The gentleman in seat 4A quickly stowed his overhead bag and settled into the plush leather seat in the first class cabin. Across the aisle, a fellow traveler was accepting a glass of champagne from the tall, slim flight attendant. The remaining seats were filling up quickly with middle-aged businessmen heading back to New York.
As I adjusted my seat belt, I sensed all eyes turning to the latest arrival to enter the first class cabin. A stunning, blond woman was checking her ticket for her seat assignment. All eyes watched her very closely. The man across from me held his breath.
When the woman stopped by seat 3B and made it clear she was not just passing through on her way to coach, the men looked horrified. Instead of being delighted to have this attractive woman as a seat companion, the men looked downright panicked.
What was the source of this palpable distress? The woman’s carry-on was not a stylish Louis Vuitton duffel bag; her carry-on was an infant seat containing a six-month-old baby … a baby who would be sharing the first class cabin with the business travelers for the long, five-hour flight. The men grumbled among themselves about the tiny trekker, who they were sure would start screaming any minute.
Anticipating the imminent ordeal, one older, well-dressed gent went so far as to suggest there be a child-free section on every plane. The mother settled her squirming daughter into her special safety seat and spoke to her in soothing tones. The plane reached its cruising altitude, a movie started, and the men reclined their leather seats and sipped their cocktails. As expected, it wasn’t long before the darkened cabin was filled with noise … loud, unrelenting noise.
Standing up to head to the restroom, I caught the young mother’s eye. Proceeding up the aisle, I gave her a sympathetic look as she tried to cover her ears to block out the incessant racket. With her baby sleeping peacefully at her side, the woman certainly looked as though she could use a nice, quiet opportunity to catch a much-needed nap … but the chorus of snoring sounds from the businessmen in the rows surrounding her and her baby was keeping her awake!
I paused by seat 3B. Sensing a kindred spirit, the woman leaned into the aisle and whispered conspiratorially, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a quiet section on every plane just for mothers and babies?”
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