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The Strife of Riley
Apr. 20th, 2009 06:30 amThe flight to DC yesterday was a horrid experience, at least for the first half of the trip. Strangely enough, the kid didn't look like trouble. I'd seen him in the gate and seemed like a happy little blond boy, about three years old, with older parents in their 30's. Then we boarded...
I knew it was going to be troublesome when the little boy and his mother were seated behind me. Before we had even left the terminal, he began to whine. He didn't want to wear the seat belt. When his mother basically tried to shush him and tell him that he had to wear the belt, he began to cry... loudly...
The flight attendants had tried to make their announcement, but the competition with this small bundle of pure irritation was clearly in his favor. The only part I managed to hear was the bit about not allowing electronic devices. So no headphones that could have blocked him out.
"I WANT DADDY! I WANT DADDY!"
Apparently the little boy, whose name I found out was "Riley" because I heard dear ol' mom bellow it repeatedly, had figured out that Mommy wasn't going to let him do what he wanted, so he wanted his dad. So Mom and Dad switched places.
Dad then tried to get Damien.. I mean, Riley... to buckle up.
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" shrieked the walking ad for birth control.
At this point, Riley realized that swapping parents was not going to give him what he wanted, so he decided to switch parents again:
"I WANT MOMMY! I WANT MOMMY! NO I DON'T WANT TO WEAR THAT!"
A couple of women decided to swap seats with the the dad so all three could sit together. Thank heavens for that, it means that the Spawn of Satan would be farther away from me.
Flanked on both sides by both his Mom and Dad, Riley decided that he obviously hadn't made his position clear, so he began squalling again:
"NONONONONONONO! I DON'T WANT TO WEAR IT! NONONONONONONONO!"
While I realize his age should be taken into account, this is a child who speaks in full sentences. Neither parent seemed to be in control of their child. In fact, if anyone was in control, it was clear to me that it was Riley! The flight attendant came over and told Riley's parents that he had to be buckled in before the plane could take off.
Finally, Riley was strapped in and we could move.
"DADDY! NOOOOO! MOMMY! NOOOOO!"
After about 10 more minute of this, he finally shut up!
Even more disturbing were the two guys sitting next to me. Both of them made comments to me that "if that were my kid, he'd have been quiet by now..." One of them said this in the "I'd have taken off my belt and he'd have been quiet then... ummm hmmmm" tone which unnerved me.
I'm not ripping on kids. In fact, when I went to the restroom on the plane, I saw two kids the same age as Riley and both seemed to be behaving just fine. No crying or anything... I know that kids that age are difficult, but it seems to me that Riley's folks were doing very little in this situation to correct him. In fact, they seemed to be doing anything he wanted.
I'm almost in favor for adults only flights... or at least complementary sound reduction headphones.
I knew it was going to be troublesome when the little boy and his mother were seated behind me. Before we had even left the terminal, he began to whine. He didn't want to wear the seat belt. When his mother basically tried to shush him and tell him that he had to wear the belt, he began to cry... loudly...
The flight attendants had tried to make their announcement, but the competition with this small bundle of pure irritation was clearly in his favor. The only part I managed to hear was the bit about not allowing electronic devices. So no headphones that could have blocked him out.
"I WANT DADDY! I WANT DADDY!"
Apparently the little boy, whose name I found out was "Riley" because I heard dear ol' mom bellow it repeatedly, had figured out that Mommy wasn't going to let him do what he wanted, so he wanted his dad. So Mom and Dad switched places.
Dad then tried to get Damien.. I mean, Riley... to buckle up.
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" shrieked the walking ad for birth control.
At this point, Riley realized that swapping parents was not going to give him what he wanted, so he decided to switch parents again:
"I WANT MOMMY! I WANT MOMMY! NO I DON'T WANT TO WEAR THAT!"
A couple of women decided to swap seats with the the dad so all three could sit together. Thank heavens for that, it means that the Spawn of Satan would be farther away from me.
Flanked on both sides by both his Mom and Dad, Riley decided that he obviously hadn't made his position clear, so he began squalling again:
"NONONONONONONO! I DON'T WANT TO WEAR IT! NONONONONONONONO!"
While I realize his age should be taken into account, this is a child who speaks in full sentences. Neither parent seemed to be in control of their child. In fact, if anyone was in control, it was clear to me that it was Riley! The flight attendant came over and told Riley's parents that he had to be buckled in before the plane could take off.
Finally, Riley was strapped in and we could move.
"DADDY! NOOOOO! MOMMY! NOOOOO!"
After about 10 more minute of this, he finally shut up!
Even more disturbing were the two guys sitting next to me. Both of them made comments to me that "if that were my kid, he'd have been quiet by now..." One of them said this in the "I'd have taken off my belt and he'd have been quiet then... ummm hmmmm" tone which unnerved me.
I'm not ripping on kids. In fact, when I went to the restroom on the plane, I saw two kids the same age as Riley and both seemed to be behaving just fine. No crying or anything... I know that kids that age are difficult, but it seems to me that Riley's folks were doing very little in this situation to correct him. In fact, they seemed to be doing anything he wanted.
I'm almost in favor for adults only flights... or at least complementary sound reduction headphones.
