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Galley Gossip: Ivana Trump harasses two little kids on a flight
Ivana, Ivana, Ivana, you do not - I repeat - you do NOT call a child a barbarian. Out loud. On a flight. Oh sure, you can think it, we're all probably thinking it, but to outright say it....I don't think so. Not a good idea.
Now I probably would not have believed this story about a passenger who is suing Ivana Trump for calling his two adorable children names - ages 3 and 18 months - or the fact that Ivana has filed her own counter suit against the passenger who created those little barbarians. But the fact that the word barbarian was used to describe two little children, well...that is just so so wrong. Which only means it has to be true!
So anyway, after the children were told to shut up - oh yeah, that's what Ivana apparently said - the parents asked the flight attendant to get the Captain.
The Captain?
Ummm....okay.
Man oh man, I would have loved to have seen how the Captain handled that little situation. I wonder what our own pilot, Kent, would have done?
Now when I imagine a barbarian passenger, I do not think of two little kids, no matter how terrible they may have acted at 35,000 feet. Oh no. The thought that comes to my mind is a visual of the guy who was sitting in the row behind and across the aisle from me on my flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles last Wednesday. Now that, dear readers, was a barbarian.
What I wanted to know was why, EXACTLY, he was using his cell phone when were on the tarmac and about to takeoff. And what, EXACTLY, he was trying to prove by pushing his weight, all 250 pounds of it, around.
Of course ripping the airline a new one wasn't enough. He then went on to complain to the man wearing the dark blue designer jeans sitting beside me about the thirty minute delay. On and on the barbarian went as Mr. trendy nodded in agreement. When he finally stopped, it was only because he had another delay on another airline to complain about, and so on, and so on, until it was finally our turn to grab our things and deplane the aircraft.
"I (BLEEPING) hate this airline," he growled, as he stepped aside to allow his nine year-old daughter into the aisle.
Barbarians, I tell you, they're (BLEEPING) everywhere.
Filed under: Airlines, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 8 of 8)
JML Oct 8th 2008 1:44PM
I think the point of Ms Poole's post is that Ivana did something wrong by calling some brat kids barbarians on a flight. She would have preferred IVana think it, tap the child on the head and reward this behavior by giving them an autograph.
Unfortunately she had to over rule the meaning of the word and define it through her experience. Hence, taking away the intrinsic value of the original point of her story.
Barbarian is simply a pejorative term to describe an uncivilized person. A barbarian is not a savage.
I think we can all agree there are many uncivilized people, both adults and children, meandering about society looking very A typical. Yet many times nothing could be more from the truth.
I'm happy Ivana did it. It took resolve and determination, irrespective of how arrogant it may be perceived.
Children, are in fact, a MAJOR issue with airlines. As are pleasant drunks! Ever been around unruly drinkers on planes? Yes, they're uncivilized too. It's frightening. Ask any one in the airline industry who isn't on duty putting on a corporate spin.
I've never seen so many adults smelling of alcohol be turned away prior to take offs. So the mention of children adding to the risk running down aisles, playing hide and seek, or screaming at the top of their lungs is unbearable. I've heard quieter mountain lions, frankly.
Some parents simply can NOT control their children and don't intend in doing so. Just like many adults can NOT control their drinking, prior to, or on the flight.
Personally, I have experienced unruly children many times on flights- in first class and coach- only to have this behavior encouraged at times by parents who attempt to add levity into an unruly situation. " Billy or Annie would NEVER do this, but.." (frankly who cares about the buts).
Chances are, if you're not a frequent flier you would not notice these two major issues for airlines.Airplanes are stressful enough places to be boxed into without having to listen to unruly behavior be it from children or adults.
Personally, I like my flights peaceful and uneventful - thank you very much.
JML
anitaerrn Oct 8th 2008 4:12PM
Roberta....yes. your kids have the right to go anywhere but they don't have the right to be disruptive in public. If parents can't control their kids then they don't need to be out in public. And yes I do have children. I have 3 boys and they are all grown. Two are in the military and 1 is in medical school to become a doctor. They would have never misbehaved and yes I have flown with them to Hawaii several times. So children can behave if the parents are willing to be parents.
Monica Oct 8th 2008 2:00PM
My family and I took our first flight together in June to see my step-daughter graduate. The flight in itself was rather stressful to my family and I. I did everything before the flight as to not have any problems boarding the flight and or having my 5 year old bored. He did really well considering that he was out of his routine and he really didn't know what to expect. I do understand how people might feel having to take a flight with small children but I don't think it is anybody's fault as to a child acting disruptive on a flight or dinner's or just things of that nature. It is the circumstance and just part of being a kid. I remember when I was a kid that we were taught to behave and sometimes we got into trouble because we didn't. I also remember that the things that parents did back then to control their children were considered abuse now and maybe that is where the problem is. It's a catch 22 when you stop and think about how much has changed. Maybe people need to think back when they were kids and how that has changed to these times. Maybe there should be adults only flights so that people who need their quiet time on the expensive flights will be happy and get their moneys worth. Children will feel more at ease not being around people who don't want them on their flights and all will be happy. People need to be more understanding and think of other ways to make the best out of every situation. Maybe talking to the airlines about Adult Only flights is the answer. Learn to Compromise is the best way to deal with anything....
Jerry Oct 8th 2008 2:09PM
I have flown on many flights and have incurred the 'wrath' of screaming, kicking and crying babies and infants. I understand that this is what many but not all 'liitle ones' do when confined to a seat for long periods of time. Since each passenger pays for a seat and is entitled to a nice peaceful flight and someone elses children should not be their problem. The answer is: people traveling with children under 6 years of age should all be put in the same section of the plane, preferably the back end. Although passengers up front could still hear the 'screaming, etc...' at least that is a lot better then having these children sitting next to them. I'm not trying to be mean here but really, someone elses problems should not be each and every passengers problem. The airlines should understand this by now...
JML Oct 8th 2008 2:07PM
Ali, the lawsuit is frivilous, concur. The original story is a good one.
Drunks and children are a major issue and risk to mitigate because of their unpredicability. They have an undesireable upside potential of putting all passengers at risk.
SS Oct 8th 2008 2:08PM
I love all the comments from parents who have been bringing their kids on airline flights since the little miracles were six minutes old, and, in the words of Mark, the young barbarians have "never been a problem." Of course not. Not for you, anyway. Parents seldom choose to see the ways their kids are obnoxious. A good idea for both families and the rest of us would be to have a separate family section in airliners. Then the parents won't have to be offended by complaints while their golden progeny can feel free to kick the seat in front of them, scream, throw food, puke and have tantrums. Seriously...
Christie Oct 8th 2008 2:51PM
How ridiculous! To be called a "barbarian" is nice compared to most of the name-calling by young people today who use nothing but the "B" word,
or MF words.
Ivana Trump is a lady and of course, very rich, so the passenger thinks it is a fast way to make some $$$, just like the flight attendant who sued Victoria Osteen, the wife of Pastor Joel Osteen.
What has the world come to? Does everyone wear their feelings on their shoulders? Is everyone out to get money any way they can? Ivana Trump is a fantastic lady and my prayers are with her. Hopefully,
this case will be dismissed and thrown out of court.
The passenger needs to teach his children to behave properly on an airplane so that they do not irritate and impose on the rights of other passengers.
Lisa Oct 8th 2008 3:52PM
I have been reading with interest all the comments and to a large degree I think from what I have read most people are sick to death of being annoyed by other peoples children. Lets forget for a minute that Ivana is from another country and words sometimes are used differently then the US. Question here is WHERE is free speech gone in this country? She is not reported to have touched them or even screamed at them. Have we regressed so far that we can not make a comment (rude or not) without some nut job thinking they can sue. We are in serious trouble if that is the case. Maybe we should all be a little more tolerant, but lets face it, if the only place we had to deal with difficult children was a plane, maybe we would be. Maybe if everyday of our lifes we did not have to face children (aka brats) screaming, yelling,crying, running and climbing at restaurants, grocery & department stores, parks and movie theaters to name a few, we could all be more tolerant. Bottom line that parenting is out of control and for some strange reason people think that if they correct their children they are going to have emotional problems when in fact the opposite is true, children love discipline done in the right way. It makes them feel safe and know what they are supposed to do. Parents today are too selfish to discipline their kids, because it may take away from their fun. When I was growing up if we misbehaved my mother or father got up from dinner or the movie or whatever we where all doing and they took us out side or to a bathroom or the car and dealt with the issue in a way that made us understand that if we did not behave we missed out on dinner, the movie or fun etc, but so did my parents and they were willing to do that because they knew that they were helping us in the long run. So by the time we were 2 or 3 we knew how to sit and behave and enjoy what was going on. I grew up going to the finest restaurants, live theater and museums and we learned to enjoy the experience and we knew how to behave. Today the answer is to shove a game, DVD, music or some other stimulation with batteries in front of kids. The result is that they can't think for themselves , be creative in play and cannot appreciate any activity that does not involve a headset. I could continure to go on but I think I made my point. PARENTS step up to the plate and sacrifice your good times for your childrens well-being, in the long run we will be a country of better educated, creative, inventive, happy, appreciative and well adjusted adults, that will know how to bring up their own children.
GLORIA Oct 8th 2008 4:40PM
MY SON AND I TRAVELED ROUNDTRIP TO ROMANIA WITH HIS TEN MONTH OLD SON. THE TRIP OVER AS ALWAYS WAS OVERNIGHT, BABY SLEPT. THE RETURN TRIP THOUGH WAS DAYTIME. THE BABY WAS EXCELLENT. MAYBE ONE WHIMPER THE WHOLE TIME. UNLIKE THE TWO CHILDREN THE NEXT ROW OVER. THEY WERE APPROX 4 AND 2, THE ENTIRE FLIGHT THEY CRIED, WHINED, SCREAMED WITH LITTLE OR NO SUPERVISION FROM BOTH PARENTS. I THOUGHT IT WAS RUDE AND THOUGHTLESS, MY SON SAID PERHAPS THE CHILDREN HAD DISABILITIES NOT EVIDENT, BUT KNOW ONE ON THE PLANE COMPLAINED TO THEM OR THE FLIGHT CREW, CALLED THEM NAMES OR TOLD THEM TO SHUT UP. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MANNERS, YOURS AND THEIRS.
David Oct 8th 2008 6:17PM
I hit a nerve...just the reaction I was hoping for. lol
Pixie Oct 8th 2008 8:33PM
The absolute worst flight of my life was due to a screaming baby, and her extremely stupid parents! My husband & I were flying non stop from Cincinnati to Dallas, and the plane had just left the ground when it started. The mother changed her diaper, but that only worked for a few minutes, and she was screaming again. She tried various methods to soothe the 7 month old baby girl, but nothing worked, it just got worse. Less than 15 minutes into the flight, and I was ready to scream myself, when the odor set in. Within sceonds, people were gagging and trying to get away from the unholy stink! And the screaming continued!
Finally, a flight attendant asked if anyone had anything that could be used as a diaper AND a baby bottle! What? Are you kidding me? Come to find out, that because the flight was only going to take around an hour & 45 minutes, they had only brought 1 bottle & 2 diapers. The baby had been fed and changed just before boarding, and in their haste, the bottle had been left at the airport. I could not believe what I was hearing! That poor child kicked, screamed, and barfed the entire flight. I have never been so angry at complete strangers before or since.
That was 15 years ago, and we now have 2 kids of our own, a girl who's 10, & a boy who's 9. My husband & I have raised them the same way we were. We have traveled with them near & far, taken them to the finest establishments, and never once have we been embarassed, nor has anyone ever said anything except what beautiful, well mannered, & well behaved children they are. As a matter of fact, I don't recall ever going anywhere that we haven't been complimented on our children. I wonder if the family from the airplane have ever experienced any such, the parents or the child?
ProPalin Oct 9th 2008 2:32PM
Good for Ivana, or anyone who will let idiot parents know that their darlings are in fact a huge pain in the butt. Everyone despises your brats. When did people start worshiping their kids; when did the chillun start calling all the shots? Bizarre!
ProPalin Oct 9th 2008 2:40PM
You Rock Dean, and you are right.
No one is saying to stay home if you have kids. Teach them about boundaries and discipline them. Perhaps they won't wreck everyone else's peace and quiet. A well-behaved child is worth his/her weight in gold...I praise them when I meet them. Most are spoiled rotten and no one can control them. Barbarians is a great name for them and their parents.
susan Oct 13th 2008 11:32AM
If Ivana doesn't want to mingle with the other riff raff in first class, I suggest she gets a private plane to take here where she needs to go..Ask "The Donald", or better yet, should have tried to get one in the divorce settlement!!!
mystaphy Oct 13th 2008 5:53PM
Gosh, everyone wants to blame the parents for not controlling their kids but the ones complaining are the first ones to run to child welfare when they try. Make up your minds. Your right parents have no control over their kids, society is letting kids control adults. You see it with the parents and the teachers. Instead of blaming people think of a solution to the problem that you winers created.
Julie Oct 23rd 2008 11:02AM
If anyone Googled the story about Ivana and the "barbarians"...one would find that she called the kids "barbarians" as she was sitting and the father said that his one child (the 3 yr old) was just asking him questions about the plane. A normal conversation between father and son it seems.
If anyone went a step further in their Google search and did a search on "Ivana Trump sues...", it would seem that Ivana Trump likes to sue just about anyone for any reason.
Everyone seems to come down on parents traveling with kids and the kids being not so quite. I met a woman several years ago from Canada who just came in on a transatlantic flight who was telling me about her flight and the family who had several kids. The parents had a child less than 12 months who just would not stop crying...what did she do? Instead of bitching like most of you about noisy, crying kids on a plane...she asked the parents if she could help. She walked that child up and down the aisle until the baby fell asleep.
If you don't want to do a good deed for the day...then at least understand that maybe the parent is having a bad day or the child is having a bad day...or some people just do not like children or even listening to kids chatter (like Ivana). Keep you comments to your self.
As for kids flying...I am about to have my first child...I hope that we, as a family, have the opportunity to travel by plane...because I would rather have the convenience flying than driving...and also be able to take my child to other countries so they can experience the world.