Angry moms protest treatment of passenger kicked off for breast feeding baby

[Ned]

So, what did this mom do, violate the TSA ban on bringing more than 3oz of liquid on board the plane in a single container (her body)? Upon reading about "Traveling with children" on the TSA web site I found this: "Baby formula and breast milk are allowed in your carry-on baggage or personal items. You can take these through the security checkpoints and aboard your plane. However, you must be traveling with a baby or toddler. All items including formula or breast milk will be inspected." I want to see that inspection.

So what's the Delta rationale? Were the flight attendants embarrassed by the sight of a mother breast feeding her baby. They need to get over it!

Originally Posted by AP via MSNBC.com, November 16, 2006

Breast-feeding mothers stage nurse-in Angry moms protest treatment of passenger kicked off for feeding baby

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - About 30 parents and their children sat in front of an airline counter Wednesday to protest the treatment of a passenger who said she was kicked off a plane for breast-feeding her child.

Mothers breast-fed their children and held up signs during the "nurse-in." "I just think it's unbelievable that it happened in 2006, especially in Vermont" said Lora McAllister, a Swanton mother. "It's kind of mind boggling."

Emily Gillette of Santa Fe, N.M., had complained that she was kicked off an airplane because she was nursing her baby.

A complaint against two airlines was filed with the Vermont Human Rights, although Executive Director Robert Appel said he was barred by state law from confirming the complaint. He did say state law allows a mother to breast-feed in public.

Elizabeth Boepple, a lawyer hired by Gillette, 27, confirmed that Gillette filed the complaint late last week against Delta Air Lines and Freedom Airlines. Freedom was operating the Delta commuter flight between Burlington and New York City...

Go to Passenger kicked of plane to read the entire article.

[weblet]

IMO, she did not have to be feeding a toddler (yes, this kid is 22 months old). Give the kid some Goldfish or Cheerios. And if she was asked to use a blanket, then she must have been showing more than what the flight attendant considered proper. I wonder what the passengers across the aisle thought.

[Ned]

According to a new Fox News report, no passengers were complaining, yet the FA wanted the mother to completely cover the child with a blanket while breast feeding.

[weblet]

Originally Posted by Ned

According to a new Fox News report, no passengers were complaining, yet the FA wanted the mother to completely cover the child with a blanket while breast feeding.

Maybe the FA thought she was being proactive - anticipating the complaints? I would guess that breastfeeding is not something she hadn't seen before and what she saw was something that she had gotten complaints about in the past.

[Kairho]

Fortunately, Delta wasn't directly involved as it was a Freedom Airlines flight. DL has enough woes as it is...

Freedom is a subsidiary of Mesa Airlines ... so I am not surprised by the incident.

[weblet]

Originally Posted by Kairho

Fortunately, Delta wasn't directly involved as it was a Freedom Airlines flight. DL has enough woes as it is...

Freedom is a subsidiary of Mesa Airlines ... so I am not surprised by the incident.

Ahhh, but DL is taking the flak... I don't recall seeing anything indicating it was not a DL operated flight. But, of course, who but us TAs would notice such a distinction?

[Kairho]

Originally Posted by weblet

I don't recall seeing anything indicating it was not a DL operated flight.

See the last line of Ned's quote.

[jfrenaye]

I think it is ridiculous. I believe she was in the last row window seat and hubby was in the middle. How offensive could it have been. I would not put an airline blanket on my adult head, much less a childs.

The FA HAD To have seen this before and I suspect she or he just had a bug up their butt.

As to the TSA regs, they are talking about bringing expressed breast milk in a container and you can bring more than 3 ounces, but the inspection usually involves you tasting it or having the infant taste it.

Admittedly, I feel a bit uncomfortable when I see it out in the open. I remember a time at the Philly Zoo in the reptile house I believe, and a mom was there on the bench as literally hundreds walked past breastfeeding. It made me uncomfortable since she was so close to the masses, and also she was not terribly discrete in what she was doing--center of the bench, front row, right on the aisle.

[Ned]

Originally Posted by jfrenaye

...As to the TSA regs, they are talking about bringing expressed breast milk in a container and you can bring more than 3 ounces, but the inspection usually involves you tasting it or having the infant taste it...

I was just having some fun at TSA expense. They owe us.

[weblet]

Originally Posted by Kairho

See the last line of Ned's quote.

Oops. So if I missed it, the masses certainly aren't going to pay any attention to it...

And I will reiterate that this was not a baby. This child is 22 months old and is far from needing mother's breast as a form of sustanance. I'm sure that mom is well aware that breastfeeding can make some people uncomfortable and since the child would not starve if they waited until they were somewhere more private to do this, she was making a point. IMO, a case of just because you can, does that mean you should.