That said, if I were the parents I probably would have put her into the car seat regardless of the struggle and let her cry (which would have humiliated me, but whatever. I can’t schedule my entire traveling life around everyone ELSE’s convenience, however much I actually want to and will do that when possible). And math problems aside, 15 minutes to wait on an airplane is nothing…half the time I travel I get to wait half an hour or 45 minutes while the “toilet” is fixed! Please.

Learn to fly your own plane or charter a private jet if you want to avoid the “dregs” of society (IOW, parents with children and paraphernalia). Otherwise, we’ve paid for our tickets just like you have. I don’t blame the airlines for taking them off the plane–if the parents were unable to strap her in in a timely fashion that’s the airlines’ prerogative. I probably wouldn’t have reimbursed them or given them free tickets (letting them try another flight I don’t have issue with; they pay by having to wait for available space.)

However, all of the snide comments about how they should have spanked her or that they were bad parents or that she was merely a spoiled brat or the “how dare a small child cry and how dare the parents not duct tape the child’s mouth shut for our personal comfort” are just plain silly. Amazingly, even children who are regularly spanked act up. Some kids who are never spanked hardly act up at all.

I would NEVER spank my child in public. You same people sitting on your high horses judging a situation you weren’t even actually attending who say the parents don’t believe in spanking or that OBVIOUSLY this was just a spoiled brat who needs a firm hand…you are the same people who would turn a parent in for spanking. I trust no one these days. I do my utmost to think of others going into situations like this, and MOST important…I try to instill discipline and respect from my child at home so I don’t need to spank in public. And STILL I’ve had good flights and bad flights with my kid. The ones I thought would be a nightmare weren’t and the ones I thought would be easy…also weren’t.

No matter what…kids and animals are unpredictable. Hovering self-righteous vultures. Good grief. Maybe they ought to have adult-only flights and family-friendly flights so everyone knows what to expect (as if we don’t right now.) Bunch of pansy whiners. And I’ve had MORE than my share of childless flights with some munchkin kicking the back of my seat, but whatever. I flew from South Korea to Seattle with a Chinese couple and their tiny infant in the seats RIGHT NEXT TO ME (I sat next to the window the whole time with the bassinet above my knees, and the parents where on edge the whole time TERRIFIED that their baby would disturb me. She didn’t, even when she fussed. She was a kid and the parents did their best.)

Get over yourselves. The parents got what they deserved (too much), and life goes on. I, too, can’t believe this is news. Sheesh.

The rest is her wild speculation. But most readers would understand that. To wit: this child may never have done this before, therefore surprised ‘unOJTed’ parents, or her ENT Dr. didn’t clear her to fly 4-5 weeks after surgery, or lots of other things to guess at.

Doesn’t seem to be crew/airline/other passenger’s fault though.

We assign Syndromes like Mr. Dougherty is suggesting to remove the responsibility of good parenting.

My many great wishes to Air Trans, they should be placed on a pedestal high in the air for all to see. They have done a great service to the customers on that plane, and have set a standard that all other airlines and common carriers should follow.

This was simply a spoiled brat with absolutely no parental control.

This is not a discipline problem that parents can control. Dr. Manny and Nanny911 should be ashamed for not seeing this problem. It is way beyond ADHD!

You, Richard Miniter also should be ashamed for passing judgment on medical matters of which you have no clue. If this girl is given OT care early, she can possibly live a normal life. Can you get this message to her parents? Our prisons are full of people with this problem but the word is not out there, even child shrinks don’t know about it. Richard, do some good for children and this world and read “The Out of Sync Child” Thanks and please help these children.

I feel sorry for the crew members that made the decision….their employer has probably crucified them and given them time off….if not outright fired them.

I am the grandmother of a beautiful 4-year-old autistic who occasionally displays the same behavior and one never knows when it will strike.

(signed)Former airline crew member.

These airline passenger dustups are fairly rare. I directly encountered about a 1/2 dozen in 25 years.
Note that the AP is the original source (so you will spot what’s wrong with the AP headline. Hint: 3 things).
‘Only :15 delay’??? Lessee, that would be :15 x 112 passengers = 1680 = 28 hours total off the other passengers lives (and the parents wanted more). I thought the airline was being over-generous, probably due PR reasoning. Bet they’re relieved that the parents won’t ever fly them again. So are the Flight Attendants.

Let’s try this headline: “Parents Kicked off Airplane During Child’s Tantrum”. (1) “Girl” is superfluous. (2) The Parents were kicked off, the child also – being ‘understood’. (3) “During”, not “After” the tantrum.