Friday, October 12, 2007

Morning Edition - 10/12/07


We Touch Our Fly and It Shows
Well, that’s not quite how the Delta slogan went; the slogan was actually, “We love to fly and it shows.” Unfortunately, an 11-year old girl flying alone from San Diego to Atlanta is alleging my fictitious slogan sounded more like her experience on the airline. Now her family is suing Delta for failing to protect the youngster by allowing a child molester to slip into the seat next to her during flight where he allegedly fondled her while touching himself. The airline says they strive to serve and protect all their customers. Delta is now at the center of a lawsuit. In 2001 a Northwest Airline flight from Detroit was the stage for yet another alleged molestation that cost that airline $500,000.

So Much Changes; A Lot Stays the Same
A child, an ex-wife, a man that loves me without reservation – all things that I never experienced before and all require me to open my mind and heart to a learning experience beyond what I could have planned. The variables aren’t always heartwarming, but the rewards have proven priceless. With so much to learn, there are times when I become frustrated; no one changes overnight and I’m no different. I’m a short-fused person – quick to show my emotions, but just as quick to resolve them and move on. All my preconceived notions of keeping my composure and tallying scores before rendering judgment have proven impossible. It’s not like me to hear, see or feel anything without sharing it with BD – good or bad. At first, I was afraid that it would make me appear unpredictable, hot-headed or dim-witted. I could not have been more wrong. Our communication is amazing – we discuss things openly, laugh, even get a bit irate, but in the end, the proof is in the pudding and my man ends up being sweet and smooth. Yesterday, I was fuming at my desk after telling BD that I was afraid and that I felt unprepared to deal with a life that included more than a man – a family. I could barely concentrate and answered my incessantly ringing telephone to hear the lobby receptionist ask me to come downstairs for a package. I sighed loudly took the elevator down and aimlessly walked over to reception. As I asked her for my package she smiled warmly and pointed to the receiving table near her station where a beautiful bouquet of flowers peered from a tasteful vase. I pulled the card nestled in the center of the array of colorful blossoms and read two simple words, “I’m sorry.” I felt the tears well in my eyes and felt suddenly silly for feeling that BD didn’t realize how frightening it can be to adjust to this new type of relationship. I reached my desk and set-up my flowers in my office before calling him at his office. “Thank you. The flowers are absolutely beautiful. I’m sorry I get so bent out of shape sometimes.” He didn’t skip a beat before he said, “No baby, I’m sorry for taking for granted how much you mean to me and not seeing when you hurt.” I didn’t want to spoil the moment with any more words, so I quickly said, “Well, the flowers are incredible. We’ll talk more later.” I sat back in my seat and thought about how different he and I can be sometimes and when it comes down to it none of our differences matter when we share one thing in common - love.

On Blast
With 4-6 flight attendants tending to over 100 customers, do you believe it’s safe to send children on flights trusting in the supervision of preoccupied air waiters/waitresses? Would you consider leaving your children with the IHOP waitress for hours on a Sunday morning?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

11 comments:

Tiffanie said...

Initially I was thinking, "hell fuck ass no, I would never leave my kids with strangers" but now I'm thinking, "hmmm, it all depends." It really does. I mean, my babies are 12 and 9. I might send my little man, who's 12, but not my girl...even when she's 12. It's a hard call, 'cause at the end of the day, the ARE air waitresses, not nannies.

Unknown said...

I say NO!

I don't have kids (at least none that are human : - ]), but if I did, I wouldn't rely on flight attendants' supervision. Not because I don't trust the FAs, but because I don't believe it's their responsibility. Plus, they have enough to attend to, with all the clild-like adults.

I know that it's really hard to be a parent, especially these days, with time on such short hand, but I believe that people should accept their own responsibilities. If I had kids, and needed them to travel (either by plane, train, or bus), I would only let them go alone if I trusted THEIR maturity levels. If I trusted that my kids could make it from here to there, without cutting up and acting like fools, then they could go by themselves. Of course it would also depend on the child’s willingness to go. Some kids would probably be too scared to even think about traveling on their own.

Yeah, it’s a lot, coming from someone with no kids, but I have been a child traveling without parents. Our parents “trained” and educated us on how to behave in public. They also had our utmost respect. They could leave us in the middle of Times Square at noon, say “Please don’t move,” and trust that we’d be sitting right there when they got back an hour later (this is hypothetical, of course). Besides, today there are so many more dangers for kids. With predators and the like, I imagine it must be pretty scary leaving your kids even with a baby sitter. When you think about it, what’s the extra expense of a couple vacation days or paying a chaperone’s fare compared to the life of a child? Tell grandma or auntie to split the round trip ticket fare with you, come get the babies, and keep them safe and alive. But like I said, I don’t have kids.

On another note, and please, I’m not trying to offend ANYONE (so don’t anyone put me on blast); flight attendants are more than just air waitresses. They do actually receive a lot of training with regards to safety, security, and first aid. If I stopped breathing in my booth at Bertucci’s, chances are that my waitress wouldn’t know what to do, but a Flight Attendant would. My point is that if you choose to let your kids fly under the supervision of an FA, you should assume that they’ve received some sort of training. After all, most airlines have special Unaccompanied Minors programs.

Sorry for the long post, but _______ (fill in the blank). LOL

iii said...

Love conquers ALL! As far as the child on the airplane I would never allow my child to be a a plane alone with out supervision by me or someone that i know and trust to be with them. That is a sad situation that occured. Hopefully parents take a lesson from this.

That Dude Right There said...

You and BD are truly made for each other. Your posts of him are so sweet and full of love that I just can't help smiling when I read them.

I worry about my friends traveling alone, so I know that my kids would not travel alone. I would be somewhere sitting in a cornet shaking a sweating until I heard from them.

bLaQ~n~MiLD said...

You know, I wish this would have been two seperate post because I have a comment about the flight attendant thing, but I'm so overwhelmed by the story with BD that I just can't talk about that other thing. LoL. Ya'll are amazing! I LOVE it! Granted, if Lil Dred ever sent me flowers I'd probably sneak the shyt outta him but it's a great thought! LoL. I love it!

Are you still having that Happy Hour thing? I'd be glad to come and maybe get Lil Dred to roll with me. Let me know Cocoa.

~Damnit!

Anonymous said...

First, the airline is in the wrong for not looking after the child on the flight.
second, I would get the pervs address and roll up with ALL my homies to chop his molesting hands off in the middle of the night. Castrate him too. Now, you can't perv anyone or get off. Perish the thought. Nobody betta touch my chirrens. Be like redrum up in the court room, let alone during a recon mission with my crew.

Your love story is beautiful.

Cas608

Unknown said...

Yes folks...the Friday, Oct. 19th at LQs is still on here in NYC. I will post something soon as a reminder.

Mr. Jones said...

I wouldn't let my 12 y/o nephew fly alone. I don't trust people.

Dayne Avery said...

Before reading this post I would have thought it was safe to send kids alone. Honsestly, when I saw kids flying alone on flights I wasnt feeling that concept but every flight I've observed the flight attendants guarded the children like they were platinum. But this story has me rethinking the whole idea. I know if I had kids I wouldnt let them fly alone. Im way too overprotective.

life said...

OMG...U GUYS ARE JUST TOO MUCH. The story made me smile

yet another black guy said...

i wouldn't put my nieces or nephews on a plane alone. you just never know. what if it happened in the terminal and not the plane?