listen, I respect your choice to spawn. more power to you you baby factories you.
but why must you inflict them on the rest of us? long trips on public transport (train plane or automobile I don’t care) are not the places to teach your kids manners or allow them to run amok!
a recent journey went like this:
while squeezed into my econo-class seat, I had my book, my ipod, life was good. I was settled in for a nice long trip. might get some shut eye. but wait, what’s this? your precious bundle careening up and down the isle, giggling in joy and squeeling in annoying extasy!
no. I am not delighted by the carefree sound of a child’s laughter when on a red eye. nor do I find it pleasant to be slapped by said child’s sticky paws (why are kids always so sticky???) as they play up and down in other people’s space. listen: I paid for my tiny little square of space goddamn it, and that includes the little bubble of soundless air and smell with it!
and don’t be glaring at me when someone asks me what that smell is and I point towards your tot. or smiling and saying ‘what can you do? he’s bored’ when he hits me ONCE AGAIN on his way chasing up and down the aisles. you can do something you stupid woman. like wait till he’s not an annoying monkey before taking him out in public or strap him to the seat!
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2008.
I can totally sympathize! On a recent flight back from Alberta, 5 hrs, I had a tiny tot kicking the back of my seat the ENTIRE time. There are three seats, and my bf and I only occupied 2 of them, but they still let the kid sit right behind me. At the end of the flight once they could visibly see my annoyance, asked, I hope he didn’t kick your seat too much. WTF?? Some people’s children….
It sucks but things won’t change. Some people have children and don’t really know how to raise them. Some people try too hard and screw it up. Plus every kid is different. And some people just shouldn’t have kids.