Kids on airplanes (and headphones)

[Dan Friedrichs]

I just got back from a small tropical destination really only known for vacationing, and on the flights there/back, I was just amazed at how many parents were allowing their little kids to watch movies or play games on ipads (etc) without headphones. I mean, they were watching TV or movies with the volume turned all the way up, for everyone near them to hear. Frankly, 3 hours of Blue's Clues or the bloop-bloop-ba'ding-baloop! noises from a video game are enough to challenge my sanity.

One one flight, I politely asked a mom if they might be able to put in some headphones, and nearly had my head taken off. Subsequently, LOML tells me that I "made a scene" and was "wrong" to ask such a thing.

I get that kids make noise - I'm not complaining about crying or talking or whatever, but don't they make kid-sized headphones? Watching a movie at full volume through my laptop speakers seems like nearly the rudest thing you could do on an airplane - I'd expect the flight crew would tell me to turn it off. Is the standard different for kids and I'm just out of touch?

[Bruce Page]

There was a time just a few years ago when talking on a cell phone in a restaurant was considered over the top rude. Today it's common everywhere.
The problem as I see it is we as a society just accept it. I was at a Dion's Pizza having lunch a few days ago. Two mothers were in deep conversation while their kids ran around the restaurant like it was the neighborhood park. I finally walked over and politely asked the moms to control their kids, you would've thought I threw cold water on them. I just shook my head and left. I don't know what the solution is.
I used to fly a lot for my work. I always put my Bose NC headphones on the moment I heard the 10,000 ft "ding" after takeoff.

[Rich Riddle]

I frequently travel and will simply ask someone to turn down volume, etc. Many people don't even realize what they are doing and suffer momentary bouts of being oblivious to the obvious. When boarding a plane last week, one man simply stopped at the entry point in the isle blocking everyone. When I politely said something, he responded, "wow, what a place to space out." He laughed and moved. Others aren't as polite.

[Erik Loza]

I frequently travel and will simply ask someone to turn down volume, etc. Many people don't even realize what they are doing and suffer momentary bouts of being oblivious to the obvious. When boarding a plane last week, one man simply stopped at the entry point in the isle blocking everyone. When I politely said something, he responded, "wow, what a place to space out." He laughed and moved. Others aren't as polite.

This has been pretty much my experience, too. I don't hesitate to ask folks to turn things down, etc.

Regarding airplanes, some possible solutions:

-My wife flies quite a bit and has a set of Bose noise-cancelling headphones. Muff-style. She likes them quite a bit.

-I have a set of Sure foam-plug style earbuds. No active noise cancelling but they are basically the same as regular foam earplugs, but obviously with sound. I prefer these and find they do a pretty decent job of blocking out the screaming kids, etc.

Erik

[Dan Friedrichs]

I do have the Bose NC headphones, but it just boggles my mind that anyone would think it was *MY* problem to not be bothered by *THEIR* invasive, rude behavior.

Aside from the plane, we also ate at some very fancy restaurants, and there were kids (even older ones, 12+) sitting at the table watching movies on the ipads with headphones on (at least they found headphones!). I just can't imagine what sort of parent thinks they are doing the right thing by letting their kid watch a movie during dinner at a restaurant, rather than learning table manners, social conventions, how to interact with adults, etc.

[Erik Loza]

I do have the Bose NC headphones, but it just boggles my mind that anyone would think it was *MY* problem to not be bothered by *THEIR* invasive, rude behavior...

My job, when we go grocery shopping, is to mind the cart and my wife's purse. I try to find the "eddy" in the current of people in the grocery store and stand out of the way, taking up as little space as possible. One time, a lady crashed into my cart while she was talking on the phone. I was stationary and tucked out of the way. She crashed into me but still gave me a dirty look, like it was my fault. I just rolled my eyes. Life it too short.

Erik

[Ken Fitzgerald]

With a CI, the problems you experience are even worse. Since you bypass the 3 bones of the middle ear which provide a sound deadening effect due to mechanical inefficiencies, background noise is at a much more significant portion of the overall audio you hear. Thus background noise becomes a real problem and can even cause headaches if endured at a too high level or for to long a period of time. Think about jet engine noise. I travel with a pair of Bose QC-15 noise cancelling headphones. I can listen to the movies and music provided by the airline, to music on my cellphone (in the airplane mode, of course) or just turn on the noise cancelling function to listen to quiet. They work quite well. Granted, I could just remove my sound processor and power off my hearing aid to get rid of background noise but that's unsafe. I wouldn't be able to hear aircraft announcements. With the nc headphones, I can hear those announcements quite well.

Since I am bimodal using both a CI and a hear aid, I use regular muff type headphones.

But society has changed as far as being polite to others or controlling their kids. Not all parents are like that but some are.

[Jerry Thompson]

I saw a bumper sticker, "Please excuse me for driving too close in front of you." I wonder if a doofuss up close behind that vehicle would even understand let alone back off.

[Bruce Page]

I saw a bumper sticker, "Please excuse me for driving too close in front of you." I wonder if a doofuss up close behind that vehicle would even understand let alone back off.
I like that!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I saw a bumper sticker, "Please excuse me for driving too close in front of you." I wonder if a doofuss up close behind that vehicle would even understand let alone back off.

The guy behind might have poor vision and drive a little closer just to read the bumper sticker?:confused:;)

[John K Jordan]

...But society has changed as far as being polite to others or controlling their kids. Not all parents are like that but some are.

I wonder who will take care of those parents when they are elderly. The kids they raised to be self-absorbed and non-social?

JKJ

[Frederick Skelly]

Dan, you did nothing wrong. I see parents do stuff like this more and more frequently - they seem to have zero respect for other people's "space" and treat everywhere they go as if it's a mcdonalds. If it were me, I would have also asked the flight attendant to engage. Ive found they usually try to help in situations like this.

In a non-airplane example, I recently took my girlfriend to an fairly upscale restaurant ($150 tab for two of us). Kid at next table just raising cane and the parents didnt have the courtesy to take him out to the car or the rest room to calm him down. I finally called the manager over. He chose not to approach the couple with the problem kid, but moved us far enough away that the noise was reduced, somewhat. (Our food was already ordered or Id have left.)

[Mike Cutler]

Dan

It's the way society is becoming. It's not right, and it is rude behavior
Many years ago I was on a cross country flight and a mom and her two kids were in the aisle seats across from me. They were young, 4-6 years old. It became obvious real quick that the two kids were not going to settle down, they were going to start crankin'. I turned on my Mac Book, started a Miyazaki movie,( Japanese anime, or "cartoons"), and aimed it across the aisle. 10 minutes later I had it on the food trays in from of them. I've never seen a mother so relieved.They were quiet for the entire flight.
Plane flights are very hard on kids, and parents. Sometimes the only way they can keep them from getting agitated is to distract them.
I'd rather hear the noises of an electronic game or device, than some of the screaming I've endured on plane flights.;)

[Dan Friedrichs]

Very smart solution, Mike :)

I was just astounded that the mom thought "no headphones" was OK.

Whenever I fly in the front of the plane (aka - when the company is paying for the ticket), it's not the "better" service that I appreciate as much as the "better neighbors". It seems like everyone in business/1st has manners and some intelligence.

[Rich Riddle]

Very smart solution, Mike :)

I was just astounded that the mom thought "no headphones" was OK.

Whenever I fly in the front of the plane (aka - when the company is paying for the ticket), it's not the "better" service that I appreciate as much as the "better neighbors". It seems like everyone in business/1st has manners and some intelligence.Well I almost exclusively fly first class these days and find no better neighbors there. Many are the "entitled" crowd who act very supercilious. Last week an "upgraded passenger" placed his carry on in a bin in first class and closed the bin. When I opened it to put our carry on items in the bin, he informed me he wanted the bin to himself. I told him to charter an aircraft. He responded like a petulant person. I have had to tell numerous passengers in first class to turn their cellular phones off speaker mode prior to take-off.

By the way, from Seattle to Detroit last week the plumber's union placed all their plumbers in first class to send them to a training conference.

[Frederick Skelly]

When I opened it to put our carry on items in the bin, he informed me he wanted the bin to himself. I told him to charter an aircraft.

Sputter. Aaack! Spit! There goes my coffee all over the tablet again. :D
What a GREAT response.