US passenger complains over crying baby on delayed flight, viral videos spark debate
A passenger on a Delta Airlines flight in the US sparked a debate online after he publicly complained about a baby who cried for nearly two hours while the plane remained grounded with no air conditioning.The passenger, Pat McAuliffe, documented his experience through a series of videos posted on X. The background of each clip echoed with the cries of the infant, while McAuliffe appeared increasingly agitated.advertisementIn his first post, he wrote, 'If your child is screaming on a flight (that's late with no AC and hasn't taken off yet @Delta), show it a phone. Brain rot the baby on TikTok until it's quiet. Is that too much to ask?'
In another post, he said he sympathised with the parents but insisted they should have made more effort to calm the child. 'Walk him up and down the aisle, distract him, do something. Simply praying it'll stop is not acceptable,' he wrote as he pointed out that the child had been crying continuously.He added in a third update, 'At what point does this become a medical emergency? It's been two hours. Also, why are these people not even trying to talk to their child to soothe him? Stand up and walk him up and down.'advertisementWatch one of the videos here: His posts, which have clocked over millions of views, received sharp responses from social media users. A section of the internet criticised his tone and offered a more empathetic take on the situation.'Is it too much to ask to buy proper noise-cancelling headphones?' a user asked. McAuliffe, however, remained unbothered. 'I could be 1000 feet underwater and this child's cry would still penetrate my ears,' he replied.Another user said, 'People have kids. Kids aren't perfect. Families have to fly. Put your noise-cancelling AirPods on, turn up the volume, and get to your destination. Fall in line.'But not everyone disagreed with McAuliffe's take.A user argued, 'Children under 10, unless it's a transoceanic flight, or it's a medical necessity, shouldn't be allowed on commercial flights. Private flight, I don't care.'Another shared their own experience, saying, 'This happened to us too. The child cried for 3+ hours, and the parents just sat there. A responsible parent would at least speak to a paediatrician beforehand for advice.'While several users sympathised with the distressed parents, others believed Pat McAuliffe had a point. The incident reignited a familiar online debate about parental responsibility, travel etiquette, and the extent to which fellow passengers are expected to exercise patience.
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