United Airlines popcorn controversy: What sayeth the Dis?

[Pea-n-Me]

Where do you stand on this “outrage”? With the parents, or with the airline?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...Airlines-making-pregnant-wife-clean-kids.html

Poll coming…

 

[lovesmurfs]

Sorry. Restaurant, airlines, anywhere. I always cleaned up after my kids, if nothing more than for the kids to realize and learn we're responsible for our own messes.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I read this story elsewhere and I'm siding with the airline. Even if United gave them the popcorn (as that was clarified later by Anthony Bass), it is still a parent's responsibility to clean up after their child. The flight attendants are not there to be maids for you or your children.

I saw in the article you posted that someone siding with the parents mentioned this being similar to movie theaters. So it's okay to completely trash a movie theater because an underpaid employee will clean it up? Be courteous of your surroundings and clean up after yourself and your kids. It's not hard.

 

[mjkacmom]

I recently read an article about airlines and fling attendants and how there is such a short amount of time the crews have to clean cabins before the next flight. Pick up your mess.

 

[TippyThomas]

Her kids, her mess.

 

[SirDuff]

Sińce he was there, if it was “dangerous” for her to clean up, why didn’t he?

 

[luvnwdwgal]

It’s totally her responsibility to clean up after her kids. What if everybody left messes like that on a plane? We’d all be flying with the previous people’s messes or our flights would be delayed for cleaning. Get over yourself!

 

[soccerdad72]

Sińce he was there, if it was “dangerous” for her to clean up, why didn’t he?

I think the article mentions she was travelling with the kids by herself. He wasn't with her.

I tend to fall into the "your mess, you clean it up" camp - within reason. I can't imagine she was expected to get every kernel off the floor, just get a majority of it.

 

[nancipants]

1. You should always clean up after your kids as much as possible.

2. Being 22 weeks pregnant doesn't preclude you from picking things up. If you have that much of a mobility issue during pregnancy, you probably shouldn't be flying alone with 2 kids anyway.

3. She should have had the kids help clean up. 5 years old is definitely old enough to clean up their mess. 2 years old is a great age to start learning.

 

[soccerdad72]

On a side note - since when does United offer popcorn on it's flights?

 

[BrianL]

I think it's one thing if a kid accidentally spills their popcorn, and the parents are apologetic about such and employees likely step in and say don't worry about it, etc., but to just let the kids trash their area with the expectation that it's not your problem - yeah, you can step in on that and clean up after your kids.

 

[RedHead0186]

I recently read an article about airlines and fling attendants and how there is such a short amount of time the crews have to clean cabins before the next flight. Pick up your mess.

This. When I'm on Southwest the flight attendants are already cleaning up the first few rows as we are getting off the plane (and they work their way back as rows clear out). Very short turnaround times!

 

[Lumpy1106]

I can only assume that the Dad was not on the flight and the Mom was flying solo with the kids? Assuming that, I side with the mom - that's a lot to handle - BUT, in looking at the picture, the popcorn is pretty easily accessible. He stated she was 22 weeks pregnant (whose fault is that? Just sayin') but to me that works against his argument - she's in her 2nd trimester and really not "that" pregnant yet. She could easily get the few kernels that were there along the aisle, and yes, it wasn't that big of a mess either. If Dad is on the flight, maybe more parenting and less documenting would be in order.
OTOH, if the popcorn is between the seats especially near the window seat, forget it. The airlines put the seats too close together for anyone to reach down there while there are still passengers on board and everyone is supposed to be seated with seatbelts on. That's on the airline - provide more space between seats or use some of that added revenue to hire a cleaning crew between flights.

 

[wabbott]

 

[JBRB828]

They sound like they are entitled!
Clean up after your kids!

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Add me to the list of people siding with the Airline. That's not a couple pieces of dropped popcorn. That was a MESS! And I don't care who provided the popcorn, if those were kids under my care and I saw the mess starting I would have taken it away or figured out a way to give it to them without it getting all over the place. For sure I have gotten on the floor in a restaurant if a child I'm responsible for makes a mess. The server's job is to serve food not be your personal maid. And I saw that tweet about the movie theatre and I always wonder who are the animals that don't take their trash out to the garbage cans or leave a huge mess of popcorn on the floor.

Honestly, if a person can't go somewhere without trashing the place and expecting someone else to clean it up then I highly suggest that person stay home and make a mess in their own house. Of course I understand that kids make messes and any adult can knock over a drink etc., but make a good faith effort to clean it up. You (general you) should absolutely be picking up after your children and more so you should be teaching your children to pick up after themselves.

 

[GAN]

You'd be hard pressed to make me side with an airline these days! Yup there's a mess and had the stewardess asked me to pick it up I would have helped. But too bad, it's another cost of doing business -buy a vacuum cleaner and pay an employee to clean the cabin. Airlines are one of the shadiest businesses right now -between their fees and behind the scenes maneuvers with flight scheduling ...it's ridiculous. Show them no mercy.....

 

[Smugpugmug]

On a side note - since when does United offer popcorn on it's flights?

That was my immediate thought when I saw Bass clarify that. I fly United regularly and they usually serve pretzels or some sort of Chex Mix.

 

[footballmouse]

Yes, she should have watched her kids better while they were eating. Kind of like, "If you keep dropping the popcorn then I'm going to take it away from you" type comment. And if it was only a few pieces that were on the ground, then yes the kids could have picked that up.
However, I'm sure United is big enough to have a crew come in with vacuums and clean the floor and seats. I read an article about this that another flight attendant said that the mess could have been cleaned up by the cleaning crew in 2 minutes and there was no reason for that flight attendant to have the mom clean it.

 

[disney-inspired]

Why did the airline give popcorn out in the first place??

Also, Mr. fancy baseball player - maybe pay for them to fly in business and not coach?
Also, don't give tiny kids popcorn - it's a messy food for adults, imagine for kids.

Also pregnant people aren't disabled and I want know if it was really a big deal for the wife or the husband just blew it out of proportion?

Lots of questions.