**I do not intend to offend anyone with this article, specifically people with children; I am merely writing this based off of my own and other’s experiences.

Before you freak out, I’m not talking about banning children from planes or not allowing them to travel. Children have just as much of a right to travel as anyone else. I saw most of the world as a child (I was also a very well-mannered child that didn’t kick people’s seats). And in addition to annoying children, there are many other annoying things that come along with traveling- rude flight attendants, neighbors who start snoring on our shoulder, people playing their iPods too loud, people with poor hygiene, etc. It is something we have to deal with when traveling whether we like it or not.

My Dilemma

Having said that, my dilemma does not lie with the bratty and annoying children who cannot control their legs and mouths when in confined spaces, it lies more with the parents who cannot control their children and reprimand them when they are bothering others around them.

The Solution

This is why it has led me to propose creating sections for families with children 7 and under and sections for people who are not traveling with young children. I am not saying that children should be banned from planes. I am not evil.  But imagine: You are exhausted from the long line at security check along with the wait you’ve had at your gate. You already know you have a long flight ahead of you. You settle into your cramped chair in the back of the plane and you just popped a sleeping pill and are ready to knock out when the turbulence starts, but it’s not from the air, it’s from the kid behind you, who keeps kicking your chair.  And unfortunately, their iPad isn’t enough of a distraction.

10 Hour Flight From Hell

Last year, I had a 14 hour flight from Beijing to Los Angeles with two kids sitting behind me that were kicking my chair for the duration of the flight (or the 10 hours they were awake). It was probably the worst flight I have ever been on and it almost had me crying from frustration towards the end. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know if I should turn around and scream at the hyperactive kids who wouldn’t stop kicking my chair or if I should scream at the parents who were allowing their kids to kick my chair.  Having an area dedicated to families will allow families to bond with other families over how annoying their children are and it will allow other people who don’t have children or who have older children to enjoy a peaceful flight without feeling turbulence throughout their whole flight.

“She peed on his foot”

I’m not done. I have another scenario. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine was on a flight from Spain to Los Angeles and he was conveniently seated behind a 4 year old girl who would not stop moving and shaking her chair. She kept getting up and peering at him and waving her hands hysterically in front of his face as he awkwardly sat and watched her, not knowing what to do. Then, while he was watching his inflight movie, he noticed something warm trickling onto his foot. The girl had peed on his foot… PEED ON HIS FOOT. The flight attendant apparently had to bring a bunch of napkins and plastic bags to cover up his foot because he also happens to have OCD, which didn’t help the fact that she peed on his foot. When he looked at her mom, she shook her head and laughed as if to say “kids these days.” No, it’s not “kids these days” because kids should not go around peeing on other people’s feet especially when they paid around 900 dollars to be on this flight.

My proposal for the separation of families with children of 7 and under is a very legitimate proposal. The back section of the plane is no different from the front. They can sit there and pee on whomever’s foot they desire and they will not be bothering people who are traveling without children. It’s a win win situation for everyone.

Let me know of your own experiences in the comments section below and if you think there should be a assigned areas on planes!