a child with the thought the rest of the world will jump in, that's awfully presumptuous and a little entitled.  That includes adults without kids, not just folks with children. 

That was the point I was trying to make in my post. I have helped people without them asking for my help first if I saw that they needed help, and I have helped people who have asked politely. Usually, it's been senior citizens who politely say, "Excuse me - could you give me a hand with this?"

But I am not going to help someone who whines about how haaaard it is to travel with children, or rudely says, "I'm a mother! Will you PLEASE help me!"

I've had it with the better-than-you, entitled attitude I have received from parents, and others, who are poorly prepared and expect others to automatically bend over backwards to help them, so I ignore them.
 

Speaking of entitlement, funny story from someone on another board:

I got into the 1st class line to check-in and was taken immediately.

That is, until the ***** .... made a fuss. "Excuse me, lady," Mom says loudly, "we were next. You need to get into line like everybody else." I smiled, looked at her with contempt, and pointed to the 1st class passengers's line.

"This is my line, " I told ***and showed her my ticket stamped with FIRST CLASS. " and because I have a first class ticket, I'm next."


*** sputtered, "But we have a CHILD!"

[freakyfemme]

But, couldn't the FA have even handed the poor woman some paper towels, or better yet, an extra shirt? 

I agree that the paper towels probably could have been given, but just where would this extra shirt come from?

Don't airlines keep generic "one-size-fits-all" promotional "Blahblah Airlines" T-shirts on hand, for situations like this one?

[ehartsay]

But, couldn't the FA have even handed the poor woman some paper towels, or better yet, an extra shirt? 

I agree that the paper towels probably could have been given, but just where would this extra shirt come from?

Don't airlines keep generic "one-size-fits-all" promotional "Blahblah Airlines" T-shirts on hand, for situations like this one?

Wow, live and learn! I had no idea about this!

[freakyfemme]

But, couldn't the FA have even handed the poor woman some paper towels, or better yet, an extra shirt? 

I agree that the paper towels probably could have been given, but just where would this extra shirt come from?

Don't airlines keep generic "one-size-fits-all" promotional "Blahblah Airlines" T-shirts on hand, for situations like this one?

Wow, live and learn! I had no idea about this!

I didn't know for sure, I just assumed they would, I mean, wouldn't some people want to buy them anyway, as souvenirs and whatnot?  And besides, haven't there been enough vomiting incidents where it'd make sense to do it?  It'd be good advertising, anyway.  Someone could ask, "Hey, where'd you get that cool Blahblah Airlines T-shirt?"; and then the woman could have replied, "Well, the nice flight attendants gave it to me when my son threw up all over me on the airplane."  Then, the first person would be more inclined to fly Blahblah Airlines.  Now, imagine if three different people saw the woman wearing the T-shirt in one day, and she told the anecdote to all of them, and they each went home and told their families?

[ehartsay]

But, couldn't the FA have even handed the poor woman some paper towels, or better yet, an extra shirt? 

I agree that the paper towels probably could have been given, but just where would this extra shirt come from?

Don't airlines keep generic "one-size-fits-all" promotional "Blahblah Airlines" T-shirts on hand, for situations like this one?

Wow, live and learn! I had no idea about this!

I didn't know for sure, I just assumed they would, I mean, wouldn't some people want to buy them anyway, as souvenirs and whatnot?  And besides, haven't there been enough vomiting incidents where it'd make sense to do it?  It'd be good advertising, anyway.  Someone could ask, "Hey, where'd you get that cool Blahblah Airlines T-shirt?"; and then the woman could have replied, "Well, the nice flight attendants gave it to me when my son threw up all over me on the airplane."  Then, the first person would be more inclined to fly Blahblah Airlines.  Now, imagine if three different people saw the woman wearing the T-shirt in one day, and she told the anecdote to all of them, and they each went home and told their families?

Especially if they were, you know, NICE shirts. Maybe they could sell them in flight - make it a little thing of various styles of shirts and matching totes, and little scarves and toy airplanes and and and...
Ooops... just had a capatalist moneymaker moment...

[ehartsay]

But what about the poor mothers fellow passenger? She stood up and wouldn't sit with them, offering no help and treating them like a leper, I bet that took quite a bit of time and wasn't the mother's fault. Why has nobody addressed her causing the situation to be worse? She sounds like the worst of them all.

Why? How did she cause the situation to be worse because she did not want to be next to a potential puke fountain? I would have done the same thing - I would DEFINATELY asked if I could be moved. It is in NO WAY her job to expose herself to the mess, the wet, the smell, the puke or the germs. I would probably have thrown up myself if I had been in THE ROW NEXT TO THEM, let alone the seat next to them.

I think the point was everyone was talking about how much of a hazard it was for the mother to be standing while the plane is taxiing, and even saying that the OP madeit worse by standing while taxiing in order to offer help when the FAs (who ARE allowed to stand while taxiing) did nothing. Yet everyone is jumping to the defense of the passenger who jumped up and demanded to be moved - WHILE TAXIING. She was not only creating the same hazzard as the others who are being chastised in this thread, but she was making it worse, as it not only takes time to relocate someone to a new seat on an airplane, but I'm sure the vomit-covered mother was delayed in getting settled while waiting for this woman to gather her things and move.

No one is saying she shouldn't have asked to be moved, I think they are saying that she, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS THREAD, should have waited until the flight was airborne and it was safe to stand again before she demanded to move seats. A weak stomach is not an excuse, just like a vomitting baby, or a desire to help is no excuse.

***

I'm wondering if maybe the baby was motion sick. I ALWAYS throw up when airplanes are taxiing. never in the air, only when we're going down the runway, either before takeoff or landing. I'm queasy the whole flight, but I only vomit when we taxi. Unfortunately, that is also when  can't run to the rest room. Thank goodness for airsickness bags.

Good. Point.

Personally, I only know that should someone vomit near to me, not only would I be vomiting too, I would probably not have asked to be moved as I would have allready either climbed OVER the seat in front of me to get away or sunk into a hyperventilating mass in the corner. But then again, I actually am phobic about vomit, not merely weak stomached, so I am not much of an example.

Although, I might add, that from my preading that first post seemed to imply that the neighboring woman was being rude TO the mother and puker, not so much that she was to the rest of the flight.

[Samantha]

I don't believe the 'baby was okay until just before the flight' -- I'll bet the kid was sick and feverish and Mom didn't want the inconvenience of changing her plans -- and now a bunch of people will have stomach flu as well as the misery of having been stuck next to a vomiting child for a flight -- I see people with sick kids on airplanes all the time -- they don't care if they infect everyone else as long as their schedule isn't disrupted

I actually do believe that the baby was okay until just before the flight. I'm one of those people that while I love to travel and fly, I HAVE to travel with a bottle (or box) of pepto with me (if it is going to be a long trip). My stomach gets all sorts of tied up around 30 minutes before take off/departure. It isn't that I'm sick... it's that I get THAT nervous about travel, especially because it throws off my regular routine.

I've been the same way since I was small.

[spaceheatersusan]

Then I mentioned with a smile My Dad knows all the news guys, he plays golf with big consumer advocate (of white hair and colored glasses). She gulped and let me move to the kids.

I'm sorry, while the FA was extremely rude to you, I also have to say that I hate when people use ridiculous threats like that to get their way.  It's the same thing as when customer service at Walmart won't let a customer return an item or something and they shout "I'M CALLING MY LAWYER".  I find those threats of "I know so-and-so and I'm going to get you in trooouble" very childish and 99% of the time they're complete BS and everybody knows it.

[Tabris]

Then I mentioned with a smile My Dad knows all the news guys, he plays golf with big consumer advocate (of white hair and colored glasses). She gulped and let me move to the kids.

I'm sorry, while the FA was extremely rude to you, I also have to say that I hate when people use ridiculous threats like that to get their way.  It's the same thing as when customer service at Walmart won't let a customer return an item or something and they shout "I'M CALLING MY LAWYER".  I find those threats of "I know so-and-so and I'm going to get you in trooouble" very childish and 99% of the time they're complete BS and everybody knows it.

I just want to clarify that I was not the person who said my dad played golf with anyone, since my dad does not play golf and I really have no recourse to anyone more important than myself.

[MadMadge43]

thank you fklwmn, that was entirely my point. The mother is being blamed for taking extra time when the passenger is probably what made her late.