Autistic girl kicked off flight ‘for making pilot feel uncomfortable’

[harvyk]

Autistic girl kicked off flight ‘for making pilot feel uncomfortable’

The humiliating May 5 incident unfolded when Juliette, who has flown extensively with her mum, refused to eat her packed lunch.
To calm her down, Dr Beegle asked the flight attendants for food only available from the first class menu.
Dr Beegle said her daughter is a picky eater and struggles with verbal communication.
After a 25-minute battle, the crew told Dr Beegle they couldn’t provide the menu items because Juliette was flying economy, not first class.

OK, so it's no news, which means take with grain of salt, but if true all I can think back to is one of my own experiences but with QF, when I told an FA that I was not a fan of the meal offered in Y, and he said "not a problem, I think there is a J meal still available I'll go check", and sure enough I had the J meal (without the table cloth). I've never been the heights of a FFer (at least not according to FF programs), I was on the cheapest ticket available, and I won't go into a tis just because I didn't get something nice to eat, and the flight was not exactly a long one (a MEL-CBR), and yet once they knew those in J were sorted they had no problems helping me out.

I guess for me, all this story does is reinforce my generally low view of "service" standards on US based carriers.

 

[juddles]

Autistic girl kicked off flight ‘for making pilot feel uncomfortable’
....I guess for me, all this story does is reinforce my generally low view of "service" standards on US based carriers.....

You are kidding? She went off like a banshee. Good on the crew. And yet again, the title is so misleading. "Autistic girl kicked off" ???? NO. "Pax going crazy caused flight to divert" would be much more honest.

 

[Denali]

What I don't understand is why it went from my kid is a picky eater so give me a first class meal now to fine, don't blame me when my kid starts having a meltdown and scratching. Was the kid going to start scratching random passengers & FAs or just mum?

IF you know your kid is special needs and a picky eater - pack a meal/snack for your own kid to make sure your kid had something if the alternatives were not to their taste. Heck, I pack protein bars so my husband wont get hungry/narky let alone a special needs kid.

Of course I wasn't there but the mum comes off as a bit of a DYKWIA.

 

[N860CR]

Good call by the crew. The mother clearly stated that the child was likely to become disruptive and even aggressive. I don't see how the provision of first class food would have prevented that...

Next time I'm in economy remind me to advise the crew that I'll have a meltdown if they don't serve me the Billecart from up the front. Really not very different to this incident.

 

[medhead]

The interesting paragraph is:

The flight attendant eventually complied. But 30 minutes later, a crew member announced the plane would be making an emergency landing because of a problem with a passenger’s behaviour.

The FA complied? How? by giving her a meal? Then they waited 30 minutes before doing anything? Safety was compromised and they stood around doing nothing for 30 minutes? Or perhaps something else happened but then they decided to keep flying for at least 30 minutes with this supposedly dangerous passenger. Exactly who did the child threaten? The crew? The Pilot? Or were they really just a threat to the parents? Sounds like some united crew need to take a teaspoon of cement and harden up, princess.

There is ZERO in this story to make a judgement either way.

You are kidding? She went off like a banshee. Good on the crew. And yet again, the title is so misleading. "Autistic girl kicked off" ???? NO. "Pax going crazy caused flight to divert" would be much more honest.

Oh you were on the flight? You have experience of banshees going off? Unless you were on the flight the only thing you have to support this is that the word of another passenger. Another passenger who also thinks that a child can open an exit door during flight. That other passenger doesn't seem a reliable as a witness.

Good call by the crew. The mother clearly stated that the child was likely to become disruptive and even aggressive. I don't see how the provision of first class food would have prevented that...

Next time I'm in economy remind me to advise the crew that I'll have a meltdown if they don't serve me the Billecart from up the front. Really not very different to this incident.

Unless you're a child with a mental impairment this incident is nothing like you having a meltdown.

 

[JohnK]

Another of those situations where it's everyone else's fault my child is misbehaving?

 

[Denali]

Another of those situations where it's everyone else's fault my child is misbehaving?

Sounds like the kid wasn't misbehaving BUT the mum was prepared to create enough drama to maybe tip her kid into a meltdown.

With my very limited experience, kids on the spectrum like routine and their own comforts/likes - which is why I would have thought a few of her preferred meals/snacks would have been important to pack before getting on the plane.

I actually think the kid is being punished/put in a bad light because she has a ****ty/entitled mum.

 

[N860CR]

Unless you're a child with a mental impairment this incident is nothing like you having a meltdown.

How are the crew to know what's condition the child has? They have no information, no medical assessment, only what they can see and what the child's supervisor (in this case, the mother) can tell them. The mother advised that if they did not provide food from First, the child would likely have become unstable and aggressive. Another passenger reports that the child was becoming distressed and creating a disturbance in the cabin.

A decision to divert is not taken lightly, similarly a decision not to when presented with a threat (any threat) can result in a serious incident. If I were the captain and the crew reported such an incident to me, I certainly would be concerned for the safety of the remaining passengers who I am responsible for.

Perhaps, moving forward, the mother could either book into first or carry appropriate sustenance for the child to ensure they are not put in a position that might upset them. To rely on a food service on a U.S. airline in economy is somewhat of a stupid move.

 

[medhead]

How are the crew to know what's condition the child has? They have no information, no medical assessment, only what they can see and what the child's supervisor (in this case, the mother) can tell them. The mother advised that if they did not provide food from First, the child would likely have become unstable and aggressive. Another passenger reports that the child was becoming distressed and creating a disturbance in the cabin.

A decision to divert is not taken lightly, similarly a decision not to when presented with a threat (any threat) can result in a serious incident. If I were the captain and the crew reported such an incident to me, I certainly would be concerned for the safety of the remaining passengers who I am responsible for.

Perhaps, moving forward, the mother could either book into first or carry appropriate sustenance for the child to ensure they are not put in a position that might upset them. To rely on a food service on a U.S. airline in economy is somewhat of a stupid move.

There is no equivalence to you demanding champagne or you'll have a meltdown. How hard is this to understand.

All the rest of what you've written is assumption and opinion based on a dodgy witness. Happy for you to make such judgement, surprised you'd do so given the questions that you've now raised, but please skip the ludicrous analogies.

If we want to compare credibility; is the carer/both parents, one of whom used the title Dr. (Who knows what of) more credible than a random passenger who thinks it's possible to open the emergency exit in flight?

 

[drron]

If you read the links the girl was served a first class meal-

Beegle told KOIN 6 News she explained that if her daughter didn’t get a hot meal, she would “get to the meltdown point” and maybe scratch someone. Juliette soon got a first-class meal.

It would seem the mother wasn't very thoughtful-

“And that was when I just kind of said, ‘You know what? Maybe after she has a meltdown and she’s crying and trying to scratch, then you’ll help us’,” Dr Beegle told KATU about her exchange with the flight crew.

So the mother admits to saying her daughter may have a meltdown-the FAs cant know how likely that would be and understandable they may get concerned.

But the twist in the tail is the daughter was thought to be disruptive on United so offloaded and United rebooked her and the family on Delta.

 

[N860CR]

There is no equivalence to you demanding champagne or you'll have a meltdown. How hard is this to understand.

All the rest of what you've written is assumption and opinion based on a dodgy witness. Happy for you to make such judgement, surprised you'd do so given the questions that you've now raised, but please skip the ludicrous analogies.

If we want to compare credibility; is the carer/both parents, one of whom used the title Dr. (Who knows what of) more credible that a random passenger who things it's possible to open the emergency exit in flight?

Mother demanded a first class meal or the child would become unstable. Seems to me like an unreasonable request hence my attempt at sarcasm that has clearly gone over your head. Moving forward, does every parent demand first class meals for their children for fear of them causing a disturbance in the cabin?

The rest are the same assumptions the captain would have to make based on the information provided to him or her by those in the cabin.

Sorry if you disagree, but if a cabin crew member reported to me that a parent had advised their child was likely to become unstable and physically aggressive, then it would be setting some alarm bells off in my head.

 

[medhead]

Mother demanded a first class meal or the child would become unstable. Seems to me like an unreasonable request hence my attempt at sarcasm that has clearly gone over your head. Moving forward, does every parent demand first class meals for their children for fear of them causing a disturbance in the cabin?

The rest are the same assumptions the captain would have to make based on the information provided to him or her by those in the cabin.

Sorry if you disagree, but if a cabin crew member reported to me that a parent had advised their child was likely to become unstable and physically aggressive, then it would be setting some alarm bells off in my head.

Poor attempt (the operative word) at sarcasm. Mental impairment cannot be judged by normal standards of behaviour.

 

[N860CR]

Poor attempt (the operative word) at sarcasm. Mental impairment cannot be judged by normal standards of behaviour.

How about we drop the personal stabs?

Probably not. But the crew have a job to do, and they did it well. Probably would have been helped if the mother had taken a little bit of responsibility for their child and the claimed condition.

Airlines (and crew) do everything they can to help and individual, however when an individual poses a possible risk (perceived or otherwise), then there are hundreds of other people who they are also responsible for.

I don't have a disabled child, however if I did I most certainly would not board an aeroplane totally unprepared and then demand something I'm not entitled to with the threat of a disturbance if it's not complied with.

As I said, where does it stop?

 

[medhead]

How about we drop the personal stabs?

Great idea.

my attempt at sarcasm that has clearly gone over your head.

Probably not. But the crew have a job to do, and they did it well. Probably would have been helped if the mother had taken a little bit of responsibility for their child and the claimed condition.

Airlines (and crew) do everything they can to help and individual, however when an individual poses a possible risk (perceived or otherwise), then there are hundreds of other people who they are also responsible for.

I don't have a disabled child, however if I did I most certainly would not board an aeroplane totally unprepared and then demand something I'm not entitled to with the threat of a disturbance if it's not complied with.

As I said, where does it stop?

since you weren't there I doubt you're in any position to know or judge the actions of anyone involved. Where does it stop? I've already answered that a few times. It certainly does not extend to people without special needs, no matter how often you make that suggestion.

 

[N860CR]

No worries mate, you're clearly not getting my point.

End of the day, crew perceived a valid risk, it was dealt with.

 

[wooley]

maybe the parents did the wrong thing, or maybe the airline did the wrong thing, or perhaps everyone did the wrong thing! Unless you were on that aircraft, pretty hard to say...

but really, at the end of the day, whether misguided or not, the crew had a perceived threat and acted on it.

 

[Pushka]

Doesn't the crew have the ultimate (and only) say in assessment of risk? Even if on an individual level that can be rationalised - eg by the parent - then I'm siding with the crew.

 

[UP4014]

Hmmm, did the mother get her tin of petrol out when she said "i need first class food......" or else there will be consequences.

By the time they went through the motions and landed in Salt Lake they could have been half way to Portland (if Oregon not Maine), perhaps if mum had kept quiet there might have been some noise towards the end but they would have been nearly in Portland anyway.

While I don't blame anyone, the child, the parents or crew, things just happen sometimes; it would have been cheaper and better for the passengers to hand over a meal if there was one which presumably there was as they were told the reason was the class of travel not 'we have run out'. Always better to say we don't have any than we have one but aren't handing it over.

Matt

 

[OzEire]

Many grains of salt required for a tabloid news 'story' like this. It would be very hard to make any real judgement based on these few details.

But... one thing to think about is that pax generally can't heat their own food. A few here have suggested Dr Mum should being food, yes, true but I read that the picky eater was keen on a hot meal?

I am a little sympathetic as Im not sure how successful the family would have been if they told the airline about the condition and possible consequences pre-boarding (perhaps denied?).

I'd also like to say "just book F class then" but it may not be so easy for a family caring for a needs child (Dr B ought to have the means, based on quals but who knows).

 

[toottifruitti]

I have a 12yo child who is ADHD and we fly quite a lot on all airlines both here Asia and the USA. When we fly we notify the airlines and let them know. All airlines have been great. Yes he is a picky eater and now we pay full fare for him we also still ask for kids meals and if there still anything on there that he doesn't like we swap and share meals but usually we can find something between us that he can eat. When boarding the plane we always ask to be one of the first to get on so we can settle him. Once we take off he is fine. We always wait till everyone is off the plane till we disembark so he is not overwhelmed. We have always treated our children the same regardless if they have a disability or not which I find a lot of parents don't. Our moto in our house is "Everyone is special. No one is more special than the other".