"Traveling With The 99%": The People You Almost Only Ever Meet At The Airport

The Bad Parents

I don't have too many friends with children of their own yet, but the general consensus among parents I do know seems to be that parenting is way, way more difficult than you could possibly imagine, and nobody is really in a position to Monday morning quarterback other people's parental decisions. That having been said, if you've gone through a major airport and not noticed at least one piece of parenting that made you wonder if you should call Child Protective Services, you probably haven't been paying close enough attention. From unshaven dads with bloodshot eyes shrieking at their 7-year-old for grabbing a candy bar at the newsstand to haggard, pockmarked women who leash their toddlers to a garbage can so they can suck down Marlboro Reds on the curb, there's enough bad parenting at the airport to keep psychiatrists everywhere in business for decades to come. Here's my two cents, parents: airports and airplanes are crazy, crowded, overstimulating environments for children, and other travelers should understand that and provide a certain degree of leeway. It is therefore incumbent upon you to not abuse that leeway by using leashes and pull-up diapers as a a substitute for controlling (and potty training) your children. We're all about to sit in extremely close proximity to each other for many more hours than any of us would like, so at a bare minimum, make sure your kids are entertained and don't smell like poop. And for the love of God, DON'T FEED THEM ANYTHING WITH SUGAR IN IT. Should You Talk To This Guy/Gal? What's the point? Trying to lecture a bad and/or overwhelmed parent will invariably result in either a self-righteous angry lecture or a dead-eyed vacant stare.