I had started this thread, too, Loth. I deleted it, didn't see yours.
You know what this makes me think of? How sympathetic we are to our kids anymore. I mean, this woman really thought the airline should set aside time for her to calm her daughter down. Are you kidding me?
Kids are not taught consequences anymore. I was just thinking about Alan's post in General (not to slam your post, Alan, or even say anything bad about it, just referencing it). We're more worried about how our child's anxiety is going to upset him/her. We're more worried about hurting feelings, being buddies, not hurting self esteem.
Funny, I don't remember ever reading about anything like this when I was a kid. Know why? Because if I would have embarassed either of my parents like that, my mother would have whacked me with a wooden spoon or my dad with a switch.
And I never, ever woulda thought about doing it again.
If that was me and Dylan and they asked me off that plane, I woulda taken him off the plane instantly. And know what? He woulda come home with no privelages for a very long time, written apology notes and everything else.
And the dad says he'll never travel that airline again LOL! Good, I'll make sure that's the one I get on. Geez - like he has the right to be angry? The kid was UNDER THE SEATS, SMACKING THE MOM?????????? WHOA! Hello, this is not okay, difficult child or not. So someone tell me what consequence this kid suffered for doing what she did? Wanna know? I'm a psychic. NONE. Parents probably "poor baby"'ed her to death - how dare the airline - she has anxiety, blah blah blah, and that is how this kid is gonna grow up. Terrible. Pathetic. Just awful.
In all honesty, (as SO is behind me telling me he'd have spanked her and spanked her LOL), if this was 1971, I woulda spanked the life out of the boy. But nope, can't do that nowadays.
Not everyone is going to tolerate the feelings of the child. And obviously, nobody on the plane thought they should have to. And good for them.