Readers respond: Airlines demonise male passengers

Qantas passenger Mark Worsley was asked by stewards to shift from his seat beside a child because the airline allows only women to sit next to unaccompanied children. Here, readers give their views on the policy, which also applies at Air New Zealand.

I am tired of seeing all men marginalised because of a few. It is not only political correctness gone wrong, it is discrimination on the basis of gender. I think the gentleman concerned should bring a charge of discrimination. Will movie theatres be required to allocate seats so that I cannot sit next to a child in a movie theatre?

Fed-up Father

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Who did they ask before putting such a potentially damaging policy in place? As a regular flyer it galls me that a child (who may fly infrequently) gets a seat next to cabin crew for the child's comfort and "safety" when those of us who keep these airlines in the air can't get an upgrade, even when money is offered.

Richard Stevens

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Who wants to sit next to kids anyway? But rather than move the male passenger, why couldn't the child have been moved? Or why couldn't the "problem" have been detected at check-in, when seating is allocated? Now what do I have to do so that the airline won't allow me to sit next to morbidly obese or drunk people?

Andrew Stevenson, Mairangi Bay

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Perhaps Mr Worsley and (National Party MP) Dr Wayne Mapp would rethink their criticism of the airlines' policy pertaining to unaccompanied children flying alone if they had to fight off a false allegation of child abuse lodged by a child, parent or even another passenger. Would Mr Worsley feel comfortable allowing his children to be seated unknowingly next to a convicted sex offender?

Serwind Netzler, Nevada

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New Zealand is sick of these ridiculous policies and especially ones that are blatant discrimination against men. I have numerous flight attendant friends who confirm that the policy up until now has worked well with children travelling alone being seated close to where the flight attendants are mostly working. How many incidents of abuse go on in the air? My friends have never encountered any.

John Squire

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To have large commercial organisations and female public officials promote a prejudiced viewpoint of male/child relationships risks further societal antipathy towards men caring for children. The inevitable consequence of this is further feminisation of child rearing and education, to the detriment of the healthy development of boys and girls, who all need men involved in their upbringing.

Paul Le Grice

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Indiscriminate stereotyping of the male population of New Zealand under the blanket of policy smacks of sexism. Men should vote with their wallets.

Julian Williams

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Perhaps you can point out to these airlines that should they ever ask me to move, I will sue them for defamation, humiliation, discrimination and every other thing I can think of. I imagine a lot of others would do the same.

Mark Burgess

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As the leader of an organisation that matches men as mentors to fatherless boys I find the actions of Air NZ highly offensive. Their actions clearly say that all men are unsafe to be with children. If Air NZ and Qantas believe this is what their customers want they should prepare for a strong reaction from their male customers. Creating a climate of fear is not creating a better world for our children.

Richard Aston

Chief executive Big Buddy

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Please pass on my thanks to the airlines for pointing out that we men are predators. I had no idea that I posed a threat to children but rest assured I will endeavour to avoid contact with children at all times from now on. I will also seek psychiatric treatment for being a man.

Chris Pettit

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I am sorry. I have a child. This is not political correctness. This is what I would want. Do I think every man is a child molester? No, but I think that more men have molested more children than women have. Do I want my child to talk to strangers? No. Do I want my child talking to strange men? Never. This guy who has children should think of the child first and not his bruised ego.

Caron Schwartz

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The airline might as well hang a sign around the male passenger's neck saying "Possible paedophile". The trouble is that the airlines will ALWAYS hide behind what they describe as "parents' preferences" and no one will have the guts to challenge them on it.

Phillip Churchill

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It is understandable for airlines to err on the side of caution, but this was bungled badly. The only consolation at the moment for Mr Worsley is that this is company policy and therefore he should not take it personally.

C. Wright, Howick

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The corporate policy of Air New Zealand and Qantas to seat only women near unaccompanied children is insulting to men (and I am sure to many women) and, in its gender focus, in breach of human rights. To base this policy on the grounds that some men do molest children is as absurd as it would be to ban Muslims from sitting next to Christians (or even from boarding the plane) because some Muslims are terrorists.

Dr Volker Knuefermann

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If I were Mark Worsley, I would be angry and insulted. But if I was the woman who was forced to sit next to the unaccompanied child, I would be even more angry and insulted. Just as I'm sure there are women as well as men who consider sitting next to a child on a plane to be their worst nightmare, I'm sure there are men as well as women who don't mind it in the least (likely because they're parents themselves).

Adrienne Collier, New Jersey, USA

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If the article had not stated Mark Worsley was travelling Christchurch to Auckland I would have said he lived on another planet. I applaud Qantas and Air New Zealand for doing their bit to try to keep our children safe.

Diane Kendall, Orakei