Booted Baby from plane story - part 2

[Kathryn41 3,205]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwi...ooted_0712.html

Booted Buford baby's TV appearance cut short

By JENNIFER BRETT, CRAIG SCHNEIDER

Published on: 07/13/07

Here's the latest in the tale of the youngster booted off an airplane after reportedly irritating a flight attendant: little Garron Penland told his side of the story on national television Friday morning.

Sort of.

Garron, as cute and precocious as 19-month-olds come, accompanied his mom, Kate Penland of Buford, on Diane Sawyer's couch. The veteran journalist had clearly prepared for her young guest, tossing balls and handing him a toy airplane at one point.

But a toddler on live television? Moms and dads, you know what happened.

Garron squirmed and bucked in his mothers arms as Sawyer tried to ask about the ordeal, in which a flight attendant ordered Penland and Garron off a plane when the child repeated, "Bye-bye, plane."

"Do you want to throw the ball, Garron?" Sawyer asked at the beginning of the interview. He was placated for a few moments, then got adventurous.

"Garron, I don't want you to put that in your eye," Sawyer said, smoothly retrieving her pen from his inquisitive little hands.

"When we first boarded, he was a little fussy, kind of like this," Penland said, as her son began climbing on the table.

Shortly thereafter, Garron's television appearance was aborted, much like his plane ride. He was scooped up and taken off the set so his mom could continue chatting with Sawyer.

"He just didn't want to sit still," his mother said afterward. "He wasn't quite that adventurous on the plane."

Despite Garron's on-camera mischievousness, his mother said everything had gone smoothly backstage, especially when Sawyer came over to visit the boy.

Sawyer asked him if he wanted to go see a frog, and Garron reached out his arms to her, his mother recalled. Sawyer then carried the boy through the hallway to her office, where she gave him a little stuffed frog that, when you squeeze it, makes a kissing sound. She let him keep it.

Mom said Garron had to get up at 5 a.m., three hours early, and by the time he got on the set was ready for his nap.

Sawyer said she understood that the under-2 set might struggle with the demands of live TV.

"He's just adorable," Sawyer said. "But we got into the studio with those lights, and it's just so hot. And he'd been awakened three hours early. I know how toddlers are. I have a granddaughter and a 2-year-old niece I babysit."

Kate Penland and her son were taking off from Houston last month, on their way to Oklahoma City.

As they taxied to the runway, Garron repeated, "Bye-bye, plane" to a plane on the tarmac while the flight attendant was giving safety instructions. After she was finished, Penland said the flight attendant told her, "It's not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up," and even suggested baby Benadryl.

Penland objected, and says other passengers spoke up for her. Some were interviewed on "Good Morning America," backing up her version of what happened.

The flight attendant, Penland said "put her hand on her hip and said, 'This is my plane. I don't want to hear it.' ''

Soon after, she added, the flight attendant informed the passengers that the plane was turning around and told the mother and child, "You're getting off the plane."

Penland said, "She obviously does not have children."

ExpressJet says it will look into the matter, but Penland and her husband are considering a lawsuit.

"There definitely needs to be more empathy for the families with small children on a plane," Penland said.

— Staff writer Jeff D'Alessio contributed to this article.

[trueimage 0]

Sounds to me like the child was being a normal toddler. I'm interested in what the other passengers had to say though. That could make or break the case.

[Aymerlu 3]

Sounds to me like the child was being a normal toddler. I'm interested in what the other passengers had to say though. That could make or break the case.

I totally agree. I know there are times when I have been on a plane or in a restarant and a small child will misbehave. That's just a child for you, in fact I really don't think a thing about it. This flight attendant really needs to get a life. I'd be interested to see if she even has children of her own. What goes around comes around.

[trueimage 0]

Actually, maybe that's the problem. I mean, maybe she has some personal problems. Maybe she just had a miscarriage or found out she is infertile and is grieving or maybe because her job has her gone all the time, she doesn't have time to have a child. Who knows. It's not an excuse, but could be a fact. Still, we haven't heard anything from anyone except for the mother. There could be more to the story.

[Twomoles 8]

Actually, either it was really something terrible what this child did, or flight attendant had organized everything in the her way using her power telling pilot stories. Because if I were passenger there, and for it wouldn't be so long flight or I would have to catch another plane, I would be very very very angry for delay about so ridiculous reason.

[Mary Lou 681]

I think the flight attendant abused her power and was a right b!tch!!

[Niels Bohr 72]

Americans! Geezes. No wonder there are alot of average people running around cities instead intelligent ones.

My explaination:

Coming from the flight attendant side - She rides the plane everyday, probably superstitious especially with the words of " Bye, bye plane " from a toddler. Some people believe that toddlers may hold some power to predict the future. Obviously, average Americans (not intelligent Americans, which there are a few) don't think like this. The think in a spontaneous reaction to an event instead of carefully analyzing both sides.

Coming from the Mother - She don't ride on planes daily with her children. She probably isn't aware of the silent rules of not causing havoc on the plane. A toddler is uncontrollable, however, as with many of the foreign children, they tend to speak another language. She is obviously a very outspoken women for confronting the flight attendant. She should've stayed put and listen. The point is not about bitching, refusal (unless if it's sexual harrassment or harrassment in general) to follow suggestions, but it is about making other feel secure. She only knows about herself. I know many adults would not panic from the toddler comments, and I know many who would panic also. So, think from both sides. Obviously, panic is what will make the plane taxi back to the gate.

[Mary Lou 681]

Americans! Geezes. No wonder there are alot of average people running around cities instead intelligent ones.

My explaination:

Coming from the flight attendant side - She rides the plane everyday, probably superstitious especially with the words of " Bye, bye plane " from a toddler. Some people believe that toddlers may hold some power to predict the future. Obviously, average Americans (not intelligent Americans, which there are a few) don't think like this. The think in a spontaneous reaction to an event instead of carefully analyzing both sides.

Coming from the Mother - She don't ride on planes daily with her children. She probably isn't aware of the silent rules of not causing havoc on the plane. A toddler is uncontrollable, however, as with many of the foreign children, they tend to speak another language. She is obviously a very outspoken women for confronting the flight attendant. She should've stayed put and listen. The point is not about bitching, refusal (unless if it's sexual harrassment or harrassment in general) to follow suggestions, but it is about making other feel secure. She only knows about herself. I know many adults would not panic from the toddler comments, and I know many who would panic also. So, think from both sides. Obviously, panic is what will make the plane taxi back to the gate.

FFS the baby who at that age, is learning words said bye, bye plane.......i dont see how that caused havoc.

[Fandango 1,439]

Consolemaster, I think that's a stretch

As I said in the other thread...I'mma wait to hear more from the airlines because I can't see how there's not more to this story. Simple 'bye bye plane'...and no other passengers say or do anything while this woman is removed? Come on now...there must be more to it than that!

[eric&gen 0]

I like to see how that flight attendant is going to raise her kids i bet she will be one real mean azz ####### lol.

[homesick_american 1]

Actually, maybe that's the problem. I mean, maybe she has some personal problems. Maybe she just had a miscarriage or found out she is infertile and is grieving or maybe because her job has her gone all the time, she doesn't have time to have a child. Who knows. It's not an excuse, but could be a fact. Still, we haven't heard anything from anyone except for the mother. There could be more to the story.

Why does it have to be envy? Maybe she was just sick of putting up with other peoples' brats; and let's be honest, most people treat FAs like babysitters. Some of them even hand children to FAs so they can change them FOR them.

It also could be that she simply doesn't like children.

[kittykatwoman 0]

Consolemaster, I think that's a stretch

As I said in the other thread...I'mma wait to hear more from the airlines because I can't see how there's not more to this story. Simple 'bye bye plane'...and no other passengers say or do anything while this woman is removed? Come on now...there must be more to it than that!

Just like you I think there is more than that.

And please, Vismaster, don't assume that women who can't have kids are frustrated, mean freaks that need to take it on other people's kids and mother, I know a lot of sterile people that think it's a blessing...

[slim 1,525]

This is what happens when "time out" doesn't work.

Consolemaster.... good post!

You guys are forgetting about the laws of the FAA and what a flight attendant's other job is; safety of all on the plane. The way the child acted on the TV set clearly illustrates the level of control the mother has on his behavior, and behavior such as that is not acceptable on a plane.

Could the flight attendant have handled the situation a little better? Maybe. But, did she do the right thing? I believe so.

If something were to happen on that flight, and lives were lost because a toddler was "acting like a toddler" the flight attendant also would be to blame. Federal regulations require passengers to comply with all instructions from crew members. Most people think of a flight attendant as a b!tchy lady (or gay dude) that's only purpose is to get them more peanuts and hassle them about putting their seatbelts on when in reality, it's the flight attendants that keep the plane safe when something goes wrong. Maintaining order inside the cabin is the first step in minimizing passenger mishaps.

[Scott & Lai 12]

This is what happens when "time out" doesn't work.

Consolemaster.... good post!

You guys are forgetting about the laws of the FAA and what a flight attendant's other job is; safety of all on the plane. The way the child acted on the TV set clearly illustrates the level of control the mother has on his behavior, and behavior such as that is not acceptable on a plane.

Could the flight attendant have handled the situation a little better? Maybe. But, did she do the right thing? I believe so.

If something were to happen on that flight, and lives were lost because a toddler was "acting like a toddler" the flight attendant also would be to blame. Federal regulations require passengers to comply with all instructions from crew members. Most people think of a flight attendant as a b!tchy lady (or gay dude) that's only purpose is to get them more peanuts and hassle them about putting their seatbelts on when in reality, it's the flight attendants that keep the plane safe when something goes wrong. Maintaining order inside the cabin is the first step in minimizing passenger mishaps.

[Fuzzness 2]

There was no excuse for removing the lady and her child. If I were a passenger I'd have asked for a refund or a different flight. I would not want to fly with a FA like that. If a FA behaves this way when there is no danger or risk to anyone, I'd hate to see her behaviour if there was an emergency.