Community Corner

POLL: Should Alaska Airlines Have Kicked Fussy Toddler Off Plane?

An Everett man says the airline's crew kicked him and his son off the plane after the little one refused to buckle his seatbelt. Did they make the right choice?

Sitting near a crying or fussy toddler can turn a two-hour flight into a transcontinental one.

And I am a parent.

When I fly, I try to make sure my little one follows all safety precautions. Moreover, I try to keep her happy/entertained/distracted/sleepy enough to spare my neighboring flyers.

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To date, my wife and I have been lucky. Our kid seems to enjoy flights, and we don't ask questions.

But what happens when a toddler becomes so unruly that the pilot has to kick the young one off the plane, as was the case last Saturday at Sea-Tac International Airport?

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Mynorthwest.com first reported an Everett man and his 3-year-old son were kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight.

(Click here to read the entire story)

Mark Yanchak says his son was fussy during takeoff. However, the little one buckled (no pun intended) after his mother -- who was sitting in first class with the couple's other son -- came back with water and a pacifier.

But by then, the crew had already made a "judgment call," the airline explained to mynorthwest.com, and directed the plane back to the gate.

The man and his son were required to exit the plane. Alaska's reasoning? The boy refused to buckle during takeoff, so it was a matter of safety.

But Yanchak says the crew got impatient and overreacted.

So we ask you, Patch users, who do you think was correct in this situation? The airline or the family? Let us know by taking our poll and talking about it in the comments section.


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