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Autistic child kicked off flight {Gadling}
Jun 27th 2008 7:11PM Thank you for your very aggressive and antagonistic remarks. You make a lot of assumptions, all of which are false. You draw a lot of conclusions, none of which apply. You have no idea what I do for a living, nor what I have to deal with concerning my own four children. You have simply displayed to all on this chat how ignorant a person with an agenda can be. Good luck to you. I hope you have a troop of porters to help you carry around all that anger.
How about actually answering the question I posed. Do children with autism grow out of it, or do they need to be institutionalized when they are grown. As I don't recall seeing any adults with autism running around any of the airports I've been in lately, I can only assume that it's something that disappears with time. If not, then I beg to differ with you on whether or not people who act like this can be inflicted on others without their permission. Personally, I don't think so. If we were to allow this, then just about every other sort of behavior would be able to be imposed on everyone, including smoking, drug use, drunk drivers, and any other behavior people claim are diseases. As a society we have a responsibility to make things work smoothly for as many people as possible. But we don't have a responsibility to fit everyone in at the expense of unwilling participants.
I gather from your comments that you do deal with a child with autism. I know this isn't a path that is chosen, but it's a path that once on it, is the sole responsibility of the person who is traveling down that path. What that person decides to do is not the province of the rest of us, any more than the decision to get an abortion is the province of the government. These are personal problems. There's a lot of sadness in this world. Just because I don't chose to share yours is no reason for you to blast mine. Especially as you don't even know about it.
Autistic child kicked off flight {Gadling}
Jun 27th 2008 11:20AM In spite of all the comments by mother's with children with autism, it is not the responsibility of the captain or flight crew to deal with medical issues. this is not a racial or prejudicial issue. It is a safety issue. Anyone who has been on a flight that has lost altitude, pressure, or experienced extreme turbulence knows that these circumstances require that the passengers be able to comply with safety instructions. Children with autism can't do this, and, as demonstrated in this case, mothers with children with autism can't do this either. Therefore they are not able to fly. And shouldn't. Period. Please don't anyone suggest that a couple hundred other passengers on the same plane need to be subjected to this sort of problem "just because." If a grown passenger was defecating on themselves, and creating an unhealthful environment, not to mention a smelly one, that wouldn't be tolerated either, regardless of whether it was voluntary or involuntary.
The BIG question, however, is what happens to all these children when they become adults? Do they get to operate in the world of the non-autistic with impunity? Do they eventually learn how to cope with the real world? Or do we have to institutionalize 6% of the population to protect them from themselves? I don't have the answers. Nor do I think this problem is due to vaccinations, or some other pseudo-science mumbo jumbo. I believe that the percentage of children with autism is the same now as it has been in the past, but that the incidence of diagnosis has increased with awareness. Similarly, people with dyslexia are no more common today than they were 50 years ago before this diagnosis was being developed.
In the future this women, and others like her should take the train. Which, as I recall, is a lot more fun for kids in the first place.
United Airlines' 1994 misstep multiplied {Gadling}
Jun 12th 2008 3:57PM Yes, traveling is an adventure. I've been flying United since the late 1970's, and haven't flown any other airlines unless there is no other option. Such as on Chinese domestic flights, or no seats available on United, when I've had to resort to Delta, American, or worse. True, I've had a few mishaps with scheduling, but United has always made it up to me in spades. One time they gave me three free first class transPacific upgrades from economy. That alone was worth at least around $30,000 (check the ticket prices). And, although one of them had expired about two months before I could get to use it, the friendly United operator worked overtime to get an exception for me, and hence I got to use all three of the upgrades they gave me. (Which, btw, were for damage to one of my pieces of luggage that cost me around $250 - not too bad on the compensation department as the food in first class was worth more than that, and I arrived very refreshed after the 17 hour transpacific flights)
I've had one captain offer me free adult beverages when he heard about my customer loyalty (casually mentioned to a flight attendant, but accidentally overheard), upgraded meal selections when nothing on the regular menu conformed to my dietary restrictions (one time I got filet mignon from first class), and a host of other small favors that went well above the normal operational call of duty.
So, for all those out there who want to bash United, I'll just paraphrase what Samuel Clemens said once about an often disparaged minority group. "United Airlines is a member of the Airlines Industry. Worse than that I cannot add."
This is America, please order in English {Gadling}
Dec 19th 2007 7:39AM As I travel in China frequently, I have made a sincere effort to speak with chinese people in their language. As most people know, China actually has several, if not many languages that are "Chinese." I found that making the effort goes a long way in terms of getting service, help, friendship, and cultural exposure. For which I am extremely grateful. Outside of Beijing, hardly anyone speaks English, but they're all trying very hard to learn. They even have contests of who can speak the best English, with national championship competitions.
In return for this, there are some in America who demand that everyone who comes here speak in English. Where is this written, I ask you? And what sort of narrowmindedness are we, as Americans, expected to tolerate in our fellow citizens?
I'd say that this fellow is leading a very poor life, which in itself is it's own punishment. Let's just leave him to his own ignorance, and go on, as individuals, to explore the diversity of the world, and it's multitudinous cultures as best we can.
Traveling abroad is infinitely more rewarding if you can follow along in the language of the culture in which you are living. However, I am always amazed when I see Americans who can't even read the numbers, let alone say "hello." Recently I was able to help some Chinese speaking tourists to find their plane in the Chicago airport because I could speak their language. If more Americans took the time to learn other languages, this might be more of the ideal melting pot than we would like to believe it is.
Oh China, how you've changed! Part 2 {Gadling}
Nov 15th 2007 9:16AM There's no doubt about it. China is now the biggest capitalist country in the world. When did this happen? The first time I ever saw a Porsche SUV was in China. Next to the Bentley and the Ferrari. Some would morn the loss to the planet of massive amounts of nostalgic 19th century life style, in favor of futuristic high rise apartment complexes, often with 15 or 20 identical buildings nestled among 20 other complexes with equally extreme architecture. But this is necessary in order for such a massive population to grow into the 22nd century. One out of every four people on the planet is Chinese. What makes us think they won't dominate the world in politics, technology, finance, and culture within a few short decades. Better start learning to speak Mandarin now. Better yet, learn to read it.
I found China to be pretty much as described by Mr. Woodburn. Even out in the rural countryside the changes were so dramatic, and happening at such a rapid pace that even from year to year it's hard to recognize the same place again. Cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing are growing at such a rapid pace that it is phenomenal that the Chinese city planners can even be two steps behind. It's often noted that the official population of most Chinese cities is only about half of the number actually living there. So if you double the size of Shanghai's 18,000,000, for example, you begin to see what the Chinese need to accomplish in order to create the modern environment that they are seeking. In comparison with older European and American cities, such as New York or Frankfort, modern China is newer, brighter, more advanced, and more attractive.
The most amazing thing to me is that the realitively small national governmental organization has accomplished so much is such a sort period of time.
Ladies: Free Vacation to Puerto Vallarta {Gadling}
Jul 10th 2007 1:55PM I, too, think his girl friend left him. I did see this on Leno's "headlines" a few weeks ago. In any event, had I been a female, I think I'd have taken him up on it. As long as there were going to be separate sleeping arrangements, that is. Why not? After all, life is an adventure.
A Canadian in Beijing: My Last Day in China {Gadling}
Jul 10th 2007 1:49PM It's been most enjoyable reading about your experiences. I spent two months in China last year, and enjoyed it as much as you did. I seem to have adopted a family in Jiangxi Province, which added greatly to my experience in China. Your writings gave me a different perspective, but one in which I totally concur.
Considering the news this morning that China has surpassed the U.S. in total output of carbon pollution, it would seem that the days of pleasant and laid back touring of China are numbered. Witness the rows of high end car dealerships bordering the West Lake (Xi Hu) in Hangzhou. Everything from Bently to Ferrari, and then some. What are they thinking, you have to ask. Me? I thought it was a Communist country, but it's looking more and more like the "New America" now. What a shame.
