Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

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

13567

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 740 ✭✭✭Alf. A. Male


    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.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 27,498 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭Shakespeare's Sister


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭AudreyHepburn


    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.


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,424 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    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?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,991 ✭✭✭blackwhite


    Gatling wrote: »
    I sleep perfectly at night so do my children ,

    Common sense casual sexism vs interweb stranger quoting parenting

    FYP


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,793 ✭✭✭tritium


    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!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭AudreyHepburn


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    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


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,793 ✭✭✭tritium


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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭The One Doctor


    Ah, the witchhunting crowd are back.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭caustic 1


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭LenaClaire


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,836 ✭✭✭Sir Gallagher


    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."


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,269 ✭✭✭GalwayGuy2


    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 369 ✭✭Friend Computer


    Gatling wrote: »
    Get real , parents are entitled to there opinions

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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭AudreyHepburn


    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Maphisto


    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:


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


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

    Cop on you fill in the rest yourself


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,745 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    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.


  • Subscribers, Paid Member Posts: 45,424 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    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


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,424 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭iwantmydinner


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭iwantmydinner


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    FYP

    attention seeking whore journalist

    Absolutely no need for that


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,237 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Absolutely no need for that

    Agreed. It doesn't exactly help.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,346 ✭✭✭No Pants


    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭Shakespeare's Sister


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


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,237 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    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.


Advertisement
Advertisement