"Distract Him, Do Something": US Passenger Complains About Crying Baby On Flight, Sparks Debate

A plane passenger in the US has sparked a debate online after complaining about a crying baby on a hot, delayed flight. Pat McAuliffe, a Barstool Sports contributor, shared a video of himself on a Delta Airlines flight with a crying baby in the background. In the clip, he looked visibly annoyed by the screaming baby on his flight. In the caption, McAuliffe shared his candid thoughts about how the parents should have soothed the baby. "If your child is screaming on a flight (that's late with no AC and hasn't taken off yet @Delta) show it a f***ing phone," he captioned the post, which has amassed more than 17 million views. "Brain rot the baby on TikTok until it's quiet. Is that too much to ask?" he added. 

In a follow-up video of himself on the flight, the baby can still be heard crying. "I do feel bad for the parents but at some point you gotta try something new. Walk his a** up and down the aisle, distract him, do something. It's still going on. Simply praying it'll stop is not acceptable," he wrote in the caption. 

Then, in the third post, the passenger questioned at what point the baby's screaming "became a medical emergency," since the chil was "crying for two hours". "Also why are these people not at least talking to their kid to soothe him? STAND UP AND WALK HIM AROUND," Mr McAuliffe concluded.

Social media users were quick to react to Mr McAuliffe's posts, with many, including parents, criticising his harsh response to the crying child. 

"Sounds like you're crying louder than the baby," wrote one user. "As a parent of three, shut the f*** up and put your headphones and enjoy the flight. That parents is in absolute hell," one wrote," commented another. 

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"I can guarantee you that the parent is stressing out way more than you flying by yourself with ear buds in. Grow up," said a third user. "Is it too much to ask to buy proper noise-cancelling headphones..?" another added.

"Bro, if this is the worst thing in your life, consider yourself lucky. Man up and see if the mom is okay and if she needs anything. She is probably trying her best," commented one user. 

However, some people instead claimed the parents on the flight should have soothed their crying baby on the flight. 

"I agree. This is the parents' fault. I have two and we can entertain our babies on the plane," said one user. "A responsible parent would consult a pediatrician before the flight for tips on making a baby comfortable with flying," wrote another.