Two toddlers cried at Gate B1 Tuesday afternoon at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport as we awaited our flight to Buffalo. How did the kids know they were going to Buffalo?
The louder of the kids sat on the left side of the packed plane two rows in front of me. He started to cry before we left the ground and he continued to cry until we reached Lake Erie.
It's always sad when there's a crying kid on the plane.
But it's always funny when the kid is sitting directly behind a friend of yours.
The kid kicked, yelled, moaned, squirmed and fired off banshee like screams while the Charlotte Observer's David Scott sat stoicly in front of him.
I blame the dad for the kid's behavior. The kid wouldn't cry when he went to his mom on my side of the aisle. But he did not want to sit with the dad. The dad held him anyway.
The parents apparently didn't bring toys or books or snacks or videos. Everybody with a kid knows you bring his or her favorite stuff. When we ask energetic kids to sit passively for more than 90 minutes, they're entitled to a reward. At least give the kid a snack. Occupy him, engage him, tell him stories.
The only story I heard the dad say began with "Now" and ended with "Now." Here's the entire story: "Now, now."
I saw the dad pull out one book, and I don't even think it had pictures. It looked like an encyclopedia.
I tell you, if those parents don't do something soon, the kid will someday misbehave so badly that reporters will go to his neighbors to ask what drove him to do this, and the neighbors will say, "He was a loner."
The noise got so bad that I started to get up to ask David if he wanted to trade seats. But I didn't want to disturb the kid.
tom, I was especially moved by your column this morning as you talked about your early days associated with Baseball. That was a different time. Somehow it went away but you and I and a couple of million other people still can remember what it was like.
I wouldn't change that moment for any amount of money.
Your final two paragraphs left me with a lump in my throat and an eye damp with emotion.
Continue to remenice (sp.)
Posted by: terry A. Edwards | April 05, 2007 at 09:05 AM