Hey!

 

It was one shout too many.

We were returning home from a weekend celebrating the marriage of a dear cousin of ours. As we entered the jet plane, we saw lots of families and kids, so we anticipated the possibility of angry infants and restless toddlers. As I settled into my seat, I heard a shout—hey!—from the child directly behind me, who was neither a toddler nor an infant. I took a deep breath and hoped he’d settle down.

He didn’t.

As the plane took off, the little guy behind me randomly would just shout “hey,” followed by a shush from his mother, which was tolerable while I read on my Kindle. But after several times of drifting off to sleep and his voice jerking me awake, my patience finally vanished into thin air. I undid my seat belt, turned around, kneeled on my seat and glared at the little guy and said HEY! I asked, did I scare you? Followed by, when you shout hey, you scare me!

My heart jerked for a moment. He was a little guy, a flaming redhead with coke-bottle glasses. His head turned to one parent, then to the other. His mother then spoke up and said, he’s only four and this is his first flight. I responded with, well, I’m old. And then in my indoor voice, I repeated, I’m old. During this entire exchange, the little guy’s father, with his bizarre haircut and his arms covered with tattoos, kept his nose buried in his book.

I turned around and sat down, snapped on my seat belt, and waited to hear the next hey from behind me.

Not a peep.

I drifted in and out of sleep. As we approached Orlando, about 1.5 hours after the incident, I heard the little guy murmuring to his parents, asking them if the lady was still sleeping. I suspect they reassured him that he could speak at that point. So in a not-so-loud voice, I heard him say, zip it! Several times. I don’t know if it was directed at anyone in particular, and I suspect he was imitating a regular retort from his parents. I considered thanking him for not shouting anymore before I disembarked, but I felt I’d sufficiently made my point.

*     *     *     *

This incident brought up so many issues for me; I can’t stop thinking about it. I thought about whether I should have kept my mouth shut. I wondered if his parents often indulged his inappropriate behavior. I asked myself if he was old enough to understand the implications of his actions. (I didn’t raise children myself.)

Isn’t it important for children to learn early the limitations of their freedom? That shouting on the playground is wonderful, but not in a crowded airplane? Aren’t we preparing them for life when they learn to be respectful of us old codgers? Do parents worry too much about looking like “mean” parents?

All in all, I think my reaction was understandable. But appropriate? I don’t know.

I hope his parents learned a lesson, too.

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  1. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    My middle sister, observing an out of control brat with indulgent/passive parents, commented to my other sisters “I don’t recall we had the option.”

    We did not.

    “I say jump, you ask how high on the way down.” – Spin’s dad

    • #61
  2. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Spin (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    My middle sister, observing an out of control brat with indulgent/passive parents, commented to my other sisters “I don’t recall we had the option.”

    We did not.

    “I say jump, you ask how high on the way down.” – Spin’s dad

    My dad would have been mad at me asking on the way down because I might interrupt him saying “higher.”

    • #62
  3. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Percival (View Comment):

    Spin (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    My middle sister, observing an out of control brat with indulgent/passive parents, commented to my other sisters “I don’t recall we had the option.”

    We did not.

    “I say jump, you ask how high on the way down.” – Spin’s dad

    My dad would have been mad at me asking on the way down because I might interrupt him saying “higher.”

    You all got to come down without permission?  Luxury.

    • #63
  4. Mark Alexander Inactive
    Mark Alexander
    @MarkAlexander

    • #64
  5. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    BDB (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Spin (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    My middle sister, observing an out of control brat with indulgent/passive parents, commented to my other sisters “I don’t recall we had the option.”

    We did not.

    “I say jump, you ask how high on the way down.” – Spin’s dad

    My dad would have been mad at me asking on the way down because I might interrupt him saying “higher.”

    You all got to come down without permission? Luxury.

    • #65
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