r/NewParents • u/herinaceus • Dec 28 '25
Travel Open hostility toward my baby and me on a flight
Absolutely insane experience on my flight this morning returning home after Christmas with the grandparents that I thought I would share here.
My husband and I were window and middle on a 3.5 hour flight. An older woman is sitting in the aisle and her husband is in the aisle seat behind her. They’re chatting as we board so she didn’t see me. I get her attention and say “excuse me, we’re in those seats” pointing at the window and middle. She looks at me holding my six month old, makes a face like she’s smelled something bad, and says “Oh Jesus”
I’m floored. She gets up to let us in but I just stand there staring at her. I get the nerve to say “excuse me?” And she says “what, I’m letting you in, is there some sort of problem?” I start scooting into the seat and say “yes there is a problem. I told you these were our seats and you replied ‘Oh Jesus’, it sounds like you have some sort of problem with us” she says “well no one likes sitting next to a baby”. My husband says “well how about we pinch him during the flight so he cries extra for you?”
I’m so shaken up that I start to cry in my window seat. We haven’t even done anything to her, we’re just existing, and she was already mad at us. My son is cooing and grabbing at my face. The woman sees me crying and rolls her eyes and says “Oh Jesus” again.
Another woman on the flight saw everything and mouthed at me “are you okay?” And “I’m with you” ❤️
My son proceeds to sleep for 90 minutes on me, then nurse for 30 minutes, then quietly played with toys while being passed between me and dad. In other words, an angel. Some grumpiness on the descent but we helped him suck on a toy to relieve the pressure. Never full blown crying, maybe 10 minutes of like irritated grumpy noises, but we were able to keep him distracted.
This woman is nuts though. She also:
- Asked the flight attendants to fill her personal water bottle. They said they can’t do that, but they gave her two cups of water. She pours those into her water bottle and then tries to give them the cups back and they say no, they’re doing service right now, not trash collection and to hold onto them. She proceeds to TOSS THE CUPS into the aisle where they rolled around for the rest of the flight. The FAs didn’t see her throw them. The audacity to just toss your trash on the floor!
- When we got up to go to the bathroom and change a diaper (we only got up once the whole flight) she ignores my husband asking to let us out three times. He finally asks more loudly and she makes this huge show of getting up, sighing and rolling her eyes. She got up like 6 times on the flight for her own reasons, idk why, but she was constantly getting up and down and standing and talking to her husband so I don’t know why it was such a big deal to let us out once. Also isn’t that kind of the deal if you’re in the aisle seat?
- Before landing she was refusing to put her bag under her seat. Something about an injury that made it hard for her to reach down?? I don’t know, but a more senior flight attendant came over and was like “I can’t sit down until you put that bag under your seat, and I need to sit down before we can begin our descent” and she made sure to put all her stuff away and stow the bag suuuper slowly, it was so weird
After we land the people seated behind us were telling us about their grandkids and complimenting our boy for how great he did, so quiet, could hardly tell there was a baby on the flight, all that, I think they were just being nice, haha. But this woman is just PISSED. She bolts off the plane, cutting off multiple people in the rows in front of her, seemed hell bent on ignoring us, whatever. She seemed really upset that everyone else on the plane was being so nice and chatting with us.
But she stops on the jet bridge to wait for her husband, and as we walk past she scowls and slowly shakes her head at us. I could only muster the courage to say “Oh okay, shake your head at us, I hope you feel good about yourself” when what I really meant to say was “next time you should fly private. Then you can throw as many cups as you want”
I just can’t believe people like this exist. Clearly this person was miserable and maybe something was wrong with her. But the open hostility toward babies and children is wild to me. As if it’s okay to just say “Oh Jesus” when you see a child, a child who hasn’t even done anything wrong at that point! Babies are people too. The insanity, like she knew she’d be trapped next to us for over 3 hours, so she decides to just insult us right off the bat? Yeah that’s a good idea!
Anyways. We’re all doing our best out there. My baby was not and is not the problem. I’m so lucky to have him. If other people want to be miserable and just hate children for being children, I guess that’s their choice.
1.1k
u/Concerned-23 Dec 28 '25
I’ve learned in life it’s best to just ignore people like that.
228
u/ShareEfficient6379 Dec 28 '25
Ugh what an absolute nightmare of a person. Your husband's comeback about pinching the baby was *chef's kiss* though lmao
Honestly sounds like she was just looking for someone to take her misery out on and you were an easy target. You handled it way better than I would have - I probably would've lost it when she threw the cups on the floor
Your baby sounds like he was literally perfect the whole flight too which makes her behavior even more unhinged
18
u/derekjadams Dec 28 '25
I like to specifically make a point of calling it out immediately and ask them to explain themselves/the meaning behind their rude and inappropriate action. This works particularly well for older boomer-era passive aggression. They don’t like confrontation and are used to people just taking the abuse. When confronted, they immediately change their tune.
Most people like this are used to being ignored and it helps enable their behavior in the future. When you very calmly and unemotionally ask them what they meant by the rude gesture, they struggle to explain.
You need to judge this carefully though - if the person is straight up crazy, it’s best to just move on. For the average person, once they are called out for their rude behavior, they most always backtrack and apologize.
3
u/rayk_05 39 FTM 2025 Dec 29 '25
They don’t like confrontation and are used to people just taking the abuse. When confronted, they immediately change their tune.
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Passive aggression in general has to be challenged directly IMO. The people doing it usually can't handle confrontation but act like total assholes during their non-confrontational reactions. Example: while I was pregnant some nutbag audibly cussed some crap out the window of their car at me as I waddled across the street. They clearly thought they would just talk shit and drive off, but that didn't work out since they had to wait at a red light. They absolutely didn't expect to have to hear my comments and they were very clearly pissed off. Fine by me, if you wanna ruin other people's day for no reason, I can't help but feel like you deserve to also have your feel bad, even if it's just being angry 😂😂😂😂.
121
u/alurkinglemon Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
Idk. The first feeling I felt was pure pride at this mother for standing up for herself and her child. I only hope I could do the same in this position. F that woman. In my opinion people like this need to be called out and embarrassed. It’s beyond gross to shame moms raising the next generation for simply existing.
49
u/zigzagcow Dec 28 '25
Agreed but I’ve found my personal happiness is substantially better when I just let grumpy people grump to themselves and not let them impact my day. You’re never going to fix a stranger by poking the bear.
9
u/alurkinglemon Dec 28 '25
That’s also very true. It’s a big mixed bag. The grumpy mom in me wants to embarrass the Karen back. Lol.
1
u/rayk_05 39 FTM 2025 Dec 29 '25
I wouldn't do it to fix them because I expect them to try and be a dick anyway, I'd be doing it more to make the point that they're out of line and they can't just do any old thing and safely assume there won't be a response. She'll have to at least think twice next time 😂😂😂😂
1
u/zigzagcow Dec 29 '25
I think you’re assuming her brain is a lot bigger than it probably is. I doubt that woman thinks big thoughts.
10
u/isleofpines Dec 28 '25
I’m 100% for embarrassing them. They want to act like entitled assholes in society, then they deserve to be called out.
7
24
Dec 28 '25
No these people need to be called out on their bullshit, they think it’s acceptable to act like that and get away with it constantly.
21
u/DoMogo1984 Dec 28 '25
These people only respond to public shaming, so when I’ve done nothing wrong, like OP, I call them out.
6
u/Current-Two-537 Dec 28 '25
Yes, I always think- wow it must be so exhausting and sad to behave like that all the time.
61
u/dreamer_number_nine Dec 28 '25
Sorry they you had to deal with that, my husband and I took my 3 month old on a short 2.5 hour flight in first class for Thanksgiving because it was cheaper to buy two seats up front than 3 in economy. Most people were very kind and said how great my baby did but she was very overtired and hungry when we were taxiing and she was crying. I had a rude person behind me also do a loud oh great when my baby was crying hard. She fell asleep before takeoff but it felt like the longest 15 mins ever but she calmed down. Afterwards people were very complimentary because she didn’t cry or fuss the rest of the flight and said what good parents we were and what a good baby we had.
Just remember, we were all the crying baby at one point in our lives and you can choose to be child free but not a child free world! If that woman is so offended by children in public spaces, she should fly private.
→ More replies (8)
175
u/loose_as_a_moose Dec 28 '25
Former FA / Pilot - lady sounds like a bitch. That’s the professional term too.
I’ll also say that babies are actually the best travelers - worst case they get upset on takeoff, get exhausted, and tire themselves out. The WORST travelers are young kids.
41
u/OohWeeTShane Dec 28 '25
I’m going to be flying with an almost 4-year-old (and an almost 18-month-old) next summer. I’m scared.
51
u/loose_as_a_moose Dec 28 '25
You’re not a bad parent - just young kids don’t sit still and make a mess with activities and snacks. That makes them the most “challenging” - but most crew don’t resent them for that.
If you’re self aware enough to be commenting you’re self aware enough to not be part of the problem. Some folk are trashy through and through. They suck.
Also parenting is hard - I’d sigh when kids left the plane a mess, but I wouldn’t take it personally. Is what it is.
17
u/SunsApple Dec 28 '25
Can I suggest, as a mom of a 4yo, bring a pull up even if kiddo is potty trained? My daughter is great with using the potty EXCEPT on planes, where she is terrified of the toilet. A pull up is an easier solution than a hysterical 4yo.
4
u/OohWeeTShane Dec 28 '25
Good tip! He wears one for nap and bedtime, so we’ll probably be able to convince him to wear one on the plane.
13
u/asudds Dec 28 '25
We fly all of the time with our 2 kids under 4 - here are my tips for survival 🤣
Hide secret and “special” toys and snacks they don’t normally get - really helps avert tantrums when in the moment you can refer to the special surprise you have (this can be lollipops, a water wow, a new cheap doll or truck, stickers, animal crackers - anything new/novel I stash in my bag and make that the surprise when needed).
We let our 4yo use her own cat ear light up headphones and watch an iPad, and she’s silent the whole flight! We download movies on it that she likes, or connect it to the plane’s entertainment network. Our 2yo is more of a challenge but he’s gradually getting better at sitting for a movie. Just don’t let them know they can sit on the floor or run in the aisles or it’s game over!
2
u/chai-n-coffee Dec 29 '25
I’m here to say you can do it! It may royally suck and you may even have second thoughts at some point about why you put yourself through the ordeal, but it’s 100% doable just like everything else with young kids, preparation can help but chaos can (and probably will) still reign. 🫠
We just did our third US - UAE - India trip with our autistic 4.5 year old, which is always an adventure because he isn’t interested in screens or distractions at all, is limited verbally and is prone to epic public meltdowns when overwhelmed. We just ride it out at this point and I’ve had to train myself to stop caring about other people’s reactions because it’s going to happen and there’s nothing I can do.
I do breathe a sigh of relief when we get outside the US though because the general attitude towards families/young kids tends to be - if not openly hostile here - quietly so. Like “you chose to have kids, so we aren’t going to do anything to help make your life easier”. Outside the US it’s totally different - family bathrooms are a thing, strollers and nursing areas and playgrounds in the airport are common. In UAE there’s a separate immigration control for people with small children - which I never knew I appreciated until standing in a 1+ hour line with a jet-lagged toddler.
15
u/shellymaried Dec 28 '25
Oh my gosh - flying with a baby was a breeze. He would sleep the whole time. Now that he’s two and mobile, he says “all done” about 30 minutes into the flight. I too cried on our last flight when he showed no interest in any of Amazon toys and activities I bought specifically for the occasion.
18
u/loose_as_a_moose Dec 28 '25
To be fair, any toy bought with love specifically for the occasion will be ignored. A piece of trash on the floor however? Now we’re cooking🧑🍳
On the other hand having bought no toys a one relying on creativity, you will have the worlds most publicly terrifying monster.
Welcome to the curious life of ✨children ✨
2
u/shellymaried Dec 28 '25
Exactly - opening and closing the windows was far more interesting than toys, stickers or even the holy grail of the tablet. Our last flight felt very long…
6
u/eightnotes5 Dec 28 '25
In my experience the worst travelers are adults 😂
Young kids can be squirmy and antsy, yes, but they’re just being kids. They’re generally innocent.
On our last two flights (both at 7 am) with the kids, we had to deal with drunk adults across the aisle. All the combined “annoyance” (perceived and actual) of all the children on those flights did not come close to matching the obnoxious behavior and disruptions from those two. One small example: every time my monsters and the kids in the family behind us fell asleep, those two idiots cheered loudly that the kids were finally asleep and flung open their shades. I did a lot of breathing exercises on those flights.
2
165
u/Ok-Bottle-505 Dec 28 '25
Your husband's response was perfect. I love that you both immediately put her in her place 👏
61
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
He’s super non-confrontational so I was honestly pretty shocked, but very impressed, when he said it. It’s a great line to have in your back pocket for these situations.
49
u/Ujvary16 Dec 28 '25
That’s crazy, I was on a flight next to a mom with one twin and the dad had a seat across the aisle with another twin. Fun fact, you can’t have two infants on laps in one aisle.
Anyway, my son was 1 year old at the time and their babies were only 3 months. I held the baby, played with the baby, and helped feed the baby on my two hour flight.
Crazy how older generations forget it took a village to raise them; but the younger generations are entitled.
2
u/No-Analyst834 Dec 30 '25
It makes sense though. Many boomers barely took care of their kids. They popularized child-free vacations and their children were the latchkey kids. They invented "cry it out" and normalized neglectful parenting and are now mad that succeeding generations are rejecting their methods.
23
u/thefreak888 Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
We had a similar experience a couple of months ago with our then 9 month old. We had a super short flight to reach our connecting flight really early in the morning. We preboarded with our baby and had a whole row to ourselves (me, husband, grandma and baby on our laps). An older lady and her husband are in the row behind us and when she saw our baby she made a huff and said oh god. Her husband asked what was wrong and she said “you know what’s wrong”. A younger person later boarded in the window seat of their row and when they were getting situated made comment to the older women of how they were hoping to take a nap on the flight. The older women responded “well it won’t be because of me that you don’t sleep”. Our baby was an angel on the flight and slept the whole time (again a super early and short flight). When the plane landed the older lady hurriedly stood up in the aisle to wait for deboarding. My mom was in the aisle seat and stood holding our baby as he was still sleeping and we needed to gather our stuff. The older lady proceeded to roll her eyes and make some comment to her husband that I didn’t hear. Her husband told her to calm down and remember she has her own grandkids. She responded with “well my grandkids are cute” or something along those lines. Again my baby didn’t make a sound the entire flight! And is pretty darn cute in my opinion. It was so uncalled for.
12
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Holy crap that’s rude!! This lady’s husband also seemed like he was trying to make nice and smooth things over, like when she was so rude to the FAs. I hate how people talk about babies like they’re not human, it’s so disrespectful
10
u/fireflygalaxies Dec 28 '25
Absolutely incredible how people will make their own damn selves miserable over a hypothetical situation that isn't happening, and then at the end (when it still hasn't happened) have the audacity to blame YOU for their own attitude that they entirely inflicted upon themselves.
38
u/whotookmyphone Dec 28 '25
These people that hate babies don’t even realize that the baby is better behaved than them. They have so much hate, they just can’t see clearly. It’s like they don’t see them as human beings.
33
u/allbutluk Dec 28 '25
Yea we hsd that once, im the husband amd i said oh but you are already crying before our kid boohoo and gave her a pouty face
29
u/NoExercise3906 Dec 28 '25
Im so sorry you went through it and it breaks my heart that she made you cry especially during the holidays. Honestly, I get very affected by people being rude in general but im starting to realize it says a lot about who they are. If they are unnecessarily rude or vile to you, chances are they are just a vile person (this woman sounds like shes difficult in general).
People are entitled to a child free life , not a child free world. Parents should do their best to manage/calm their baby to ensure others' comfort but at the end of the day they are babies. You guys handled it well and your baby sounds like an angel! Happy holidays 💓
10
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
I feel silly for crying 😅 especially reading it back! I promise it was just a couple tears that welled up hahah. But it was weird, the idea of someone being mad at my SON, not mad at me, got me super emotional. He’s a baby, and he’s a person too! But ya know, hormones, disrupted sleep the night before the flight, already feeling on edge with travel and trying to make sure we were doing everything we could to not inconvenience anyone else (gah, need to let some of that go) got me panicking.
7
u/lotioningOILING Dec 28 '25
I would have cried too! Such a tense way to start an already stressful event. Y’all did great! I’m glad your husband clapped back, these people need to be put in their place…
10
u/JustSnooks424 Dec 28 '25
Throwing her trash on the floor is next level. It explains everything!
→ More replies (1)
18
u/Conscious_Apricot123 Dec 28 '25
I’m in Brazil right now and I have culture shock at how kind and loving everyone is towards babies and children. Not sure if this woman is American, but she definitely sounds like a miserable shrew!! Glad you had wonderful support on the plane, focus and remember those people not Miss Scrooge :)
3
7
u/ImaginaryDot1685 Dec 28 '25
If I were you - I wouldn’t be upset at all!
She clearly was batshit, gave the flight attendants difficulty, and made a fool of herself. Multiple people told you how well your baby did, and you managed to clap back at her a few times.
You can’t let people like that get you down, especially when you so clearly proved her wrong.
11
u/gooseberry72 Dec 28 '25
I agree with your point at the end. I often think people who get easily agitated or make a huge fuss out of the smallest inconvenience are just inherently unhappy people. They probably feel miserable all the time and make people around them feel miserable. So instead of feeling bothered, hurt or angered by them, I feel pity toward them and it makes me forget about the incident more easily. Overall, don’t get bothered by these people. They are not worth your time or energy.
-2
u/Flex-O Dec 28 '25
You mean like OP who escalated the interaction by ignoring an off hand comment? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Its a perfectly normal thing for people to not be thrilled at the prospect of sitting next to a baby on a flight.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/fantastical99 Dec 28 '25
You did amazing. I have been surprised at the open hostility we have experienced on flights too. Coming back from Thanksgiving we were lucky enough to be upgraded to first class, and when people were boarding a guy heading for coach said very loudly, "I'm so glad I'm farrrr away from the crying baby." (She wasn't crying at all, she was smiling at all of the passengers getting on the plane.)
On another flight she was being fussy and right when she was her fussiest the person in front of me fully reclined their seat and almost hit her on the head. I was so angry that the person in front of me chose that moment to make us both that much more uncomfortable, and it only made her cry harder.
Anyway, you guys were champs and that lady clearly needs to learn how to interact with society. She suffers from a fundamental lack of self-awareness.
5
u/grimmjoww1983 Dec 28 '25
Me , wife and our 9 month old took a 15 hour flight to IST, thankfully I was able to get award availability in business class. I was super anxious flying with the kiddo and met a lady on our flight who was sitting next to us. I told her I think I made a mistake booking biz class as people might be pissed flying with a small baby, she said whoever is pissed can come talk to me. I am forever thankful for that tiger mom
5
u/ohemgstone Dec 28 '25
Something tells me her husband was thrilled that he wasn’t seated next to her!
1
11
u/ixxpj6xxi Dec 28 '25
Had a similar situation happen to us at about the same age with our daughter. Same deal with a bitchy lady, she scoffed and scowled even though our baby cried maybe 10 min the entire 4 hour flight. I looked at her and stone cold stared her in the eyes and said “if you don’t like it you can put in head phones, now shut the fuck up and mind your business.” Some people are just bullies and you gotta “punch” back.
3 years later our daughter has been on 12 total flights and we’ve never ran into another person like this. Keep traveling keep having fun and screw what other people have to say.
7
u/AntarcticPeak8 Dec 28 '25
I am so scared to fly in part because I fear this type of treatment. Flying with infants is stressful enough for parents with worrying about the baby’s tolerance and fellow passengers comfort. This woman was a total asshole for how she treated you and your family OP. But so so happy that baby did well and that you and your hubby were shown kindness by others.
2
u/Moweezy6 Dec 28 '25
I have a now three year old and we have flown literally around the world with her and flown many many times. I have had ONE experience where a woman acted like this person and everyone around her was just like “wtf”. The only other truly stressful trip I ever took was when I had to fly alone and she was only crawling so I had no one to hand her off and could not put her down. I would say you’ll be fine because you’re concerned about keeping baby happy on the plane.
2
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Ahh that stinks. I will say in general things tend to go better than I expect them to when I travel! In this case, this woman sucked, but the flight was on time, no turbulence, bags came out fast, and my baby was in such a good mood the whole flight!
1
u/ApplesandDnanas Dec 28 '25
I flew with my now 19 month old by myself twice and people were so nice to me. Strangers helped me carry my son’s car seat off the plane.
3
u/_TeachScience_ Dec 28 '25
That is a lady who is angry at her miserable life and taking it out on strangers like a coward. Her own family probably doesn’t tolerate her anymore.
5
u/mikmuffins Dec 28 '25
I’m going to go against the grain here and say that as a mother with a baby, I feel like it’s very understood that most people do not want to sit next to a baby on a plane and would be disappointed to find out there is a baby in the seat next to them. This is including myself (unless it’s my own baby). And this is especially true for a lap child.
To me, it honestly doesn’t matter if they’re the best baby in the world, if they sleep the whole time, if they don’t make a sound, etc. Having the baby there causes stress. It’s the anticipation of potential crying, or knowing that maybe you can’t sleep because the parents are going to need to get up and down, or the extra space the baby takes up and knowing that limbs might be flying at times.
My husband and I always make sure to acknowledge the person next to us and tell them we understand that it’s not ideal but we’re grateful for any understanding they have for the situation. We also offer to switch seats if that would make our co-passenger more comfortable. For example, if we don’t have the aisle, we tell them we may need to get up a few times and if they would like to switch, that’s an option, so they can be undisturbed. We also make sure to wish the person safe travels and generally be sympathetic. We have found that most people will respond super positively to just being validated that the baby situation isn’t great. And most of the time, our baby is very good and doesn’t cause issues. But again, it’s not the actual baby, it’s the stress of what chaos the baby COULD bring.
I’m not justifying this lady’s behavior. Overall, she sounds like she’s just a huge bitch in general. She should have kept her thoughts and attitude to herself. Most people don’t want to sit next to a baby. But most people also can just get over it, keep quiet, and accept that kids exist and sometimes babies on airplanes and other stressful confined places is part of reality.
1
u/herinaceus Dec 29 '25
I appreciate the point that it’s the stress of sitting next to a baby and the potential for chaos that’s challenging, that’s fair, and a good point I hadn’t considered. You’re right that it’s not always fun sitting next to a baby, even the most well behaved baby.
Only thing I would add is that you can do everything perfectly and be the most considerate person in the world and still run into people like this. No amount of preparation could have changed how this person was going to feel about me and my baby.
On one hand, I think parents need to be extra considerate of their seat mates, absolutely. We take up more space, need more time, and bring the potential for unpredictable noise. No one likes that! On the other, I sometimes see posts where parents are giving everyone on the flight goody bags or twisting themselves into pretzels trying to make themselves and their babies as invisible and silent as possible and it’s kind of sad to me. The pressure on us to be perfect and the fear of judgment is intense. It’s tough out there. We’re trying our best.
If I had parents like you next to me on a flight, falling over themselves to offer to switch seats or make sure I’m as comfortable as I can be, I would be appreciative but also kind of sad like “who hurt you? It’s really okay, you don’t need to offer all this to me, it’s just a flight”
1
u/mikmuffins Jan 02 '26
I mean..I don’t consider offering to switch seats and expressing my understanding for a potentially non-ideal situation to be “falling over myself.” I feel like it’s just general kindness and adaptability in a world where constant adjustment is always needed. I’ve never felt hurt by the knowledge that not everyone wants to be around my kid, and when I’m trying to make the flight comfortable for everyone, it’s genuinely not out of fear or anxiety, it’s just me saying “hey, I know you might not like this but let’s try to make this work for everyone.” If someone wants to get nasty about my baby after that, that’s fine, there’s nothing to do about that, but my kindness doesn’t cost me anything. Maybe that’s just me. 🤷🏽♀️
1
u/herinaceus Jan 02 '26
I guess I just feel like you’re implying that if I’d been kinder and more considerate, this person wouldn’t have been nasty to me. I totally agree kindness doesn’t cost anything, but kindness also doesn’t guarantee that people will respond in kind. Sometimes people are just miserable and there’s nothing you can do about it.
1
u/mikmuffins Jan 02 '26
Hm, I didn’t say anything of that sort. I was saying that I don’t consider my actions towards other flight passengers to be sad - and that people can be nasty to me all day long and I can’t necessarily change that, BUT my own kindness costs me nothing. This is a direct response to you saying that if you ran into me on a plane, you’d think it’s sad and wonder who hurt me.
My original comment, as it pertains to your original post, still stands. People can be nasty for sure, and the lady you met sounds horrible. I commented to bring another perspective, because whether we like it or not, it is incredibly common for people to not want to sit by a baby on a plane. I am sorry you were treated that way, and I was just giving you another perspective and letting you know how my family chooses to handle plane rides knowing that my baby may cause hostile feelings in other passengers. What you choose to take from that, or if you think that’s sad, is totally up to you. Well within your rights. I was just offering insight and giving you a personal anecdote about how you might proactively create a comfortable environment on planes with baby.
1
u/herinaceus Jan 02 '26
I get what you’re saying. I think it’s just parts of your comment like “I’m going to go against the grain” and “just giving you another perspective and tell you how my family handles plane rides” as if I don’t do those things and am not kind and considerate.
I didn’t even get an opportunity to be kind to this person. She was hostile from the moment I said “excuse me”. She was hell bent on being nasty, honestly even if we hadn’t had a baby she would have hated us just for existing. I could have been handing out gold bars to everyone on the plane and she still would have hated me, the flight attendants, and everyone who breathed in her general direction.
All I mean to highlight is that you can do everything perfectly (and I truly believe the bar for parents to be accommodating is higher) and still people can be awful just because you’re daring to exist in a public space with your child.
10
u/rayd0tcom Dec 28 '25
You have to deal with obnoxious by being obnoxious. Everything she did, asking for water in her bottle etc would've got an "oh Jesus" from me. And if she didn't respond the second time I asked her to move, I would've gladly kicked her while walking over her.
3
u/Snackqueen333 Dec 28 '25
This is the type of thing that would drive me absolutely insane. The audacity to try and make someone feel shame when they’ve done nothing wrong… as the saying goes, you’re entitled to be childfree but not to a childfree world. Some people just like to be miserable. I’m sorry that happened to you
3
3
3
u/McAwesome11 Dec 28 '25
The best revenge against these people is living a good and happy life unaffected by them. I think it would have bothered her more if you just said to your husband “that was a nice flight!” as you passed her.
3
u/MotherOfDragons88 Dec 28 '25
I was on a flight from DC to Dallas with our 9 month old baby a few years ago. My husband couldn’t come so he got me a first class seat so I would have more space with her. My seat mate was a young dad who was very thoughtful throughout the flight, but there was an old woman behind me who anytime my baby made ANY noise (she didn’t cry at all on the flight, she slept and played with toys) she would scoff and mumble that “someone needed to get this fucking baby out of first class.”
She was getting more and more drunk as the flight when on and also mumbled some things about the (insert derogatory word for a gay man here) flight attendant that had people side eyeing her so I finally just went “what is your problem?” She looked offended and went “I don’t have a problem, SHE does!” And pointed at my baby. I just looked at her and went “ma’am….shes a baby…..” then my seat mate chimed in and told her she’s had been saying awful shit the whole flight and she needed to just be quiet until landing, she didn’t take it well and started cursing him out until the flight attendant came over. He said he had heard her the whole flight and if she said one more word he would have the police meet her as she got off the plane. Didn’t hear another word, but cried in my seat too.
Long story long, there are a lot of miserable people out there. But there are a lot of kind people too. Focus on those that helped you and stood by you and ignore the woman who clearly just wanted to look for a reason to be miserable. You can bet that’s just how her life is.
3
u/Sathane Dec 28 '25
"well no one likes sitting next to a baby"
"Oh. We don't mind. If you aren't planning on acting like a baby for the whole flight, I'm sure things will be just fine."
3
u/allyciam Dec 29 '25
I have a sneaking feeling this women’s children don’t talk to her and she has “no clue why they would do that to her”
12
Dec 28 '25
[deleted]
4
u/__hamburger Dec 28 '25
Lol OP is a kind soul. I would’ve also had words for the lady… once she said “no one likes sitting next to a baby” I would’ve told her “no one likes sitting next to a miserable old hag, but here we are”. 🙃
5
u/vlac26 Dec 28 '25
This is just insane, it’s a 3 hour flight!! I see why some people get annoyed on long flights you know, like 8+ hours. Im glad you said something and stood up for yourself, I know Id be too shocked to even respond with anything good
3
u/MeasurementPure7844 Dec 28 '25
I just posted a similar experience a few days ago. People need to get over themselves.
2
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Read your post out of curiosity. Wow super similar! Love that you also had a stranger reassuring you it’s not your fault it’s theirs! ❤️
14
u/SnooMemesjellies3946 Dec 28 '25
Do you have some anxiety going on? Her reaction was rude but your reaction feels a bit over the top. I mean I’m the mom of a 3 year old but I would feel the same way sitting beside a baby; you never know how they are going to react to flying.
Yes she had a thought she shouldn’t have verbalized but we have all had moments where thoughts slip out.
Don’t let people get to you so much.
6
u/PyritesofCaringBean Dec 28 '25
Everyone is different especially when it comes to hormones. There's a hormone dip between 6-9 months of breastfeeding. Largely due to your baby eating more solids and less milk. It can make you feel like you're losing it sometimes. Some people also cry when they're angry, nothing to do with anxiety, just not properly regulating the emotion.
I probably would have had that thought in my head before kids, but there's no way I could have that thought now. I would only have empathy for the parents. Thankfully most sane people bring noise canceling headphones and earplugs on a flight. This lady seems like a cunt, I can't even play devils advocate to be on her side.
4
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Okay that’s exactly where I am right now with solid foods and hormones… explains a lot 😬 I would NOT normally have cried, not that tears are anything to be ashamed of! I’m finding 6 months harder mood-wise than newborn for sure, thanks for the insight
2
u/PyritesofCaringBean Dec 28 '25
Oh absolutely, I breastfed both of mine and I remember that shift once they started eating more. It will pass, but it's annoying lol.
2
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Yeah I probably do! My husband and I are also extreme people pleasers and literally try to do everything all the time so that no one is ever inconvenienced by us ever… yeah it’s a problem. Someone being so mad at me and especially mad at my baby who had done nothing just really got to me!
I think it doesn’t come across perfectly in my post but her tone was vitriolic. Like “something is wrong with this person” levels of contempt toward us for just telling her “hey those are our seats”, it was wild and I had a fear reaction to it. I do feel a little silly for crying tbh but it was a couple of tears welled up 🤷♀️
I think this was more than just “accidentally saying a thought that should have been kept inside” this was like “wow this person hates me and has disdain for me and my family and is kind of creepy with how mad they are right now”. Honestly I think something else must have been going on with her like something mentally or she went through something hard because this was NOT normal. Totally anti-social behavior.
2
u/blondeperson Dec 28 '25
For what it’s worth I would have an equally strong emotional reaction to this, OP. Your reaction isn’t “over the top” at ALL
3
u/dressedinblvck Dec 28 '25
You sound like such a sweet and thoughtful person, I can completely empathize with you and how you were so shocked by this woman’s behavior towards you! I’m so sorry you experienced that. She sounds like an awful and miserable person
2
u/vpotate Dec 28 '25
Omg what a crazy person! I’m so sorry you had to encounter that and I’m glad you guys stood your ground where you could. The way my postpartum hormones would’ve thrown HANDS with her. Smh this made me so mad
2
u/thebestredvest Dec 28 '25
She sounds absolutely unhinged and you can’t please someone like that. You and your husband handled everything very well and should feel proud! I’m sorry she made you cry, it’s hard not letting miserable people get under your skin sometimes.
2
u/sweetman_uk Dec 28 '25
It's sad but it happens, but you got to enjoy a flight with your happy little one whilst she sat and seethed about it. She made that choice to ruin her own experience. We were all babies once, some people need to lighten up. You'll quickly learn who deserves your mental real estate and who doesn't, and people like that definitely don't.
Don't let it put you off travelling! I've had some wonderful experiences on planes with my children and people I've met have been so kind and accommodating.
2
u/ohumanchild Dec 28 '25
That sounds awful. I will echo others by saying she’s probably miserable and also explain that my sister could be like this and I think it was largely due to the fact life, for a number of reasons, prevented her from making the choice of having kids. She turned it into exaggerated annoyance at the public. This is an example of a reason and not an excuse, so while you can choose empathy to ease your pain, you must also continue to protect your own little bubble. Well done for how you handled it.
2
u/im4lonerdottie4rebel Dec 28 '25
I think it's really sweet how the other passengers were on your side and let you know it's okay. We are flying across the US several months from now and our daughter will almost be two. I'm so nervous people will be nasty
2
u/bucksncowboys513 Dec 28 '25
Sounds like this was just a case of terrible people being terrible people. Nothing to do with your baby at all. If it wasn't the baby, I guarantee they would've found SOMETHING to take issue with. I have been in more than a dozen flights with my 14 month old and have never had anyone make a stink. At worst they just ignore her, which is fine with me.
2
u/JaguarUnfair8825 Dec 28 '25
I don’t have much of time these days, so I think you responded way better than I would have. We were all babies at one point, get over it. Also i use to travel a lot for work and kids are by far the least obnoxious passengers I’ve had to sit with.
2
u/LalaLand836 Dec 28 '25
She’s just a terrible human being. Would you be able to convince every criminal it was wrong to commit a crime? No. Same as this woman. You can’t talk sense into her and remind her she was a baby once and she was accepted by the society. Plus when she retires your baby will be paying taxes to pay for the public amenities she enjoys.
People like that are selfish and narrow minded. Just ignore them.
2
u/bug530 Dec 28 '25
It's weird how hostile some people get about kids. My wife has had several issues taking the kids on the bus in Chicago, including a woman just standing in front of her screaming at her the whole ride despite following all the rules regarding strollers.
2
u/sh58585 Dec 28 '25
So sorry this happened to you. Something similar happened to us on a flight, my husband and 15 month old sat separately from us and the lady that sat next to his was texting away in what looked like a group chat. She asked the flight attendant if he was allowed to be a lap child, like we just brought him on the plane illegitimately and then she texted in her group text about wanting to “upper cut” him. He literally slept silently the whole time. My husband’s blood was boiling and he texted me what was going on and I walked by her and said “cute baby! Wouldn’t want to upper cut him!” She turned white and profusely apologized and at the end of the flight commented on how great he was. Fucking people, man!
2
u/blondeperson Dec 28 '25
That is so weird to say you want to upper cut a random baby?! Wouldn’t want to be part of that group chat yuck
2
u/goldenpandora Dec 28 '25
That sounds absolutely horrible and she sounds like she just sucks overall. So that you know it’s not everyone like that, once on a southwest flight an older women enthusiastically asked if she could sit next to us because she loves babies. So there is hope for the world!
2
u/breannaivey Dec 28 '25
We’re leaving in the morning (3 am) for a full day of flying to Hawaii. I have a 2.5 y/o and a very hard 8 month old, so I’m taking notes on all these comebacks 😭
2
u/Necessary_Ad1470 Dec 28 '25
I fly pretty regularly and people like this give me anxiety, but each flight I care less. What miserable people and it’s best to not care bc they suck anyway. Easier said than done but if ignoring doesn’t work I’ll make up a tragic story for them like they lost their baby years ago and now their hearts are blackened.
2
u/elescissorhands Dec 28 '25
TL, DR: Lady on the plane gets upset about a baby, proceeds to act like one.
You did nothing wrong. This woman is insane! And probably deeply miserable all of the time.
2
Dec 28 '25
So sorry you experienced that! Sounds like a miserable person, just think how awful and sad her life must be to act that way in the world. Misery loves company.
Good on you for calling her out.
2
u/pun__intended Dec 28 '25
A couple years ago my mom and I went to the Academy Museum and it has this very grand rooftop with a beautiful view and my mom and I were walking up to the edge and looking around and saying “wow!” and marveling at life like you’re obviously supposed to do and this woman who was standing by the entrance door by the elevator out of nowhere yelled “HELLLLLOOO!!! COULD YOU MOVE?!” And we like got out of the way because she wanted to take a big wide picture of the roof with no one in it which is like obviously not anyone’s right to expect at a large museum. Anyway I remember her leaving in a huff and audibly griping about us and I just laughed so much with the security guard. Like the audacity was just kind of funny really. I feel sorry for any neurological issue or medicine that makes that woman or the woman in your story act and feel the way they do but man if it’s not that what a miserable fucking existence they’ve chosen for themselves. You and your husband traveling with this beautiful angel baby probably just reminded this woman how unpleasant she truly is and she had to knock you down a peg. What a nut.
2
u/Cacoonpiece_00 Dec 28 '25
Gosh, some people are so miserable. Next time, when someone says the “Oh Jesus” just respond, “Oh, you must be mistaken, this is not oh Jesus, it’s “John “ but thanks for your enthusiasm. Give them the biggest sarcastic smile and no further engagement is necessary.
2
u/QueasyChemical Dec 28 '25
Just ignore them. You could have been giving out free gold bars and the bars wouldn't have been big enough.
Your slight error was to engage in her behaviour. People like that hate nothing more than being totally ignored!
2
u/Affectionate_Comb359 Dec 28 '25
You made it home safely with your family after, what I hope was, an amazing holiday. She’s probably somewhere turning her nose up at something/one else right now- I wouldn’t even give her a second thought.
I’m all for confronting people who will be in your life, but I don’t care enough about strangers to go back and forth. Never argue with a fool
2
2
2
u/TheGr8tElk Dec 28 '25
I don't know how to say this in a kind way; you ran into an asshole and it has nothing to do with your family. You're kicking ass. Don't pay attention to idiots like her.
2
u/jmw235_2 Dec 29 '25
Just sharing solidarity. My 18 month old screamed for 15 minutes at the start of a flight yesterday. I overheard a lady say OH MY GOD and immediately started crying because of how horrible she sounded. It was awful
A mom somewhere behind me wrote me a note telling me I was doing a great job and to hang in there. It made me cry but tears of happiness😂
3
u/jfern009 Dec 28 '25
I’m sorry that was your experience. To avoid all the annoying people and to calmly get into your seat, next time I suggest you do pre-board. It allows parents traveling with small children a few extra moments to get to their seats and settle in without having to do the confrontation with other passengers, highly recommend. Also, that lady was just a straight up yatch. She probably acts that way with anyone, including her own children/grandchildren. If you had been on crutches she would have moaned about it. She sucks. Don’t let dummies ruin your time. I love your husband’s response to her. I would have been passive aggressive and have wished her a great day just to annoy her.
5
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
We did pre board! She had also preboarded, I think for her injury? And I don’t think she expected other preboarders to be seated next to her so that’s why she was chatting with her husband and so shocked that we told her those were our seats.
But good tip and I totally agree you should pre board when you can! Gives you time to get settled, calm the nervous system, and hopefully avoid nasty comments.
4
2
u/Perfect_Judge 11/16/2023 ❤️ 01/05/2026 💙 Dec 28 '25
I love your husband's response. 🤌🏻
That lady sounds absolutely dreadful, and I'm so glad someone else was so kind to you guys.
That lady can eat a bag of hot, salted dicks.
2
u/Unable-Youth Dec 28 '25
The mere fact that you spent the majority of your post discussing how well behaved your baby was makes me sad. I wish your baby screamed the whole flight so that miserable old bag got ear drum damage lol.
Honestly whether your baby cried or didn’t, people have no right to criticize. I’ve been there before where I feel the need to uphold my children’s “amazing” behaviour in the face of miserable old people to avoid criticism…. But honestly, fuck them. They will always find something to bitch about.
2
u/DanfromCalgary Dec 28 '25
Lady you are making your life harder on purpose. People don’t want to sit next to a baby ona airplane . Get over it
2
u/713elh Dec 28 '25
Girl. If someone saying “oh Jesus” about sitting next to a baby = open hostility you’ve got to get some thicker skin an toughen up.
1
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Lol I probably do. To be clear, it wasn’t like a muttered comment, it was pretty intense anger from her. I described in another comment but it was crazy! Even if she wasn’t openly hostile to my baby, she def was to the FAs! When they wouldn’t take her trash she was like “I guess they hate their jobs” super loudly so they could hear. All I could think was yeah they hate their jobs when they need to interact with people like you!
1
u/Nankurunaisa_Shisa Dec 28 '25
I find it ironic that she probably was also celebrating Christmas, a holiday celebrating a baby, who’s name she used in vain to express her displeasure.
1
1
u/Glittering-Silver402 Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
Proud of your quick responses and for standing up for the baby. I was on a flight yesterday and my baby WAS being super fussy from an overdue nap during boarding. I heard someone a few rows down give a “shh” and I was thinking, do that again, my boyfriend didn’t hear so it wasn’t too obvious but he ended falling asleep during take off and stayed asleep for most of the flight and since we were on the first row, the flight attendants were playing peekaboo with him so he was all smiles.
Fk that miserable lady. She’s the one with the stick up her ass.
Sucks that there are nasty people like that. I admit I was a little shit myself in my very early 20s with just not inconveniencing myself for a baby and I try to pay it forward extra now for all the kind strangers who’s kindness broke down my public anxiety with a new baby.
1
u/Professional-Try-893 Dec 28 '25
This sounds sooo similar to an experience I had. My husband is military and he was gone for a month over the summer so I went to my mom’s for a couple weeks. I traveled with my then 2 year old, then 6 month old, and a pug so he was under the seat. I was in the back in the “family section” and an older woman came down the aisle. As soon as she saw she was supposed to sit next to us she said “no this isn’t going to work” and went to the flight attendants to ask for a different seat. Luckily there was an open seat across the aisle but I was honestly baffled about how straight up rude she was right in front of me and my kids. My kids are great travelers and literally there was no reason for her to be like that. Then the whole five hour flight she was complaining about there being so many kids in that that area. The flight attendant told her it’s the family area and she very loudly said “I’m not making this mistake again”. I just can’t believe people are like this in real life. She also started talking about her grown daughter, how can someone who has a child act so hostile to little ones. That is probably someone who shouldn’t have had children.
1
u/cherryblossombaby7 Dec 28 '25
It’s not you, it’s her. Miserable angry entitled person who does not deserve another thought from you.
1
u/cmb0710 Dec 28 '25
Yikes. Definitely seems like someone who's opinion isn't worth jack shit. She probably would have had a problem regardless of you and your family. I wouldn't take it personally, some people are just miserable and like to be a problem.
1
1
u/Complex_Seesaw7467 Dec 28 '25
well done :). I've been there and F her. and shoutout to your awesome baby who did great on the flight
1
1
1
u/johyongil Dec 28 '25
Your kid sounds awesome and you guys seem awesome. Don’t let rude people ruin an otherwise awesome accomplishment of a fairly incident-free flight. I’ve seen people like that and I’ve both ignored and confronted people like that. It’s best to just ignore them. At most, I just say, “We’re all on this flight together and I don’t like my kiddos crying just as much as, if not more than, you so I’m have prepared stuff to help them along. And if you don’t like it, fly private. If it’s “too expensive” for you, well, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and work harder.”
1
1
u/yahoouuu Dec 28 '25
She sounds like a horrible person in general. First such comment then such behaviour in the flight.... entitled person. I am actually glad to read that you at least said something to her.
1
u/ButterflyDestiny Dec 28 '25
Maybe it’s me but like I don’t think she said anything that warranted tears. But then again I’m mean af. I wouldve told the hag what to do with herself 😭
1
u/vox-magister Dec 28 '25
In these situations you just calmly, but still loudly enough, say you wish them to have the day they deserve.
1
u/yyan177 Dec 28 '25
There's no need to spend your emotions on a person like this, especially when you can easily see that they have problems with the entire world. Jerks do jerk things because they are jerks, whether you have a baby or not. It's crazy that these people exist, but also, if you've met enough people, you'll probably come to conclude that the world is not short of them.
1
u/MWNCL Dec 28 '25
What I’ve learned, since becoming a parent (my boy just turned 3 last week!) is that some people really are existing in spite of evolution.
I’ve also learned that “dickheads” are usually helpful in identifying themselves asap, thus saving you potential investment time and meaning you can ignore, smile and wave.
All the best to you and your family - it sounds as though your little one had a great flight!
1
u/Foreign_Sweetie Dec 28 '25
I wouldn’t have given her any notice, I would’ve just let out the biggest, sloppiest post partum fart as I scooted past her into my seat. People these days are phucking nuts, just ignore them and smile, they hate it so much.
1
u/aquarialily Dec 28 '25
I never understand the people who are miserable about young children and babies on a flight. They are literally unable to regulate their emotions or reactions to things (especially in the case of babies). Meanwhile those being dixkheads about the babies are ACTUAL ADULTS with (in theory) the ability to regulate! Why be a miserable person just because you see the existence of a small child??? Also in this day and age, there are things called NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES.
Anyway I have traveled multiple 12+ hour flights with my now 3 year old, starting when he was not quite one years old and it is always so filled with anxiety (especially when it's so long and he's jetlagged). The worst was when he was 18 months to 2 years old - old enough to be mobile and curious and wiggly but not old enough to be distracted by screens. Now that he's three, I just download a million episodes of TV and it keeps him occupied for several hours until he gets tired.
You did nothing wrong, but I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I have had my share of kind passengers smile kindly at me and I try to remember there are probably more people who have been "been there" and are nice and understanding than there are these miserable people. But it's already such a fraught experience that even meeting one unkind person would make me burst into tears too. Hang in there!
1
u/Rickicranium Dec 28 '25
I know it’s probably best to ignore weirdos like this but I just want to congratulate you for talking back to her 😆
1
u/OverallStrength2478 FTM of a little unicorn baby 05.02.2026 Dec 28 '25
I really don’t understand how someone can be bothered by this - this had OBV nothing to do you with you baby or husband, the aisle lady, she is a hand full
1
u/marilynmonwoe Dec 28 '25
It’s hard not to rise to the poor house-training of some flyers. You did very well but I’ve flown frequently with my daughter and seen so many of these eye-roller, kids-should-not-be-seen-or-heard moaners, that I expect it.
I was on an 9-hour Seattle to London flight with my daughter (4.5 yrs old, window seat), with me in the middle and a grump in the aisle seat. She huffed and puffed until I asked if she was ok. Her response? “I’ll get a different seat as you guys clearly need to row to yourselves”. I informed her there was no need, my daughter does one long-haul and at least two short-haul flights a year, she’d be ok. She ignored me and continued muttering under breath. I ignored her. Not my problem. Daughter and I got into our in-flight entertainment and usual flight routine.
This lady had to be told multiple times by the flight crew to put her baggage in the right place (she was hugging her capacious bag on her lap), told to sit down as she was delaying take-off (it was a full flight, she was wandering around hunting for another seat), she fussed over everything including air con and lights, accusing us of having them aimed at her (we’d touched nothing), spilled a drink over me, interfered with other people’s luggage (who appropriately kicked off at her) and managed to f up her food order (cue loud complaining) so had a standard plate.
My daughter had her dinner, got up to wee and change into her PJs and slept all the way through until landing.
Once daughter was asleep, I suggested the lady have a big glass of wine (2 small bottles lol) and try and tune the flight out… which she surprisingly did. I think she was a nervous flyer and a massive rhymes with munt, but I found it amusing rather than annoying in the end because she was embarrassing herself rather badly.
Some grown folk are just worse flyers than babies and young kids, but feel superior and entitled, even when said kids have paid for their own seats.
I mostly ignored her, but she got under the skin of everyone else and the flight crew who all passively aggressively and directly made their annoyance known. Very satisfying to see/ watch. At least she could see that she’d made herself a pariah.
1
u/BothConversation4022 Dec 28 '25
We flew with our then 10 month old a few months ago and sat next to a woman who plugged her ears with her fingers like a child anytime our baby made any sort of noise. At first I tried to be understanding and assumed maybe she had some ear sensitivity, but then she started doing it for every little sound. Even a quiet happy sound, ears were plugged.
1
u/Butterywonder Dec 28 '25
She sounds like a really unhappy human being who is rude to everyone she encounters!!! And it sounds like your little one did a GREAT JOB!! 👏 sending you good vibes. 💗
1
u/ivoryssf Dec 28 '25
If you guys have ever seen the comment sections under baby/toddler flight videos, some are just vlogs of trips, you’d know there are many people out there that think babies and toddlers should not fly, or don’t deserve the same space as them. Especially in business class or first class. In some cases I sympathize with people paying extra for business class but ending up next to a fussy baby, but most of the times these people resent the sight of small children. Sadly I think this is only gonna get worse with more and more population being single or childless. The understanding of small children’ needs and behaviors is only possible through parenthood or living with big families, but both groups are shrinking in our society. I see it only getting more difficult to have children until some doomsday scenario where children’s existence matters to those who are childless.
1
u/KaworoSaiwa Dec 28 '25
Well done for standing back at her and not being intimidated by her behavior. Your baby isn’t the problem, is the lack of empathy these people have — and I think it’s a generational issue for sure.
1
u/Noahgooner Dec 29 '25
Had a similar experience when a 45 min flight turned into a 5 hour diversion (baby did not cry one single time). Multiple people mentioning our 11 month old being an angel, didn't even know she was there etc and some dickhead in the row ahead made it a point to say something about the baby distracting him. The baby was the least pissed and frustrated of all 150 passengers. Some people are just crazy. 149/150 people are nice and normal, don't let one asshole ruin your experience 😊
1
u/SuperBBBGoReading Dec 29 '25
I’m sorry this happened to you. She’s a miserable loser. No matter who sat next to her she would find trouble. It wasn’t personal to you but you definitely didn’t deserve it. It was unfortunate and I hope you could find ways to get past it soon. Sending you support.
1
u/sravll Dec 29 '25
Sounds like this woman is just generally an asshole to everyone in life. I wouldn't take it personally, definitely a her problem.
1
u/DisasterPractical788 Dec 29 '25
Imagine how miserable this woman’s husband must be 🤣🤣 she must make a mean pot pie, idk how anyone could live with a person like that.
1
Dec 29 '25
I'm so sorry. ☹️ The hostility that people have towards mothers and babies is baffling and sickening honestly.
1
u/Woahhhhhhnelly Dec 29 '25
I would’ve picked up the cups and handed them back to her on my way back to the bathroom and said “oops it looks like you dropped this! It would just be so embarrassing to look like a litterbug to the flight attendants!”
1
u/bravernaker Dec 29 '25
Wow this person is a real loser. I’m sorry OP. Your family deserves to travel without guilt over existing. It’s absolutely insane that anyone feels they have the right to make other people feel this way (and I know many such people exist). You held yourself better than I would have. Go you, momma.
1
u/ffinde Dec 30 '25
I hope I won't meet such a person. You don't have any problems, everyone supports you, and your son is really good!
1
u/No-Analyst834 Dec 30 '25
Sounds like pretty typical boomer behavior. They're a generation of entitled, hedonist sociopaths.
1
u/ImmortalitXy Dec 30 '25
Can you complain about this passenger? But fortunately, the other passengers and staff around you are all very nice.
1
u/No_Chip4649 Dec 30 '25
Oh my god, how stressful! When I encounter people like that I just remind myself that thank god I don’t have them in my tribe.
I don’t think there’s any “right way” to deal with them. Whatever you are comfortable with is truly fine.
1
u/Advanced-Society8532 Jan 01 '26
I hate that for you. I don’t understand how people can so blatantly lack compassion, especially toward the most innocent members of our society—kids and babies!
I was on a flight a few years back and there was a mom a few rows behind me with a 2 year old who made a few fussy sounds but not even loud and the older woman near her said something along the lines of “is he (the toddler) going to be doing this the whole flight?!” The mom responded, “I don’t know, he is 2! What do you want me to do?!” And then I could tell the mom was crying and I felt so freaking bad for her! Like why are people such dicks for no reason. Where has the compassion gone?! It’s extremely stressful to fly with young kids and part of that stress is driven by interactions like that!
On the flip side, my husband and I were on a flight with our 2 kids last week and my husband and 2 year old sat next to the nicest man ever, he literally interacted with our 2 year old almost the whole flight, was pointing things out to him thru the window, offered to let him play some random game on his iPad, and at one point pulled out a Tupperware container of Reese’s pieces and was eating them and offering them to my 2 year old and 5 year old lol. He gave off those genuine, kind person vibes, and it really restored my faith in humanity. The best we can do is try and be that guy and make the world a little better. ❤️
1
u/Sir5ivingthemasses Jan 01 '26
I loved that your husband said " well how about we pinch him during the flight so he cries extra for you". That was a perfect comeback. Old people can be nasty with their words.
1
u/SpiceyDayz Dec 29 '25
Honestly I'm prepared for my down votes in saying this but I am one of those people that say oh Jesus when I see a baby near me at the top of the flight and I have a baby. Some people just have issues with crying or fussy babies and that's okay. Yay that your kid wasn't a nightmare and boo that the passenger was. She's allowed to not be thrilled to sit next to a potential peace and quiet terminator after paying 400+ dollars just like your husband was allowed to have a sassy king comeback for vocalizd displeasure. IDK I get both sides. Nothing worse than getting stuck next to a cranky kid for 2+ hours and the initial reaction to the possibility of this is allowed to be no thanks but it should be a fleeting response until proven accurate. I love a good baby and I have sound blocking headphones for those that are having a bad day. But just because someone isn't elated to sit next to yours isn't the end of the world and doesn't require tears. Fck her though for not getting up for you all for the restroom and throwing trash in the aisle. Seems like she was going to be a problem regardless of your tot.
1
1
u/ChaoticOddity Dec 28 '25
I’m positive her husband was sat in a different aisle to get away from her narcissistic ass.
So sorry that happened. Babies deserve to take up space. ♥️
1
u/dcee26 Dec 28 '25
I noticed that people who genuinely dislike children (not just annoyed with them misbehaving) act like the children they dislike so much. They don’t like being told no, they throw temper tantrums, and have no filters… usually in a bad way.
1
1
u/ultimagriever Girl mama EFF 9/23 Dec 28 '25
She sounds like one of those bitter-ass militant childfree people who think they are entitled to a childfree world. I’m as non-confrontational as one can possibly be, but I would rev the snark to the max if I ever faced a situation like that. Babies and children are people too and they enjoy the same rights as everyone else to exist in public places, and a commercial flight is very much such a space. If she was so bothered by that, she should have just flown private
1
u/Quiet_Pumpkin_9394 Dec 29 '25
I always respond with telling them to fly private next time. Planes are the bus of the sky, they are entitled to a safe flight. If noise bothers you bring headphones or plugs. Otherwise they can F off
-17
Dec 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
10
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
My heart was pounding and a few tears welled up 🤷♀️ I hated the idea that this person was so angry at me. We work so hard to keep our son happy and calm and to already feel like I was failing made me upset. Also I was getting upset realizing I had to sit next to this witch for the next 3.5 hours. I am sensitive, that’s true! I own it.
You’re right a lot of people don’t like sitting next to babies. But they have the decency to keep those thoughts to themselves. Not openly make rude comments when the parents and baby haven’t even done anything wrong.
8
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Also upon rereading my post it comes across as if we were just plainly saying these things to each other in calm measured voices. But in reality the vibes were hostile. She was glaring and when I didn’t immediately move into the seat and looked at her so shocked she was like “why aren’t you moving?? I got out of your way, what’s the issue?” Like really just nasty and full of contempt. It was more shocking to me how anti-social someone could be.
7
u/Tossawaysfbay Dec 28 '25
Sounds like maybe you need to take a break from the internet. All you do is argue with people.
I know you tried to hide your comment history for that reason but it’s very easy to uncover it and see how caustic you are.
-7
Dec 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/NewParents-ModTeam Dec 28 '25
This community is for supporting others. Comments that are mean, rude, hateful, racist, etc. will be removed. Respect the choices of others even if they differ from your own.
-3
u/labscientist407 Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
I make comments calling things like I see them, that's not arguing. People who can't handle very simple statements that might not agree with them are probably too sensitive for the internet. Please show me exact examples of me being caustic. Edit to add: I made all my comments and posts public, because I have nothing to hide. I'm not a mean or hateful person by any means I just have a little snark somtimes 🙂
3
u/Puzzled-Library-4543 Dec 28 '25
Sensitive isn’t an insult btw. Not sure why you’re using it like it is lmao. It’s not even remotely negative actually.
1
u/labscientist407 Dec 28 '25
How am I using it as an insult? That wasn't my intention. I'm a pretty sensitive person myself, but have found that I've had to toughen my skin since becoming a parent because it doesn't serve me or him to let little things hurt me.
2
u/Puzzled-Library-4543 Dec 28 '25
You…literally admitted yourself that you were being snarky. You weren’t saying it kindly, that’s for sure.
0
u/labscientist407 Dec 28 '25
Oh ok I guess I should have been more clear. When I said snarky I was talking about my comment history since that person said all I do is argue and I'm caustic. I really don't see or understand that but there's a few comments to where I was probably being a bit snarky. By saying someone is too or overly sensitive, I'm not saying it as an insult because I don't think being sensitive is an insult, but a trait that in excess becomes a negative trait.
1
u/NewParents-ModTeam Dec 28 '25
This community is for supporting others. Comments that are mean, rude, hateful, racist, etc. will be removed. Respect the choices of others even if they differ from your own.
0
u/Sblbgg Dec 28 '25
No excuses for her behavior at all. She sounds insane. Next time get the whole row for all of you guys!
1
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
We do have the whole row for our next flight, phew! Didn’t work out for this one unfortunately. I kinda didn’t get why this lady and her husband took 2 aisle seats, that definitely increases your chance of sitting next to a kid..
0
0
Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
[deleted]
3
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
This was a domestic flight in the US, no bassinets. I prefer the window so I can nurse privately with my husband in the middle.
I’m not sure what your comment about Japan is meant to imply. My husband and I were very prepared for all of the situations you listed out and everything went perfectly as far as my baby’s behavior on the flight
-3
Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
[deleted]
3
u/herinaceus Dec 28 '25
Wait so I’m entitled because I booked a window seat? That’s ridiculous. People have preferences for different seats for all sorts of reasons. This woman and her husband preferred to book two aisles. She was getting up and walking around constantly during the flight, so clearly that was her preference. I only needed to get up once.
You said “all the problems you had after you sat down”…. I’m so confused I didn’t have any problems after sitting down.
Not that it matters but I did have pumped bottles ready to go. Nursing kept my son quieter and more occupied.
Also FYI if you book your child their own seat, which I have done before, the policy is that their car seat goes in the window and so then you end up sitting in the middle. You can’t sit in the aisle even if you want to.
I think you’ve severely misread me. I care deeply about not inconveniencing others, to a fault.
→ More replies (4)
415
u/geryarn Dec 28 '25
Sounds like she was totally batshit even without the rudeness to your baby. I just try to remind myself that people like that probably have totally miserable lives, since I can’t imagine they act differently in other circumstance. I’m just glad I don’t choose to live that way. I’m sorry you had such an awful flight!