crying babies: are threre suddenly lots more of them around?

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they're everywhere. they're so shrill. i can't escape them.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

by "threre" i mean "there"

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Suddenly everybody in my office seems to be pregnant. I hope it's not catching.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Seriously, though, maybe one of my worst character flaws is that I can absolutely under no circumstances tolerate crying babies, or people who bring crying babies in very crowded public spaces (subways, buses, etc.). There's always this horrified, exasperated look on the faces of the parents, and I'm like: you're looking at the wrong person if you want sympathy -- you're the one who wanted the baby, not me.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

's because of the Blackout

― bnw (bnw), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I was on an airplane a few weeks ago and there were three babies crying simultaneously. And the parents were just letting them cry -- as far as I could tell they weren't doing anything to pacify them. If you have a baby that's prone to making a lot of noise, isn't it really inconsiderate to bring it on a long flight and subject other people to all that yelping?

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm like: you're looking at the wrong person if you want sympathy -- you're the one who wanted the baby, not me.

THANK YOU THANK YOU YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe there's just a lot more to cry about now.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

that's for sure. why even bring a child into a world like this?

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I suspect there *might* be something passive-agressive about letting a baby cry that way (though I can't say I can recall a time when I saw a parent not making any kind of attempt to pacify their crying baby) -- it's the perverse pleasure of irritating the fuck out of an airplane full of people just barely outweighing the irritation of having a crying baby on your lap.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Then there's the double-stroller menace, the SUV of the sidewalk.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

It's also the security in the knowledge that no matter how irritating your baby is, no one can come over and beat the living shit out of you and your demon spawn.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Getting clucky, perhaps, cindy?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm usually a stickler for politeness, but yesterday was my breaking point -- I was tired and had an awful headache and I actually blurted out "would you shut that thing up??" Ten seconds later, the baby was quiet.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Colin, I'm under so much stress right now, you have no idea.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

's because of the Blackout

OMG!!

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry Cindy, I didn't realise, I was just teasing.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

it's cool. :-)

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

'Shut that thing up' - brilliant, I love it.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't mind crying babies alone. Babies are gonna cry. What I can't stand is couples running around with three or more young kids. It's like: jesus god stop popping them out for christ's sake! What's really scary is that the parents always have that placid look of breeding animals, like they know that they have no other purpose on this earth than making more and more kids.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have a baby that's prone to making a lot of noise, isn't it really inconsiderate to bring it on a long flight and subject other people to all that yelping?

Yes. Yes it is. The past couple of times I've been out to dinner with my parents, we've been plagued by screaming kids. My mother got up and had our table moved. She bitched out the manager of the restaurant so badly for not saying something to the parents of the unruly children. We got a free dessert as a result. Yay mom. But seriously, to the parents of these kids -- take your fucking screaming kids OUTSIDE the goddamn restaurant/store/theater/etc. until they calm the fuck down. And don't take them on planes. Period.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't hit my "shut that thing up" point yet, but it's getting close. I was in a restaurant yesterday, two women were laughing as their little hellspawn screamed and cried and threw food - for fifteen solid minutes.

The only thing worse are the morons who bring children to adult/scary movies - I saw a couple bring in their four or five-year old kid to Kill Bill Vol.1. He started shrieking at the first sign of blood (as any normal five-year old would).

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

really, i felt like david berkowitz.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

TRY LIVING WITH ONE!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

You're a hero to all of us cowed by social conventions.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 16 May 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

And don't take them on planes. Period.

Yes. Leave them with a babysitter (or relative), or if you have access to a car and can squeeze a few extra sick days out of your workplace, drive to wherever you're going so you can stop and attend to your baby when you need to. If you can't afford to do this, well, you should have thought of this before having the kid.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Or dope them up beforehand. Half a valium and the baby should be set for a five-hour flight.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

whoooo! seriously, i wouldn't be surprised if the parents were doped up for the long flight.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:08 (twenty-two years ago)

crying babies on planes are terrible, but what bothers me more is the fact that the baby is probably in intense pain. their inner ears aren't developed which means that the pressue is brutal, and they have no idea why they're in such distress or what to do about it.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, I never knew that. Now all of my anger can be focused on the parents, as the baby is completely fault-free.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

this was a guilt-inducing revelation to me.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

a lot of parents aren't aware of that (even as they sit there chewing gum and popping sinus pills because the pressure is hurting their own ears). i'm surprised this fact (as obvious as it should be) hasn't been more widely disseminated.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I'm trying to think of all these ways a parent could manually get their baby's ears to pop. Got it! hold pepper under their noses until they're about to sneeze, and then just as they do grab and hold their mouths and noses shut. It'll either get their ears pressurized or blow them out completely.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Or, or, bring along a laptop or something with a video of nothing but people yawning in the hopes that the child will perform a socially induced yawn which will hopefully take care of the problem.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm convinced that the rise in babies in SF has something to do with 9/11, etc. . . They all seemed to pop up right after that. Me and my girlfriend were just discussing how fucking omnipresent strollers are these days.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

apparently, blackout and 9/11 babies are a myth

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't say they were CONCEIVED on 9/11!!!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"Why did you name your kid Blacko?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Darko

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

you may be right, Alex

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Earplanes!.

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I guess that pretty much answers the question, gab (well, except for the why, but I'd guess it has something to do with the economy of the late 90's.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 16 May 2004 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

no wait, it says that there was a significant increase in 2000, which suggests that if 9/11 caused anything, it built upon an existing trend

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 May 2004 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

That's why I said "except for the why". The question it answered was that there are indeed more screaming tykes.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 17 May 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I love you misanthropes. Breeding right now just seems like condoning the state of the mess we're in. "La la, la la, oh, things are gonna be alriiiiight..."

And isn't having a baby in an overpopulated world just terribly rude and aggressive, in a stupid way? Why not make your own damn self more helpful and interesting?!?!?

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Monday, 17 May 2004 03:38 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe because you just are in love with someone and surprisingly enough, out of that, unexpectedly comes a baby. even though you're clever, not religious, but informed enough to know it's a mental world to bring kids into.
But, for once in a while I personally feel that it's like trusting the future may be different and more surprising, and hopefully better, than my relatively small mind can imagine.
so I would say that to go and have kids is a great effort of imagination. Which probably helps not only myself, but everybody around as well, including those of you complaining about children crying in public places (speaking of making "your damn self more helpful and interesting")

― misshajim (strand), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, whatever. Just keep your little monster quiet, OK?

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone on this thread now has first class, window seats with a complimentary glass of high-end champagne on the bullet train to Hell.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"You Tell'em!"

http://homepage.mac.com/alexinnyc/.cv/alexinnyc/Sites/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2004-05-07%2014.57.24%20-0700/Image-2EE5CB53A07111D8.jpg-thumb_140_105.jpg

― Charlotte in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

as long as there's no rugrat kicking my seat, i'll be happy.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 16 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

amy alkon otm
emil.y otm also

― Bob Saget's "Night Moves": C or D (WmC), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:51 (sixteen years ago)

well, my primary objection is to how it's written, which is disgustingly...but there's no excuse to throw someone off a plane unless they're wilfully and malevolently abusing or distracting others. just tell her to put her thumb in the baby's mouth or something

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:54 (sixteen years ago)

as for the bit about 'social muggings'...oh jesus christ grow up

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:55 (sixteen years ago)

yeah her tone is hyperbolic but i dig the message

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:55 (sixteen years ago)

it makes me wonder if she's ever been mugged.

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:56 (sixteen years ago)

just tell her to put her thumb in the baby's mouth or something

don't ever breed plz

― Bob Saget's "Night Moves": C or D (WmC), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 16:56 (sixteen years ago)

The thing is - commercial airplanes are just horrible environments, period.

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:00 (sixteen years ago)

well yeah. also belated tip of the hat to mookie

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:01 (sixteen years ago)

there's one in my apartment right now, and he wasn't here a couple months ago!!

― turkey turkey turkey let's all get basted (some dude), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:02 (sixteen years ago)

The author just seems to have batshit expectations about the behavior of small children.

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:03 (sixteen years ago)

love this thread title

― super sexy psycho fantasy world (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:04 (sixteen years ago)

i think i love almost all thread titles with unintentional typos in them

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:04 (sixteen years ago)

http://progressivestudents.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/beckcry1.jpg

― I have all the print out about Dimebag and his murder (Curt1s Stephens), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

violent rabies: are there suddenly lots more of them around

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

there should be a script that changes 'baby' to 'babby' automatically

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:23 (sixteen years ago)

babbies
rabbies
scabbies
labbia

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:25 (sixteen years ago)

suggest bban

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:26 (sixteen years ago)

how is suggest bban formed?

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:27 (sixteen years ago)

suggest bban bbutton

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:28 (sixteen years ago)

tbbh

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:29 (sixteen years ago)

Babies denying my right to live in a world without babies.

― ogmor, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:37 (sixteen years ago)

Hmm. Airlines reserve the right not to let obviously intoxicated people onto aircraft; I guess if a kid is screaming bloody murder in the waiting room, I don't think it's CRAZY and offensive to families if they approach the parents with some concerns about that. The apology and voucher situation is just customer service -- if you think ANY companies can afford to stand on their principles w/r/t customer satisfaction, think again.

― WHY DON'T YOU JUST LICK THE BUS DIRECTLY (Laurel), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

exactly^^^

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:45 (sixteen years ago)

wait, is that to me?

― ogmor, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:03 (sixteen years ago)

Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens has entered the war with a no-stroller/no-high-chair policy -- they have this shit-eating sign on the door about how they "love kids" but just "don't have the space" or something.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:31 (sixteen years ago)

shit eating?

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:32 (sixteen years ago)

as in a shit-eating grin

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:32 (sixteen years ago)

prime meats otm

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:39 (sixteen years ago)

I agree, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the neighborhood. It's a very stroller-moms-who-still-want-the-lifestyle kind of neighborhood.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:40 (sixteen years ago)

all of you were once screaming babies
banning babies from airplanes means keeping grandparents from seeing their grandbabies.
DEAL WITH IT, NONBREEDERS

― Maria :D, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:44 (sixteen years ago)

I've occasionally wished their were "baby" and "non-baby" flights, but the result of that would just be that the baby flights would be hellish. Maybe a baby "section" with sound barriers? Although again the baby section would become extra-hellish.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:48 (sixteen years ago)

There's a bakery/coffee shop in Chicago that a few years ago put a sign on the door that read, "Children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices." Of course, it launched a huge debate that made it into the New York Times.

― Nuyorican oatmeal (jaymc), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:49 (sixteen years ago)

xxp - I definitely am not fond of the sound of crying babies and screaming toddlers - one of my co-workers used to bring her kid to work and it was distracting and annoying sometimes - but seriously - babies are gonna cry, and their parents are going to take them on planes, because it is a very efficient mode of transportation. People are going to annoy each other in public. That's life.

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 18:55 (sixteen years ago)

Baby flights would have to be cheaper. Pay extra to fly without any children on board. Also, re consoling crying babies: some babies like to be consoled, some don't. Parents who appear to not console kids probably have lots of experience with what does and doesn't work with their particular kid. Sometimes a crying baby will stop sooner if the crying is "ignored", i.e. if the crying isn't rewarded with attention. Depends of course on the age of the kid, etc. Sometimes consoling a kid can just mean more and more and more crying.

― Maria :D, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 19:00 (sixteen years ago)

There are some really entitled parents in that article.

"I think that the mothers who allow their kids to run around and scream, that's wrong, but kids scream and there is nothing you can do about it. What are we supposed to do, not enjoy ourselves at a cafe?"

Um, yeah? When you shrug your shoulders and say there's nothing you can do about your screaming child and continue to enjoy yourself at a cafe, you give every other parent a bad name.

Flights are a different story because in some situations air travel is a necessity and it's not realistic to be able to leave the baby at home or expect them not to cry. My daughter has been very quiet and well behaved the three times she's been in a plane, but I think we've just gotten lucky.

― ô_o (Nicole), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 19:07 (sixteen years ago)

i was on a flight from Barcelona to Toronto and an infant wound up sitting a row ahead and across of me. naturally i assumed the worst; and wound up feeling bad for it, because it was the cutest most well behaved kid ever!

― The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:11 (sixteen years ago)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4047134428_65d1bbfbe3.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/4047134610_480b67b731.jpg

― The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:12 (sixteen years ago)

ok i entered the thread with 'hell yeah no kids on plane' intent but thermo wins

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

well of course canadian babies are well-behaved

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

i have this notion that babbies who cry on planes are often crying because their ears are hurting and they don't know why, so i mainly feel sad for them.

― estela, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:21 (sixteen years ago)

if only there were some way to communicate to them that their ears are sore because their parents took them on an airplane.

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:26 (sixteen years ago)

why don't flight attendants just hand out free earplugs to anyone who wants them? wouldn't cost much.

― scott seward, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:26 (sixteen years ago)

but you'd still know the little bastards were out there making noise....

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:27 (sixteen years ago)

you'd still smell them.

― scott seward, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:32 (sixteen years ago)

free noseplugs, eyepatches, valium?

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:32 (sixteen years ago)

thinking that far about it, free valium for babies is probably a better solution.

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:33 (sixteen years ago)

you want to give my free valium to a baby?

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:33 (sixteen years ago)

complain all you want lady, there won't be no headlines if we kick you off the plane.

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:36 (sixteen years ago)

that's why I haven't gotten on a plane in over nine years!

― sarahel, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:36 (sixteen years ago)

because of being kicked off the last one, because of babies, or because they stole your free valium?

― Louis Cll (darraghmac), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 22:40 (sixteen years ago)

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