Man Horrified After “Monster” Child Throws Glitter Around the Plane. Flight Attendants Didn’t Care About the Mother’s Aggressive Screaming

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Airplane etiquette is one of the most argued topics on the internet right now. Heated debates over switching seats have caused frequent flyers to chime in about other controversial plane behavior, like reclining your seat back all the way or giving gifts to flight attendants.

This “glitter monster” passenger nightmare, however, is in a class of its own.

One man described getting covered in glitter and glue stick marks from a child’s messy arts and crafts. After the mother failed to step in, he reported the situation to the flight attendants, causing further drama.

He took to the internet to ask if he was in the wrong for escalating the issue.

The internet had some strong opinions. Here’s how it played out:

Background

The passenger in question, or the original poster (OP), booked a seat on a long-haul flight. He paid extra for an aisle seat in the main cabin for his long legs.

Seated next to OP was a mother and her child. The mother appeared to be in her late 30s, while the child was likely five or six years old. The mother took the window seat, leaving her child in the middle seat.

To entertain the child, the mother brought arts and crafts, including paper, markers, craft sticks, a glue stick, and glitter.

What did the child do?

OP says that the child was fine up until she started playing with the glitter. Because the child was seated in the middle seat, glitter would spill onto OP and his belongings in the aisle.

The glue stick frequently rolled off of the child’s tray table. OP describes the glue stick as getting “everywhere,” including his shoes, backpack, and jeans.

Her messy arts and crafts were so haphazard that they earned her the nickname “glitter monster” online.

Did the passenger say something?

OP tried catching the mother’s attention, but when they made eye contact, she gave him a look that he interpreted as “this is how it is.” The mother had previously been aggressive with airport staff during the boarding process, so he didn’t want to press for communication.

What did OP do next?

OP describes himself as being patient and non-confrontational, but eventually, he reached a breaking point. When he got up to use the bathroom, he quietly mentioned the situation to a flight attendant.

The flight attendant promised that she would be discreet in addressing it.

How did the mother react?

When OP returned to his seat, the child’s mother was upset, claiming that OP was being “discriminatory against mothers.” The mother raised her voice, claiming that OP was “a selfish man with no understanding of children.”

There were no other seats available, so OP was stuck with the mother for the remainder of the flight. After landing, the mother continued to curse at OP during deplaning.

Did the flight attendants step in?

Although the flight attendants initially tried to help while OP was in the bathroom, they didn’t step in at all after the mother began to raise her voice. Instead, they just gave OP “looks of sympathy.”

So, was OP in the wrong for reporting the glitter monster situation? While most agreed he was definitely not, some did take the mother’s side, citing that it’s “just a little glitter.”

This is what people had to say:

Why Didn’t the Mother Take the Middle Seat?

“She could’ve at least been a glitter shield by putting her kid on the window seat. She neglected to be the sole canvas for her daughter’s artistic whims.

“As a parent, sometimes as gross as it sounds, you are a bib/napkin/paper towel at their glittery little fingers. You made the right call,” said one commenter when responding to OP.

The Mother Should Have Never Brought Glitter

“I have been a flight attendant for 33 years, and I have seen a lot of dumb (stuff), but never glitter. By all means, entertain your kids, but not if it disturbs others or defaces a multimillion-dollar piece of equipment. I would have zero issue telling Mom that glitter is prohibited by the FAA.”

Planes Are Not a Preschool Classroom

“A plane is not a child’s classroom. Of course, it’s not always easy to entertain children on planes. But if you bring arts and crafts, it shouldn’t be anyone else responsibility, but the parents’ to clean it up, and they shouldn’t be surprised if people are put off it.

“Given her actions, she’s just selfish and inconsiderate of others around her.”

Think of the Cleaning Crew

“Even if you’re adamantly against screens, there’s a TON of other things that don’t involve thousands of tiny sparkly things that inevitably get everywhere. Not only was she inconsiderate of you, but she was inconsiderate of whoever had to clean that ungodly mess.”

Another commenter doubled down, saying, “You just KNOW that whatever between flight cleaning they’re doing isn’t getting all of it.”

This husband wanted to retire without his wife

Is retiring without your spouse okay?

This husband wanted to retire in South America for the majority of the year, leaving behind all of his family and friends, but his wife had other plans.

She wanted to spend more time with their young grandchildren instead of jetting off. To her surprise, he was perfectly okay with going alone and leaving her behind.

This is what people have to say.

“You’re a spoiled brat!” Viscious husband doesn’t think he’s in the wrong

Name-calling your spouse is usually a one-way ticket to divorce, but this man decided to risk it all anyway.

Feeling slighted after his wife was gifted a new car that he didn’t want her to have, he exploded, calling her a “spoiled brat.”

Does he have a point?

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