A heated debate has erupted after a man publicly shamed a pair of parents for bringing their sick toddler on a flight, despite the youngster being visibly unwell. The man, who took to Reddit to voice his frustration, explained that he has no issue with babies on planes, but takes umbrage when they’re “walking Petri dishes” who will inevitably spread their germs to fellow passengers throughout the journey.
In a scathing public service announcement, he implored parents to keep their sick children at home, saying: “If your kids are sick, stay home! No one deserves to get sick because of your selfishness.” His rant came after he found himself seated just one row ahead of a fussy toddler who spent the entire flight crying, sniffing, and coughing.
He recounted: “I had a flight over the weekend and from the door I can hear kids screaming. Cool, no big deal, it’s a relatively short flight and I have earbuds. Come to find out I’m sitting a row in front of them. Still, not ideal, but I can manage.
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“The flight takes off and the kids finally settle down… enough so that all I can hear are their phlegmy coughs. Yep, these parents knowingly brought their sick kids onto a plane full of people and didn’t even bother giving a heads up to people so they could pre-emptively mask up.” The man revealed he had been suffering from the toddler’s cold for four days and was struggling to breathe.
He claimed to have pulled out two cloth masks from his bag, but it was too late to prevent infection. The man continued: “That’s not the worst part. The reason they were on the plane?? So that the walking Petri dishes could meet their baby cousin. Not only did they infect all the people around them on the plane, they are also going to greet a newborn with this sickness.”
Some sympathised with his plight, but others claimed he should expect to be exposed to illnesses on flights during the winter months. One user responded to his post by saying: “You’re better off assuming that anytime you fly in winter you’re sitting in a giant bucket of germs.” Another user noted: “Given how air circulates inside airplanes, honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you got it from someone else.”
However, a third user offered a more nuanced perspective, stating: “This is a tough one because obviously I don’t want to be trapped with sick kids in a giant metal tube, but at the same time, airlines don’t do refunds because you’re sick. If I dropped $2k (£1.6k) on flights I’m going. Plus, if you get sick during your trip you have no choice really but to fly back while sick. Just one of those unfortunate realities of air travel.”