Ooops...Never Mind on Rosie O'Donnell's Documentary

Just had to delete my original post for the day which promoted a free screening of Rosie O’Donnell’s new documentary. How can I promote it after one of my loyal readers pointed out to me that she had made racist ching-chong comments on The View back in 2007. It’s hard to keep track of all the famous people who mock the Asian community. But I certainly won't promote anyone who doesn't respect our people.

Angry Asian Man has more details.

Southwest Airlines…Off My List for Now

As the big travel season is nearing us, you may want to consider other airlines.

I used to fly Southwest a lot. I appreciated the cheap tickets, the in- flight magazine, and efficient service. However, I’m starting to think that maybe Southwest would rather fill their planes with childless passengers.

I was surprised that SW no longer does pre-boarding for families. When I asked a SW clerk, she said they stopped doing pre-boarding due to complaints from folks flying without kids.

It doesn’t stop there. Two weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who I’ll call Rosie flew with her twin boys from Oakland to Los Angeles. The returning flight was unpleasant and a bit embarrassing. This was Rosie’s first time flying with her two boys.

Here are her words:

The boys are 20 months old and we traveled with my 14 year-old niece and Luis. I realized afterwards that the flight attendant did keep an eye on us right from the beginning -- as soon as we sat down, she hovered over the boys and me as I changed their diapers. She patiently waited in the seat behind us as the plane filled towards the end then presumed that I did not buy the boys a seat. She said, "since you did not pay for the seat, one child has to be held with the other adult in another aisle." I cooperated with the attendant as I shuffled Aaron, who resisted, to Luis on the next aisle. Aaron cried for about ten minutes before we took off then just before taking off, I got both the boys on my lap to calm them down. I was going to give Luis one boy right back as the attendant came and scolded us for having the two boys on my citing the FAA rules this and FAA rules that. Never did she want to help and comfort us. The surrounding passengers sympathized for us and showed their support with smiles and even offered their toys to comfort the boys. As we got off the plane, the flight attendant referred us to the security officer for yet another lecture on the rules. This time they accused us of switching babies during the landing and we confirmed that we did not, that we each held one boy as we landed. Luis was firm and reiterated that we know the rules and that they should not accuse us of such things unless they really saw us.


Ironically just a month ago, another mother was kicked off a SW plane for having a loud two year old. For Pete's sake, babies will cry and babies will fuss. But they're not a threat to anyone on the plane. Pass out headsets to folks who want to drown out the crying...offer support....do something other than making mothers feel bad for traveling with a child.

I’m officially writing SW off my list. SW can continue their policies, but parents will definitely look for friendly skies elsewhere.

Distrubia: Photos of your Kids in the Bath is considered Porn

I just read this disturbing article about a couple in Arizona who were accused by Wal-Mart of child pornography. They took a few home photos of their girls in the bath like many of us do. Bath time with your babies is precious and for decades been considered a KODAK moment. Well, think again about taking those home photos to COSTCO or WalMart as your kids might be taken by CPS.

Read more about it on Mommy Files.

Bart Responds

Following up from my post about my semi-scary experience taking baby on the BART elevator.

Mmoran@bart.gov to me

Follow up message

I regret the unpleasant experience as described. Certainly there are some urban areas such as that near the Civic Center SF BART station where activities in the surrounding neighborhoods may find their way into the periphery of the BART station. Such infractions as described appear in a flash--that brief moment of opportunity.

We continually watch for inappropriate behavior and the BART Police will respond to calls based on the priority of the calls at the moment. We also look upon the assistance of the eyes and ears of our passengers to help us and report immediately when something perceived as inappropriate is occurring. A prompt contact to the BART Police at 1-877-679-7000 or to the station agent works much better than an email message to an office that is unoccupied on weekends.

All I have to say is when we were in Oaska and Kyoto, Japan, the subway elevators did not reek of urine and there was no element of danger. Plus despite the fact that people are allowed to drink on the trains, there is still no litter anywhere in their stations or trains. Plus every single station agent and ticket seller were amazingly nice and helpful. They never made it felt like you were bothering them. Hmmm...something to be learned from other countries. Anyways, just beware of your surroundings when taking bart with a baby in the stroller.

ER Wish--Create More Kid-Friendly Rooms

Are ER’s created equally? I wonder. It’s never fun having to take anyone there, but especially your baby. While we were in the ER at Kaiser Oakland, I thought of ways the experience could be less scary and more comforting:

1. Solid knowledge of your wait time. I know the ER is hectic, and staff are working hard and quickly as possible. But I wish that the receptionist could tell you exactly how long you needed to wait. It could be anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. If you knew that your wait was going to be over an hour, at least you could wait in an area that’s more pleasant. The ER waiting area always feels so tense and the wait feels like forever.

2. How about some soothing music in the waiting area? Or even soothing sounds of nature. Wouldn’t everyone feel a little better?

3. Rooms dedicated to children and babies. It’s so scary for young kids to be in the hospital and the sterile/drab environment probably doesn’t help. It would be nice to have a couple of rooms dedicated to the young ones. There must be room in the budget for a bit of colorful paint, soft blankets, and books.


Wait a minute... ER’s aren’t created equally:

-Stanford Medical created a Children’s Wing in their ER
-Sweden has a pediatric ER in several locations.
- NY Presbyterian-Weill Cornell installed mural tiles for pediatric emergency rooms

Hmmmm...will the rest of the world catch on anytime soon?

Letter to BART: Sketchy Elevators

Hello,

I'm a mother of a young baby who took BART this past Saturday (5/16) from Lake Merritt to Civic Center Bart. It was my first time taking a stroller and having to use the elevators. I'm wondering what is being done about the safety of the elevators at Civic Center. Specifically, the elevator going from the ticket area to the BART platform. It was a pretty sketchy experience for us.

On my return around 3:30 in the afternoon, I saw a man who was obviously a drug addict waiting by the elevator. He was extremely impatient and pressed the button multiple times. My instinct told me to stay behind and wait until he entered the elevator and wait for the next one. When I watched him enter the elevator, he shot up. I could see him strap the band on his arm etc. Very scary. I was surprised that no one watches out for that. I waited several minutes before entering the elevator. But even when I got in, I was nervous that some other drug addict would get on at the next level etc.

I think the elevators are hidden away from public view and seem vulnerable to a bad confrontation. Especially for women with children and elderly people. What ways is BART going to improve this?

Considering SF is a high class city, it seems inappropriate that elevators are filthy and a place where drugs are used. Where is the public safety strategy? You have to wonder why parents would prefer to drive then to encounter such a sketchy experience.

I'm interested in hearing about what ways you will improve this.

Thanks.

-Ly

Let's see how quick BART responds. I sent this via email this morning. Feel free to share your own experience.

Following Up: Mother's Work Inc. Settlement

Sorry I was so late in posting. I had a fever of 103 this morning. After taking Tylenol, I have some energy to write my post. I've noticed that many readers come to my site through a search related to the Parenting magazine scam. My conclusion is Mother's Inc (e.g.Motherhood Maternity, Pea in the Pod) must still be scamming people out of 20 bucks for an unauthorized subscription.

Months ago, I received a postcard regarding the settlement case which I returned to get my share. I'm still waiting for my $25 gift certificate to any one their stores.

Has anyone received their gift certificate or heard any updates?

On the Sly: Motherhood and Parenting Magazine Scam

And yet another triple P! (Parent Pet Peeve)

Did Parenting magazine magically appear in your mailbox? Did you pick it up thinking it must be complimentary? Think again.

Even though Motherhood Maternity isn't your first choice of shops, when you're pregnant and wandering around a mall...you get sucked in. Remember when they asked you for your email and home address. You thought about it and just when you are about to reject this once in a lifetime offer, the cashier flashes a smile. In the excitement and fuzziness of pregnancy brain, you recite your address. Hey, what harm will some freebies do?

Then the day after you come home from the hospital with your newborn, a free can of Similac is delivered. How sweet the big corporation remembered your due date. Then you get the Huggies coupon. Then the Parenting magazine appears a few weeks later which is decent reading material while nursing. You're thinking, "Wow, how nice of them to send a complimentary copy." Check your credit card statement immediately! You may just find a $20 charge for an unauthorized subscription. It’s happened to all of us. Somehow at Motherhood they fail to tell us that by agreeing to share an address is code for accepting a subscription. Crafty eh?

Funny how the world wants to make money off of babies and new mothers. For more on this rip off report, click here

Learn about the settlement case regarding these unauthorized charges.