Woman On Airplane Irritated By Noisy Screens “Would Rather Hear A Baby Crying”

Any parent who’s traveled with kids knows it’s no walk in the park — unless you happen to take terrible walks where you leave home at 3:45am without a stroller to carry a squirming, screaming child and bulky luggage through a crowded park undergoing construction. Most parents agree: our best parenting isn’t happening midair, and many of us hand over the screens and unhealthy snacks without hesitation in an effort to just get through it and get on the ground.

But at the same time, any human being, parent or not, might relate to the frustration of TikToker @dailydoseofdorilee, a mother of 5 whose blissfully peaceful solo flight was interrupted by the noise of young passengers using electronic devices on speaker and without headphones.

The video begins with a list of her triumphs: a successfully packed carry-on bag, clothes layered FTW, the good fortune of being assigned a seat in the very back of the plane (her favorite!). Giddily, she refers to her experience thus far as “the absolute best day.” The excitement is palpable.

But then cut to her whispering into wired ear buds. “Isn’t it proper etiquette when you’re on a plane, or like... anywhere in public, to utilize headphones?”

She gives viewers a moment to take in the sounds interrupting an otherwise quiet cabin. Flipping her camera view, we see between the seats to an iPad playing a cartoon loud enough to hear clearly through her headphone speaker.

Deflated, she mutters “I really don’t want to hear that...I would rather hear a baby crying.”

Visibly annoyed, she struggles with what to do next.

“Would I be an asshole if I talked to the stewardess?” With a forlorn gaze out the window she sighs “I don’t know...” before she asks with renewed exasperation, “Can you actually hear how loud it is?”

The video ends after she silently mouths “IT’S. SO. LOUD.” Viewers are left wondering what she decides, what the rules of headphone etiquette are, and what flexibility there should be as it applies to children.

Commenters weighed in.

Some parents brought up the struggle of keeping headphones or ear buds on little ones who don’t want to be wearing them, especially children with sensory needs.

User @KelyB added, “Even when my kid was 1 and wouldn’t wear headphones, I kept the volume down low, if not muted.” To which the creator replied, “That’s how I roll too!”

Others were less permissive of the headphone-less faux-paus. Agreeing with @dailydoseofdorilee, one comment read, “I have four children and nooooo way would I allow them to do this. It drives me crazy when they do it at home let alone on a flight and for others to endure.”

Some offered support by sharing the less graceful ways they might have handled it.

“Oh hell no. I would have been hitting that call button before take off lol. Either that or kicking his seat 😂” and “I would’ve unplugged my headphones and turned up 2 Live Crew until they got the hint.”

The most-liked comment came from Kathleen Stensrud, who put the creator’s ‘Am I The A-Hole?’ worries to rest, with a professional perspective. “Flight attendant here...not only proper etiquette, but it’s policy. If I don’t hear it myself, definitely notify me :)” Encouragement ensued, with many comments sharing similar in-flight experiences. Some stories ended in a frustrating lack of action, but many ended with complimentary headphones.

The creator was active and polite in the comments, admitting she did eventually call the flight attendant. The intervention was well-received and led to a more relaxing flight. It appears this passenger was able to advocate for herself with empathy for traveling families, successfully avoiding A-hole territory.