Flying with an infant

[CCM]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

+1


That's freaking nasty!   

[HaRuMaN]

I'm guessing neither CCM or pinballjim have kids...

[CCM]

I'm guessing neither CCM or pinballjim have kids...

You're right, I don't.

Regardless, I don't want to be inches away from anybodies poop,  baby, adult, supermodel, dog...   And I certainly don't want poop anywhere near where food may be served!

[HaRuMaN]

It's Southwest, they don't serve food...   

[DillonFoulds]

If you don't mind me asking, how long was the flight? "Mommy" and I are hoping to make a flight down to Anaheim in the next few years, roughly a 5 hour flight from here. By that time our son should be anywhere from 6 months to two years old...

As for the diaper changes, i don't see the harm on using the flip down tables, as long as everything is done in a prompt, orderly fashion and their is adequate preparation involved.

[HaRuMaN]

Roughly 4.5 hours flying east, a little longer flying west.

[saint]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

I'm a parent and I don't care.

[ChadTower]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

I'm a parent and I don't care.

Jim apparently does care.   

[Vigo]

.....but it's still better than the airline food. (cue rimshot)

[saint]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

I'm a parent and I don't care.

Jim apparently does care.   

Heh.

I see why someone else would care of course, just as a parent myself nothing phases me much anymore. Kid's poop up to my elbows? Kid barfed in my mouth? Green ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- streaming out of the nose?

Meh - no biggie.

[eds1275]

Although I am not bothered by that kind of stuff, I think that you have to be considerate that others might be. Something that may be no big deal or even funny to you may turn someone else's stomach.

[Ed_McCarron]

Although I am not bothered by that kind of stuff, I think that you have to be considerate that others might be. Something that may be no big deal or even funny to you may turn someone else's stomach.

He was considerate.  It's not like he said to the person "Here, hold this ---smurfy--- diaper..."   

[CheffoJeffo]

Aren't airplanes one of the least hygenic places in the world already ?

I expect that there is more poop and barf on those tray tables from everyday travelers than from babies being changed.

I would bet that the only time those tray tables actually get wiped down is when a parent changes a diaper on them.

[Kevin Mullins]

I think that you have to be considerate that others might be.

Sometimes it's just the opposite... those "others" need to be understanding of a parents duties/obligations and they should also be grateful that they themselves even exist.

Or the parent could just ignore the need for a diaper change all together and see which lasts longer, them being upset for a 3 minute diaper change....or the duration of the flight.   

[shmokes]

If the diaper just had pee in it I think the other people maybe should be understanding (probably not).  If it had poop in it, it was pretty rude to change the kid on an eating tray, particularly one that is right next to stranger.  Of course, you do what you gotta do.  But when you don't gotta, you don't.  And I think it's usually pretty unlikely that you have to change your kid there at that very moment or something very bad would happen or something.  Waiting for six people for the restroom doesn't take that long.  I think rather than doing what you gotta do, you did was was very convenient for you.  In any case, I think handling bodily excretions on a shared eating surface isn't very classy or considerate.  I mean, even just going to the back of the plane and changing the kid outside of the bathroom would be a better option.

And I have a child.

[Ed_McCarron]

"Waiting for six people for the restroom doesn't take that long."

Bwuh?

Most planes, theres one restroom you're supposed to use.  5-6 minutes a person, thats a 30-40 minute delay.  Kid's sitting in ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, then, yeah, you change ASAP.  Otherwise rash, leaks, smells -- suck up the 30 seconds of 'yuck' and be glad you didn't have to smell it for 40 minutes.

[lilshawn]

Most planes, theres one restroom you're supposed to use.

like.... "coloreds only"??

[shmokes]

"Waiting for six people for the restroom doesn't take that long."

Bwuh?

Most planes, theres one restroom you're supposed to use.  5-6 minutes a person, thats a 30-40 minute delay.  Kid's sitting in ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, then, yeah, you change ASAP.  Otherwise rash, leaks, smells -- suck up the 30 seconds of 'yuck' and be glad you didn't have to smell it for 40 minutes.

Almost all planes have at least two restrooms in coach, bigger planes have more.  And it isn't anything like 5-6 minutes per person unless every single person is taking a crap, which is super unlikely.  An average of 2 minutes is more likely.  Split between at least two bathrooms.  Anyway, you already know this or you've never flown.  Waiting for the toilet on an airplane never, ever, takes 30-40 minutes. 

And, like I said, you can take the kid to the back of the plane and change him there, even if you can't wait for the toilet (which is unlikely).  For crying out loud, it is a tray with the primary purpose of holding food and beverages.  For lots of people.  And you're crammed into those seats like sardines.  If you have stinky gas I don't even think you should be farting there.  Going to the back of the plane to minimize grossness to others isn't that hard. 
   

[CheffoJeffo]

For crying out loud, it is a tray with the primary purpose of holding food and beverages.  For lots of people.  And you're crammed into those seats like sardines.  If you have stinky gas I don't even think you should be farting there.  Going to the back of the plane to minimize grossness to others isn't that hard. 

You seen, this is, I think the epitome of ignorance about the cleanliness of airplanes. That tray is a dirty, dirty place (only place on a plane worse would be the restroom).

If you aren't cleaning the tray before you eat, then you really aren't concerned ... or are concerned, but aren't that bright.

Add the fact that you are breathing all sorts of stuff in without reasonable air filtration and recycling.

Caveat:
Been flying regularly since arcades were popular.

Know people who manage food and bev service on airplanes. They don't eat on planes. And it ain't because of the diaper changes.

[Ed_McCarron]

"Waiting for six people for the restroom doesn't take that long."

Bwuh?

Most planes, theres one restroom you're supposed to use.  5-6 minutes a person, thats a 30-40 minute delay.  Kid's sitting in ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, then, yeah, you change ASAP.  Otherwise rash, leaks, smells -- suck up the 30 seconds of 'yuck' and be glad you didn't have to smell it for 40 minutes.

Almost all planes have at least two restrooms in coach, bigger planes have more.  And it isn't anything like 5-6 minutes per person unless every single person is taking a crap, which is super unlikely.  An average of 2 minutes is more likely.  Split between at least two bathrooms.  Anyway, you already know this or you've never flown.  Waiting for the toilet on an airplane never, ever, takes 30-40 minutes. 

And, like I said, you can take the kid to the back of the plane and change him there, even if you can't wait for the toilet (which is unlikely).  For crying out loud, it is a tray with the primary purpose of holding food and beverages.  For lots of people.  And you're crammed into those seats like sardines.  If you have stinky gas I don't even think you should be farting there.  Going to the back of the plane to minimize grossness to others isn't that hard. 
   

About 6 months ago.  USAirways.  Flight to CA, from PA for work.  Seated near the front of the plane, I was told not to use the lavatory at the back because they 'didn't want us wandering around the plane for security reasons.'  Oh, and don't use the first class lav.  Oh, and don't form a line.

Yup.  40 minute wait.  I almost needed a diaper change.

I try my damndest to be nice to others while flying -- but it's getting tougher.  About halfway through that flight I just wanted out and to hell with the others around me.

[shmokes]

That tray is a dirty, dirty place

That may or may not be true.  But that's like saying, "There's already so much litter on the roads that you might as well throw your garbage out the windows as you're driving."

Changing a diaper on other peoples' eating surface, almost regardless of the prior state of said surface, is gross and rude.

[CheffoJeffo]

That tray is a dirty, dirty place

That may or may not be true.  But that's like saying, "There's already so much litter on the roads that you might as well throw your garbage out the windows as you're driving."

Changing a diaper on other peoples' eating surface, almost regardless of the prior state of said surface, is gross and rude.

Fair enough (I like the analogy!) ... but you were representing those trays as being clean for eating, which is a silly, silly thing to think (and, yes, it is true).

[BurgerKingDiamond]

Get one of those pet carriers and have her ride with the luggage. 

That will certainly make everyone else's trip as smooth as possible. 

 

[Ed_McCarron]

Changing a diaper on other peoples' eating surface, almost regardless of the prior state of said surface, is gross and rude.

Perspective.  Perhaps they're rude to be eating on a diaper changing surface.

[HaRuMaN]

FWIW, this aircraft (B737) had two lavatories, one front, one rear.  Only the front one had the changing table.

[Vigo]

If I was sitting next to someone with a kid, I think I would much rather have them change a kid on the tray than have to watch poop slime squishing out and dripping down the kid's legs. 

[Hoopz]

If I was sitting next to someone with a kid, I think I would much rather have them change a kid on the tray than have to watch poop slime squishing out and dripping down the kid's legs. 

A lot of the times it goes UP the back of the diaper instead of out the leg.  It'll vary based on a few items though.  Do we really want to go there though?   

[DNA Dan]

HarumaN - You did what you had to do to keep your baby from sitting in ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Takes guts to bite down and just do it regardless of what others think or say. Some babies get very bad rashes and pimples from having ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- stuck to them for any length of time.  Also a baby with a dirty diaper can be very LOUD. I'd rather endure 3 minutes of watching you change a dirty diaper next to me than hear BBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! For 1 minute.

In the future you might consider waiting in the bathroom line with the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- stinking up the line. I know if I was next in line and saw a parent waiting in line with that mess on their hands, I would let them go ahead of me and spare the other passengers.

[yotsuya]

I didn't realize they were still serving food on flights.

[Ed_McCarron]

I didn't realize they were still serving food on flights.

Keep up with the story.  We've moved on to serving BABIES on flights.

[CCM]

Kids shouldn't be taken out in public until they can wipe their own asses...     

[BurgerKingDiamond]

Kids shouldn't be taken out in public until they can wipe their own asses...     

so I'm not the only one. Nice.

btw, I was just on a (thankfully short) flight where this baby was screaming the most blood curdling shrieks I've ever had to sit through. It was bad.

[shmokes]

I had a flight from Frankfurt to Phoenix in which there were like 5 or 6 of those in coach situated all around me and they tended to set each other off.  It was like screaming in Dolby Digital.  For the whole flight, which was like 10 hours IIRC.  And I had only had about 4 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours.  It was awful.  But c'est la vie.  Kids will be kids.

[CCM]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/05/granderson.bratty.kids/index.html?hpt=hp_c2