I feel sorry for this poor woman

It's PC run amok  un-PC-ism....

At least the completely twisted fears don't affect anyone except the countless men who a discriminated against every day due to this ridiculous hysteria.

This is in contrast to uninformed hysteria that seems to be hell-bent on undoing all the great work of modern vaccination programmes. It is hard to imagine anything that has saved more lives, yet the imbecilic Jenny McCarthy and her bat-$h!+ crazy followers seem to value anecdote and intuition over hard science. Who knows why.

How does an empty seat protect a minor anyway? And a 13 year old statistic relating to a single incident!

My parents would take responsibility for my safety by travelling with me, not try and blackmail carriers into harassing others.

I am sure it is irrelevant but i spent 6 years travelling as an unaccompanied minor across the atlantic to and from a boarding school during the late sixties and early seventies. Not once did i meet any one who concerned me. Most were probably more concerned to suddenly have a child sitting next to them! I was 12 when I started. I am sure it would be a little daunting for those younger just like this mother's children. I wouldn't put my 8yr old on a plane by herself! 

Boarding school was a different story! Twice i was approached rather than 'interfered' with. The attempts were firmly rebutted. However they happened easily enough even in such a confined environment!

I feel sorry for her kids.

In the Easter holidays in 1970, my brother and I flew to and from Norway on British European Airways [BEA, and half of what is now BA after BOAC joined up] unaccompanied as our mother had already left for Norway a week in front. she did not return with us and that was the start of her leaving the family home.

I was eight and my brother seven. We sat next to each other, and proudly wore special BEA badges and were spoiled to death by the stewardesses! We had a visit to the cockpit both ways, and never once were let out of the sight of responsible airline staff either on the aeroplane or in the airport till we were collected by family. I remember it as being quite an adventure! For years I kept the special badges!

ATB from George

Blimey! What a piece...

The Guardian and Daily Mail over here are very fond of these "click bait" articles. They always get lots of views, lots of comments which always impresses advertisers.

But to get back to the article, it does beg the question: if this wretched woman is so concerned with the wellbeing of her offspring, why does she allow them to travel alone on planes in the first place?

Remember flying to Malta unaccompanied  back in the early seventys to visit me sister, was seven or eight at the time , my mum dropped me off at Heathrow and was picked up by my sister in Valletta . on the return journey I remember my sister bringing me to the airport, but in her heist she had forgotten my passport, I was allowed to board the plane and my mum was called to immigration at heathrow to come pick me up, just wouldn't happen today, on both outward and return journeys I was very well looked after and also had the mandatory cockpit tour.

going off topic slightly.....you make a good point about the security! My school holiday home flights were to the West Indies where my father worked for a government. The plane had to stop for refuelling at Bermuda. We were all trooped off the plane and into the terminal for this event. We were free to wander, no airside nonsense, and i remember walking out the front of the terminal and sitting across the road on the rocks on the sea with my feet dangling in the water. We were all called back some 45 minutes later and all obediently were back on the plane for take off and onward journey with nary a murmur of delay! 

Totally ludicrous. A wind up surely?

I'm increasingly thinking you're right. I have moved from outrage to confusion and onto simple resignation and sadness. Is it just "clickbait" trying to stir interest and advertising dollars? The SMH (Fairfax) used to have some pretence of quality journalism, but I fear those days are now long gone.

The SMH published a rebuttal comment to the hateful piece by Spicer. A pertinent quote....

"It's an interesting time to be a man.

On the one hand you must rightfully acknowledge the equality of women but accept you are "naturally" subordinate on issues like childcare, child custody and emotional intelligence while smiling goofily at any derision aimed at your gender when it comes to these subjects.

On the other hand you are unequally suspected of being a rapist, bully, paedophile, abuser, sex pest and murderer because the statistical culpability of men casts such a long shadow, you must bear the guilt of what others have done.

It is the essence of prejudice."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/...f.html#ixzz30Eu0mIpQ