I’m a magnet for kids … who are cranky and crying on airplanes.  If they’re not sitting next to me, they’re only a row away.

So, you will understand that I will side with AirTran Airline in this instance.  An AirTran flight crew removed a family of three from a flight when the family’s 3-year-old daughter had a tantrum.  Some reports say she wouldn’t stop crying.  (It's no different for the drunken sods on flights leaving Las Vegas.)

Still, I sympathize with the parents.  Talk about a helpless and embarrassing situation all because kids will be kids.  And I don’t fault these parents recent TV interviews.  They were trying to warn other parents.  Making money was not their aim since they turned down free round-trip tickets from the airline.

However, don’t be fooled.  Removing unruly kids and their families is not news.  Check the Internet.  A search found numerous stories of other airlines handling similar situations the same way AirTran did.

And rightly so.  Catering to an unruly child could jeopardize other passengers.  In our post 9/11 world, flight crews have more responsibility and pressure.  A slight distraction could lead to disaster.  Look at the recent investigation of a deadly plane crash in Kentucky.  The pilots lost their focus and attempted a take-off from a shortened runway.  Everyone on board, except for the co-pilot, died.

It’s highly unlikely this child on the AirTran flight could have caused such a distraction.  But here’s the point.  The flying public demands 100% safety attention.  That’s why there was little public outcry when Northwest Airlines threw off the six imams from a flight last year.  Sorry, safety is the priority.

Still, parents can prepare to avoid such scenes.  First, talk to your child about the flight so they don’t get spooked.  Take-off is a weird sensation.  It gives grown men white knuckles.  Imagine a youngster’s first time.

Second, make sure the child is rested and fed to avoid the two main reasons of crankiness. 

Third, watch your kids at all times on the flight.  You need to know when your child is causing a problem – like kicking the back of my seat for ten minutes.  For most travelers, it’s not the kicking, but the parent’s refusal or inability to do anything.  Yes, it’s annoying during take-off when your infant has sensitive ears with the lung capacity of Pavarotti.  But most flyers understand that.  We’re even more compassionate when we see you trying to reduce the in-flight aria.

Bottom line: they’re your kids; they’re your problem.

Copyright © John Daly:. Used with permission.