Boarding a plane with an infant is a walk of shame like no other. Everyone is watching—side-eyed and twitchy; secretly hoping you’ll sit anywhere else—as you make your way down the aisle.
A seasoned mom will tell you to ignore the evil glares and pray for a miracle, but what if your flight is from South Korea to California? What is the likelihood that your baby will go a full ten hours without so much as a whimper?
According to Dave Corona, a cameraman for KGO-TV, kids (even babies) are full of surprises.
During a recent flight from Seoul to San Francisco, Corona said that one mother was so afraid her newborn was going to disrupt other passengers that she showed up bearing gifts.
The unidentified woman allegedly handed out more than 200 goodie bags—filled with candy, earplugs and a thoughtful note—in case her baby started crying during the flight.
“Hello, I’m Junwoo and I’m 4 months old,” the note read. “Today, I am going to the U.S. with my mom and grandma to see my aunt. I’m a little bit nervous and scary (sic) because it’s my first flight in my life, which means that I may cry or make too much noise. I will try to go quietly, though I can’t make any promises… Please excuse me.”
Corona, who shared photos of the exchange on Facebook, said it was a “very touching gesture” by the mother. “But as you know when you have kids expect the unexpected. Not a peep out of the kid.”
Though most applauded the woman for going above and beyond to “keep the peace” by pleasing other passengers, one woman said she wished people were more understanding “and not make parents and their children feel so ‘unwelcome’ on flights. We were all babies at one point in life…”
Another said she was “super impressed” that mom was able to put together 200 care packages with a small infant around.
And then came the sarcasm.
“How much candy do you think would be acceptable to allow the twins to run riot on a flight?” asked one mom.
Me: There’s not enough candy in the world.