Airlines discriminate against men.

Yes. All the time. Pass me another Tui.

Everyone's blogged their indignation at this one. The Whig even compared Worsley to Rosa Parks... I've expended enough energy tapping comments into their comments fields I figured I ought to put the story in perspective.

The nasty old airline asked this man to change seats. Boo fucking hoo.

Anyone who has sent an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) off to scattered parts knows the airlines have had this policy for years. They usally put the UMs up the back of the aircraft near the flight attendants. I believe they prefer it if the children don't sit next to adult passengers at all, male or female.

I'm pretty happy with that policy.

This flight must have been pretty full if he wasn't offered an upgrade to business class. Or maybe the whiner was so obnoxious they didn't feel inclined.

If it'd been me I'd have thanked them profusely for seating me somewhere other than next to a shitty kid. It's possible I'd ask to be moved if they didn't offer first.

While the odds of a random male passenger being a molestor must be pretty low, as a parent, I think the assured safety of a child vastly outweighs a trifling inconvenience to an adult. The airline will be covering itself too, the UMs are in their care & I daresay a lawsuit from an aggrieved parent is something to be avoided. So too, the chance that a child will accuse an innocent adult of molestation.

And as for getting The Eradicator involved... what's more "politically correct", ensuring the safety of a minor? Or ensuring the dignity of a random male passenger?

Or let me put it this way instead:

This is political correctness gone mad.

Are we unable to take steps to safeguard children without fear of offending someone who is barely inconvenienced?

Ban on men sitting next to children