30 People hurt in Turbulence--- One Critically

[robinb]

Statistics don't help the critically injured person do they?

No one was critically injured.

 

[goofy4tink]

You know....as soon as I saw the news about this, I just knew this was going to crop up here. And my first response when I saw the news??? "Yep, keep on flying with babies in your laps people."

No, it doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen more often than most of you would like to admit. And for me, that's just not a chance I'm taking. We always remain belted...don't much care about what the sign says. That pretty much just means that I'm free to move about the cabin. But, again...that's my take.

I'm pretty sure that airlines know exactly what they are doing. Is there some kind of waiver that parents have to sign if they fly with a lap baby??? Just curious. If there isn't, there should be. Perhaps the airlines feel that families won't fly if they have to buy that one addtl seat, so allow babies to be seated on laps. But, to me, that's putting a price tag on your child's head. Again.....just my opinion. If I couldn't afford to buy a seat for everyone, we didn't fly. Or, I found a way to cut back costs someplace else on that trip so as to be able to buy a seat for my child.

Please, I ask that there be no nastiness or sarcasm here. If there is, the thread will be locked. There is always something to be said for a healthy discussion but not if it gets personal and/or nasty.

 

[bdoyledimou]

Part of the pre-trip "instructions" is that while sitting in your seat, you should remain belted for the safety of yourself and others.

 

[uva185]

No one was critically injured.

Correct, but the the initial report cited 1 critical injury.

"Authorities initially said one person was critically injured, but Denver medical officials said Wednesday that appeared to be unfounded." Source

 

[robinb]

You know....as soon as I saw the news about this, I just knew this was going to crop up here. And my first response when I saw the news??? "Yep, keep on flying with babies in your laps people."

No, it doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen more often than most of you would like to admit. And for me, that's just not a chance I'm taking. We always remain belted...don't much care about what the sign says. That pretty much just means that I'm free to move about the cabin. But, again...that's my take.

I'm pretty sure that airlines know exactly what they are doing. Is there some kind of waiver that parents have to sign if they fly with a lap baby??? Just curious. If there isn't, there should be. Perhaps the airlines feel that families won't fly if they have to buy that one addtl seat, so allow babies to be seated on laps. But, to me, that's putting a price tag on your child's head. Again.....just my opinion. If I couldn't afford to buy a seat for everyone, we didn't fly. Or, I found a way to cut back costs someplace else on that trip so as to be able to buy a seat for my child.

Please, I ask that there be no nastiness or sarcasm here. If there is, the thread will be locked. There is always something to be said for a healthy discussion but not if it gets personal and/or nasty.

It seems to me that saying that people who have lap babies "put a price on their child's head" is fairly nasty. I understand that you don't want this thread to head south but if that's the case you should practice what you preach.

 

[LilyWDW]

It seems to me that saying that people who have lap babies "put a price on their child's head" is fairly nasty. I understand that you don't want this thread to head south but if that's the case you should practice what you preach.

Well, in a way, they are. The hazards of turbulence is not something new and I bet most people know about it. So, you (general you) are saying that you are willing to risk a non restrained child, even though you know the possible dangers, for X amount of money. However, if you had spent X amount of money, then you would be better protecting your child in the case like this. So, yea... you HAVE put a price before full safety.

 

[robinb]

Well, in a way, they are. The hazards of turbulence is not something new and I bet most people know about it. So, you (general you) are saying that you are willing to risk a non restrained child, even though you know the possible dangers, for X amount of money. However, if you had spent X amount of money, then you would be better protecting your child in the case like this. So, yea... you HAVE put a price before full safety.

There are dangers to children everywhere and it seems that a lot of people live in a "better safe than sorry" world where they feel they need to protect against every little eventuality. See one of the "boys in the ladies room" threads or read how many parents won't let their kids play in the front yard and you will get the idea. I will go back to my assertion that turbulence of this type happens very rarely and statistically very few people are hurt. If you do not want to fly with a lap child that is your prerogative. If someone wants to fly with their baby on their lap that too is their prerogative as it is still legal. But to pick on parents ans say that they put money before their children is nasty and mean-spirited.

 

[maxiesmom]

There are dangers to children everywhere and it seems that a lot of people live in a "better safe than sorry" world where they feel they need to protect against every little eventuality. See one of the "boys in the ladies room" threads or read how many parents won't let their kids play in the front yard and you will get the idea. I will go back to my assertion that turbulence of this type happens very rarely and statistically very few people are hurt. If you do not want to fly with a lap child that is your prerogative. If someone wants to fly with their baby on their lap that too is their prerogative as it is still legal. But to pick on parents ans say that they put money before their children is nasty and mean-spirited.

I'm sure that statistics would show that a lot of safety measures parents use for their child are unnecessary. Seat belts, bike helmets, pads when skating. But I'm sure you buckle your child up when they are in a car, right? But how often are we all in car accidents?

I believe that by siteing the cost of the seat as a reason why people fly withlap babies, you(in general) are indeed stating that your child's safety isn't worth $200. Because if the seats were free people would use them.

I wonder what the pilots of that United flight have to say about lap babies, and if they would fly one of their own child as one.

 

[robinb]

And this is why these discussions always go downhill ... because they turn into personal attacks of lap baby parents. Instead of saying something like "I believe that children are safer in a seat." people say instead "YOU don't love your child enough to spend $200 on them to keep them safer."

 

[maxiesmom]

And this is why these discussions always go downhill ... because they turn into personal attacks of lap baby parents. Instead of saying something like "I believe that children are safer in a seat." people say instead "YOU don't love your child enough to spend $200 on them to keep them safer."

But isn't that what it boils down to? Not the people don't love their kids, but how many people would refuse a seat for their child if it was free? Doesn't that very thing make it seem as if some people are betting their child's safety against a few hundred bucks?

Babies are safer in a seat then on your lap. There is no doubt about it.

Parents make their kids use safety gear all the time when the chance of an actually injury is low. Why is it any different because the child is in the air?

 

[robinb]

But isn't that what it boils down to? Not the people don't love their kids, but how many people would refuse a seat for their child if it was free? Doesn't that very thing make it seem as if some people are betting their child's safety against a few hundred bucks?

Those people are making a choice that is offered by the airlines. I don't know for sure why they are making that choice and neither do you. Maybe they don't want to pay extra. Maybe they don't want to be separated from their family. Maybe they don't have a car and don't own a car seat.

 

[goofy4tink]

It seems to me that saying that people who have lap babies "put a price on their child's head" is fairly nasty. I understand that you don't want this thread to head south but if that's the case you should practice what you preach.

And this is why these discussions always go downhill ... because they turn into personal attacks of lap baby parents. Instead of saying something like "I believe that children are safer in a seat." people say instead "YOU don't love your child enough to spend $200 on them to keep them safer."

I'm sorry you felt that I was being nasty. That wasn't my intention. If a parent would rather not pay for that child to have a seat, that is their choice. But it is, really, putting a price on that child's head. If that plane drops thousands of feet, with no warning (and it happens more often than it should due to white air), then that parent is going to have to live with the consequences of their wanting to save the price of an airplane seat.

Is it going to happen to every family that flies with a lap child? Of course it isn't. But, if it happens to just one child, that's one child too many, in my opinion.

 

[alaska8]

As a Flight Attendant I can tell you its not just lap babies that are at risk during turbulence. Every single flight when the seat belt sign is on there are people stood in the cabin ignoring it! Theres the person who needs to get in the overhead NOW, the people who cant wait to go to the bathroom..."ill be ok" they say as we point out the signs on (you may be ok but as you are hurtling threw the air who are you going to injure and now I have to get up from my seatbelted jumpseat to go help you and risk injury to myself!!!!!!!), the parents who decided that the best place for their infant to sleep was on the floor (yuck..do you realise how often those floors are cleaned)....."oh I dont want to wake them" (infant woken up when it is moved to a safe position or when it hits the overhead.....seen them both happen....I know which I would go for), the parent who thinks its ok for them to be belted in but seems to forget about their infant who is crawling over the back of the seat, the parent who lets their kids war the seatbelt so loose that if we were to suddenly drop (and dive) then that seatbelt becomes a noose.
A seatbelt isnt painful but it will save you so put it on.
Sorry about the rant
ps I was walking threw the cabin...very smooth...suddenly I am hurled towards the ceiling.....broke both wrists, smashed my head into the ceiling and was thrown to the floor......clear air turbulence!!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

As a Flight Attendant I can tell you its not just lap babies that are at risk during turbulence. Every single flight when the seat belt sign is on there are people stood in the cabin ignoring it! Theres the person who needs to get in the overhead NOW, the people who cant wait to go to the bathroom..."ill be ok" they say as we point out the signs on (you may be ok but as you are hurtling threw the air who are you going to injure and now I have to get up from my seatbelted jumpseat to go help you and risk injury to myself!!!!!!!), the parents who decided that the best place for their infant to sleep was on the floor (yuck..do you realise how often those floors are cleaned)....."oh I dont want to wake them" (infant woken up when it is moved to a safe position or when it hits the overhead.....seen them both happen....I know which I would go for), the parent who thinks its ok for them to be belted in but seems to forget about their infant who is crawling over the back of the seat, the parent who lets their kids war the seatbelt so loose that if we were to suddenly drop (and dive) then that seatbelt becomes a noose.
A seatbelt isnt painful but it will save you so put it on.
Sorry about the rant
ps I was walking threw the cabin...very smooth...suddenly I am hurled towards the ceiling.....broke both wrists, smashed my head into the ceiling and was thrown to the floor......clear air turbulence!!!!!

And that's why we all remain belted..no matter what the seat belt sign shows!!! I have the bladder of a camel...so don't use the restrooms in planes very often. But on the few occasions that I have, I have had this overwhelming vision of me in the potty and the plane hitting that 'clear air'...oh man, that would be a nightmare. I have never understood those who felt the need to ignore the seat belt signage and move about the cabin. Yes, I get that sometimes there are those who need to move about..that whole circulatory issue (and something we should all pay attention to)...but those that, as the previous poster mentioned, just stand around chatting...just gets me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If someone wants to fly with their baby on their lap that too is their prerogative as it is still legal. But to pick on parents ans say that they put money before their children is nasty and mean-spirited.

Realistically, is there any other reason a parent or other adult would fly with a lap child EXCEPT monetary? Are there truly parents who hold their children twenty-four hours a day, no matter what the situation? No. Those same parents, in a car, would have the children in [car] seats. There's no valid reason for these same children to be airline passengers without purchased seats except to save the parent the price of the seat.

 

[pezheadmeg]

To put it mildly turbulence is crappy. The last time I was on a turbulent flight, even with my seatbelt I felt like I was getting thrown. And this is as an adult who's in the best shape of her life.

So yes when I have a child, they will never be flying as a lap baby.

 

[TandLMommy28]

I was once on a flight with such bad turbulence that the flight attendent trying to get to her seat was thrown and rolled and sliced her leg open. The pilot came over the speakers CRYING (seriously) and told everyone it was going to be OK. hard to believe through his tears... that was my worst flight ever! I'm glad no one was very seriously hurt. That is scary. I know it doesn't happen often but it's still scary.

 

[RachelEllen]

But isn't that what it boils down to? Not the people don't love their kids, but how many people would refuse a seat for their child if it was free? Doesn't that very thing make it seem as if some people are betting their child's safety against a few hundred bucks?

Babies are safer in a seat then on your lap. There is no doubt about it.

Parents make their kids use safety gear all the time when the chance of an actually injury is low. Why is it any different because the child is in the air?

Because the actual risk of injury to the child is very small. Think about it. This incident, where 30 people were /injured/ made the news. About 100 people died today in automobile accidents.

As has been brought up here many times, your child is safer as a lap baby in an airplane than as a restrained infant in a car.

Are you willing to tell everyone who drives their infant to WDW that they are putting a price on their child's head because they do not pay for airline tickets?

 

[kaytieeldr]

parents who decided that the best place for their infant to sleep was on the floor (yuck..do you realise how often those floors are cleaned).....

Uh, don't you mean "how rarely
those floors are cleaned"?

 

[maxiesmom]

Because the actual risk of injury to the child is very small. Think about it. This incident, where 30 people were /injured/ made the news. About 100 people died today in automobile accidents.

As has been brought up here many times, your child is safer as a lap baby in an airplane than as a restrained infant in a car.

Are you willing to tell everyone who drives their infant to WDW that they are putting a price on their child's head because they do not pay for airline tickets?

Either place, car or plane, the risk is small. Why is it ok to risk injury in a plane but not in a car?