Infantilizing
in the early morning on Monday, the 26th of November 2007 by Chad
Parents: Our pour little babies have to fly by themselves.
(AP) — Susan Cole wanted to fly her 12-year-old son Danny from their Maryland home to Houston so he could catch a football game with his dad, who was there on a business trip.
Susan Cole and her 12-year-old son Danny work on the family computer at their Mt. Airy, Maryland home.
Danny had only flown once or twice, and never alone. So Susan, plenty nervous herself, last month took Danny to Baltimore-Washington International Airport three hours early and accompanied him to the gate.
“I assumed Southwest would let him on early, before the herd of passengers gets on, because I’m not even sure he’s tall enough to reach the overhead luggage,” Cole said.
Cole said a succession of Southwest employees not only refused to let Danny board early, but wouldn’t promise to help him meet up with his father.
A Southwest executive says the employees were just following company policy.
Southwest escorts children 5 through 11 who are traveling alone, but “once you hit 12, you’re considered a youth and not an unaccompanied minor,” said Teresa Laraba, the airline’s vice president for ground operations.
I’ve flown while under 18 by myself. It was going to basic training. Thank god my parents weren’t like this woman who would have asked the airline staff to sit next to me and make sure I had my bottle.
We’re going through the process of adopting a kid out of foster care. I wonder if this woman realizes that at age 12 a kid in that situation has the legal right to approve of any arrangements? That they can veto what foster parents or potential adoptive parents they get? 12 year olds have the responsibility to make a decision this huge.
But the super-mom in the story won’t let her little one board by himself. And of course I’m sure the son is now being rightfully harassed by everyone in school for being a momma’s boy. Yeah, you worry about a kid that age. But you let them start making their own way in the world too.
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November 26th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I hear ya. While I’m a pretty protective parent myself I don’t outsource my responsibilities/paranoia to others. If she’s so worried, she should have flown with him or have her dead-beat ex pick him up.
And a hearty congratulations on adopting a foster child. It amazes me how homeless pets have rescue and adoption agencies that are more effective than our foster care and adoption system.
Maybe we should outsource that. The Chinese seem to have it down to a science…
November 28th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Since when did the airlines suddenly take on child care as an additional responsibility? If you want to make certain that your child is watched on the trip, then take the bloody trip yourself. I’m sorry, if the airline can lose your luggage, even when you are on the plane, what could it do with your child?
I want airlines to do what they should do - maintain the plane, fly the plane, kick off evil terrorists who want to go out in a blaze of glory… Watch your own kid.