Australian journalist: "I don't want my kids sitting next to a man on a plane"

Gatling · 09-05-2014 10:39AM

the_syco wrote: »

Statistically speaking, there's a greater chance the kids would be molested by her husband than some randomer on a plane surrounded by people...

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

Alf. A. Male · 09-05-2014 10:40AM

leeroybrown wrote: »

The stigma is unfortunate but true. I'm aware of a number of retail employers who have explicitly instructed their male staff not to approach lost/upset children and instead leave the child while they find a female staff member to approach them. I'd be very reluctant to help a lost child alone because of the reaction some people have to seeing a man alone with a child.

Utter ****ing nonsense. Seriously, this is the sort of rubbish that perpetuates the stranger-danger myth while the real danger is much closer to the children. These purported retailer's policies are nonsense too.

spurious · 09-05-2014 10:41AM

the_syco wrote: »

Statistically speaking, there's a greater chance the kids would be molested by her husband than some randomer on a plane surrounded by people...

Substantially greater chance. Even higher that it would be someone known to the family.

Shakespeare's Sister · 09-05-2014 10:43AM

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

Utter ****ing nonsense. Seriously, this is the sort of rubbish that perpetuates the stranger-danger myth while the real danger is much closer to the children.

I think they mean the attitude that men are potential predators exists all too much, rather than agreeing that it's a valid view.

AudreyHepburn · 09-05-2014 10:45AM

caustic 1 wrote: »

I don't know what her situation was that the children had to go on a plane alone in the first place, but I'm sure that it must have been unavoidable. How do we know this lady has not been abused herself therefore her fear may be heightened than that of someone who has not been. I honestly don't think what she is saying is totally of the mark. Better to be careful than regret in hindsight.

That's good point.....but if that were the case then why on earth would she send her children away on their own?

No I think in this case this woman simply paranoid and somewhat sexist in her beliefs. She is needlessly and basely tarring all men with one brush.

Dravokivich · 09-05-2014 10:45AM

Gatling wrote: »

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

Each case of such incidents should be treated on their own and seriously. But to state that it isn't representative of all men does not reduce this incident to a trivial matter. This prejudice against men is the trivial matter. How many were there and didn't attempt to take the kid?

blackwhite · 09-05-2014 10:46AM

Gatling wrote: »

I sleep perfectly at night so do my children ,

Common sense casual sexism vs interweb stranger quoting parenting

FYP

tritium · 09-05-2014 10:46AM

Gatling wrote: »

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

I had a class mate who used to tell a story of a woman trying to get him to walk off with her in the supermarket when he was about 7. Should we start an hysterical campaign against unaccompanied women now. Its the same sample size of n=1 after all!

AudreyHepburn · 09-05-2014 10:47AM

Gatling wrote: »

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

So because this one man is a monster, all men should be treated as such?

Utter nonsense.

Gatling · 09-05-2014 10:53AM

tritium wrote: »

I had a class mate who used to tell a story of a woman trying to get him to walk off with her in the supermarket when he was about 7. Should we start an hysterical campaign against unaccompanied women now. Its the same sample size of n=1 after all!

Get real , parents are entitled to there opinions and concerns when it to our children ,I can guarantee you anything 90% + would feel the same

Call it what you like sexism / or other faux outrage ,

It won't change a thing ,
all men and women are equally dangerous when it comes to children or adults

tritium · 09-05-2014 10:53AM

Possibly the most worrying bit is that this fools prejudiced views actually represents the official policy of many of the worlds largest airlines

The One Doctor · 09-05-2014 10:55AM

Ah, the witchhunting crowd are back.

caustic 1 · 09-05-2014 10:55AM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

That's good point.....but if that were the case then why on earth would she send her children away on their own?

No I think in this case this woman simply paranoid and somewhat sexist in her beliefs. She is needlessly and basely tarring all men with one brush.

Perhaps she was trying to make sure here children were ok and can do things without her there to protect them whilst in the background trying to keep it that way. I know I try to protect mine in a way that they don't have nightmares or are afraid to walk down the street. I can't recall what ages her children are or if it even said.

LenaClaire · 09-05-2014 10:59AM

kylith wrote: »

Probably because I'd barely trust my 13 year old nephew to get himself ready for school, let alone navigate check in, the maze that is duty free, find the right gate, and get there in time to get the plane.

Surely there has to be more to it than just dropping them at the airport? If I had to send a child on an plane alone I'd want to be escorting them to the gate and have someone collect them from the gate also.

I don't know about in Australia, but in the US when a child is flying alone, the Parents pay more for extra attention and all the flight attendants are made aware of the child. The parents are given a special non-boarding pass that allows them to get through security so that they can go to the gate with the child until the child boards the plane.

On the arriving end, the person with ID, who was designated by the Parent will either be at the arriving gate (if domestic) or just past customs if international.

If it is an international flight, the child waits with the airline staff until all passangers have de-planed and then go through customs with the airline staff in the special staff line.

I flew alone a lot as a child and was always minded very well by the airline staff.

krudler · 09-05-2014 10:59AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRbgM1-zfMY

Sir Gallagher · 09-05-2014 11:00AM

Gatling wrote: »

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

Lol. This is like one of those facebook statuses you see floating about from time to time.

"Two men in a red car who looked like foreign nationals tried to kidnap my little angel, just letting everyone know, now going to pop my feet up and watch X Factor with a bottle of vino and some munchies, kids staying in their friends house, bitta time away from them thank god."

GalwayGuy2 · 09-05-2014 11:01AM

Children wouldn't usually know the dangers of the real world, thankfully innocence in a child protects them from the likes of this woman's idea of the male population,.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. If you're told from a young age that you should be careful if a man smiles at you, don't accept sweets off old men, if your on your own don't go alone with a man, if you need help look for a woma, etc, this can carry on well into adulthood.

It's very hard to break these schemas once their created. It will turn a group of men into a danger, and a man's lingering eyes as a degrading act.

Friend Computer · 09-05-2014 11:01AM

Gatling wrote: »

Get real , parents are entitled to there opinions

Your opinions are bull****. That is what I and others are entitled to say.

AudreyHepburn · 09-05-2014 11:03AM

caustic 1 wrote: »

Perhaps she was trying to make sure here children were ok and can do things without her there to protect them whilst in the background trying to keep it that way. I know I try to protect mine in a way that they don't have nightmares or are afraid to walk down the street. I can't recall what ages her children are or if it even said.

There's protection and then there is hysteria and paranoia.

This is the latter imo.

Maphisto · 09-05-2014 11:03AM

I've never heard of her but I think someone wrote above that she was sacked from her Sky job.

So as a journo she has to write something interesting to put food on the table. The more people talk about it, the more interesting it is. Doesn't have to be correct. She doesn't even have to believe it.

Hack Journalism 101 :pac:

Gatling · 09-05-2014 11:03AM

Friend Computer wrote: »

Your opinions are bull****. That is what I and others are entitled to say.

Cop on you fill in the rest yourself

kylith · 09-05-2014 11:04AM

Out of curiosity I had a google and came across this on http://airtravel.about.com/od/childrenandairtravel/qt/umnrpart2.htm

"An airline representative takes the unaccompanied minor through security and brings them to the gate where the child will be escorted on board by an airline representative, normally prior to other passengers. "

So she'll hand her child over to a complete stranger to be escorted to security and wait for the plane, a stranger who is totally unsupervised with the child, who could bring them anywhere in the airport and do anything with them, but it's ok because that stranger is (presumably) a woman. But sitting beside a man in an area packed with people for a few hours is something so dangerous that all men must be assumed to be child molesters.

sydthebeat · 09-05-2014 11:07AM

Maphisto wrote: »

I've never heard of her but I think someone wrote above that she was sacked from her Sky job.

So as a journo she has to write something interesting controversial to put food on the table. The more people talk about it, the more interesting controversial it is. Doesn't have to be correct. She doesn't even have to believe it.

Hack Journalism 101 :pac:

FYP

attention seeking whore journalist

Dravokivich · 09-05-2014 11:11AM

kylith wrote: »

Out of curiosity I had a google and came across this on http://airtravel.about.com/od/childrenandairtravel/qt/umnrpart2.htm

"An airline representative takes the unaccompanied minor through security and brings them to the gate where the child will be escorted on board by an airline representative, normally prior to other passengers. "

So she'll hand her child over to a complete stranger to be escorted to security and wait for the plane, a stranger who is totally unsupervised with the child, who could bring them anywhere in the airport and do anything with them, but it's ok because that stranger is a woman. But sitting beside a man in an area packed with people for a few hours is something so dangerous that all men must be assumed to be child molesters.

Didn't say anywhere in the article that the airline representative was expected to be a woman.

iwantmydinner · 09-05-2014 11:13AM

Ohdeargad that article made me rage. Who does she think she is?! She needs to a) stop thinking that every man is a potential predator, and b) stop telling the world that every man is a potential predator. What a horrific attitude.

iwantmydinner · 09-05-2014 11:14AM

sydthebeat wrote: »

FYP

attention seeking whore journalist

Absolutely no need for that

jimgoose · 09-05-2014 11:15AM

iwantmydinner wrote: »

Absolutely no need for that

Agreed. It doesn't exactly help.

No Pants · 09-05-2014 11:15AM

Gatling wrote: »

Tell that to the mother in the uk while out shopping yesterday ,when a man took hold of her young child's hand and tried to walk away with the child

Link please.

Shakespeare's Sister · 09-05-2014 11:16AM

Isn't "attention whore" just a genderless term for anyone who's desperate to be noticed? Think that's all Sydthebeat meant.

jimgoose · 09-05-2014 11:17AM

Magaggie wrote: »

Isn't "attention whore" just a genderless term for anyone who's desperate to be noticed? Think that's all Sydthebeat meant.

Probably, but it's not a nice word to be using about women and girls.

Australian journalist: "I don't want my kids sitting next to a man on a plane"

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