How does this happen- Toddler found at airport after parents

Bambamama

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 9:40 am

I'm soooo glad they didn't say their names in the article. That would be so embarrassing for them. But is the reason they didn't mention their names because of legal reasons? Maybe because they were passengers and the airline couldn't give out passenger info? Or because the journalists were particularly kind (doubtful)?

Zus

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 9:42 am

pacifier wrote:

but once everyone on the plane, I'm surprised the attendants didn't count properly the number of passengers...... a 3 year old takes a seat, so there was one seat empty and the attendant didn't notice it!! strange....

That is not how headcounts are done. It's not unusual to have empty seats on a plane.
Everybody who checks in, receives a boarding pass. Upon boarding, a piece of slip is torn off and kept by the airline personnel. They count the amount of slips they receive, or sometimes the computer does. If the number of checkin slips doesn't correspond with the number of checked in passengers, they run it by the computer to see ho exactly is missing (every slip has a name on it).

But now I think of it, this is of course what happened:
When the family boarded the plane, one of the parents handed them the pile of slips for the whole family all at once, including the one of the 3 year old. And the airline personnel never counted to see if the amount of slips and persons corresponded. Easy. And a huge mistake of the airline. Not that they're responsible for running after a 3 year old (the parents are), but they MUST check if the number of slips and passengers correspond.

miriamnechama

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 10:07 am

pacifier wrote:

I wonder if this is a real story.... french people do not usually travel with enormous amount of luggage. there's a weight limit, and most of the time with 1 1/2 luggage per person you get to the limit!

then I'm surprised that in israel where security is at maximum they would let and stamp passport/boarding pass without checking first. unless the little girl moved back at the last minute, after they had given their boarding pass; who would notice a 3 year old in a crowd of people rushing to get seated first in the plane.

but once everyone on the plane, I'm surprised the attendants didn't count properly the number of passengers...... a 3 year old takes a seat, so there was one seat empty and the attendant didn't notice it!! strange....

who says they were french.. they could well have been israelis who had fam in france...the fact that the girl knows about badatz hechshereim.... I doubt a french 3 year old would unless she was born in israel and the parents were olim....

Clarissa

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 10:21 am

WARNING: movie mentioned

Isn't it time for the fourth installment of this classic series?

http://www.lovinthe90s.com/wp-.....e.jpg

This one could be about the story of a child left behind when the family goes on vacation, only in this one, the kid has to fight the evil forces of bad hechsherim and non jews trying to push unacceptable ice cream on her. Hilarity ensues and the toddler triumphs!

pacifier

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 10:35 am

I just reread the story, you're right they were israeli. and they were late and running. of course, when you have many kids one of the parents must hold on the younger ones, and not put the responsability on the oldest. plus if they were late, why did they go to dutyfree!!!!

still, I wonder if the 18 suitcases is not an exageration, and about the attendant counting people before take off, every time I travelled, I saw them do it. (like sometimes you'd like to change seats and they tell you only after everyone is on board, so they can easily check which seat/person is not on the plane.)

miriamnechama

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 10:43 am

Zus wrote:

If you prepare your kid for a trip abroad, one of the things you try to enter into their heads is that in chutz laaretz, there ismuch more treif around so they should be much more careful with what they eat, and they always have to ask if the hechsher is good.

yeah I made that mistake myself just nowin london.. I bought 3 after eights only to find out that they were not pareve but milky chalav akum... embarrassed

I think my father just gave it to their cleaner....

but my kids are well aware thatthey can't just buy what they want abroad.....

miriamnechama

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 10:50 am

pacifier wrote:

I hadthis with ds2 2 years ago.... dh and ds1 went to uman, so I though what would be so terrible to take ds2 to london.. I had the stroller with me he was 3.5 but it was the giggest mistake I did and wouldn't do it again.

even by checkin teh kid was running around.. in israel I was able to ask someone to watch my luggage as I went to get him.. nothing helped by keeping him in the stroller and ii came early enough. otherwise he was ok.. I made sure to keep him near me all teh time.

the trouble was comingback from lonmdon.. I left early enough, buiut the kid wondered off again.. I couldn't find him and the security was like... go and find him.. yeah with my caes thanks... I told them I'm alone, in teh end father's friend went to find him but the security bought him back and saidto me so now yo uknow how you take care of your child....

hmm that' stanstead for you.. they gave me such headaches... but I learntr 1.. I won't do that again, and I've also learnt how to deal with teh stanstead personnel...

btw we were 5 as kids andtravelled alotto holland, thiough it never happpened to us, though I do remember being stuck in an elevater with my other and sisters for who knows how long...

grin

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 12:32 pm

Clarissa wrote:

Rutabaga

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 12:35 pm

Clarissa wrote:

Didn't they go off to Paris in the first one?

Aidelmom

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 5:05 pm

I was at the airport once and found a little kid wandering around by himself. I had to convince him to come with me(good thing I was legit -) I don't want to write the whole story but suffice it to say when I found the kids father I was so mad. I told him off but nicely of course. (though I"m sure this father wouldn't have left without him)