What would you do if you were in this situation?
The parents of a toddler are being ridiculed online after videos surfaced of their child disrupting several rows of passengers on a long-haul flight from Germany to the US.
The short clip, which was posted to Reddit, shows the child standing on top of a tray table, pulling and pushing the chair in front of them, and crying and screaming at the top of their lungs.
In the clip, which was captured by a traveller sat in the row across from the out-of-control infant, she can be seen jumping up and down on the table attached to the chair in front of her.
Other passengers on the flight described how the child was left to ‘run wild’ throughout the whole duration of the 8-hour journey, and that in several occasions when her parents tried to stop her, she shouted in their face and continued causing a fuss.
As a result, the chair belonging to the man in front of the toddler starts to shake while the table looks as though it might break under her weight.
Despite the man’s attempts to ignore her, the child causes further disruption by placing both her hands on his headrest too.
The clip ends with the little girl turning around to face a woman who appears to be her mother, and shouting in her face.
The posting of the video sparked a long thread of responses from people on the public forum, mostly expressing shock that parents would allow their child to behave in such a way towards other people.
Worst journey to ever get on. What would you do if a child did this for most of your 8 hour long flight? #flight #Aviation pic.twitter.com/88G1MNi6VN
— AVIATION SECURITY (@AVSECNG) February 7, 2024
One user simply stated: “I would feel like a failed parent if my kids were doing this and I was just straight up allowing it.”
Another wrote: “I’m pretty non-confrontational but even I would stand up and say something.”
One critic made the point that ‘child-free sections’ should be implemented on planes.
According to Shane Townley who spoke to The Mirror about his experience, another passenger on the unfortunate flight, the child’s tantrum began when the plane’s Wifi didn’t work on her parent’s iPad.
Apparently it was this inability to watch Peppe Pig that sparked the lengthy outburst.
Another parent on Reddit wrote about how they manage to control their own kids in public places: “I have two young kids. And they know how to behave in public. And if they don’t know how to act in a certain situation, they will very quickly.
“My wife and I always addressed their public behavior when it affected other people,” he added. “It might be harder in the moment, but my kids are now 9 and 7 and they behave like they should in public. I hate parents who provide no structure for their kids who then become other people’s problem.”
Another wrote: “I would NEVER allow one of my kids to disrupt someone this way. Talking a little loud is one thing. Having your toddler jumping on plane seats while holding onto another person’s (strangers) chair is completely WRONG.
“I hope that man was reimbursed in some way. The parents probably saw nothing wrong with this. UNACCEPTABLE!!!”
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