Two female airline passengers caused an online debate when they locked a stranger’s crying child in the bathroom on a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang to Shanghai. The child was traveling with her grandparents and had been crying non-stop during the nearly three-hour flight. The passengers decided to take matters into their own hands and transported the child to the bathroom to “educate her,” with the grandmother’s consent.
The women filmed the incident and shared it on China’s version of TikTok, Douyin. In the video, they can be seen seated in the locked lavatory with the crying one-year-old child, telling her that they won’t let her out until she stops crying. The child’s mother, who was not on the flight, reportedly sympathized with the passengers’ actions, while the airline condemned the incident and apologized for the crew’s oversight.
Social media users were divided in their opinions about the incident. Some believed that the punishment was too harsh for a crying child, with one critic sarcastically saying that adults are allowed to have emotional breakdowns but not toddlers. Others suggested that the grandparent and the passengers should be sued, and social services should intervene to prevent future harm to the child. Another user emphasized that babies have the right to cry and travel and deserve empathy from adults.
However, there were also some who supported the passengers’ actions, stating that some children need discipline and education. Despite the mixed reactions, the video was eventually deleted following the backlash. The incident shed light on the debate on how children should be treated in public spaces and whether such actions are justified in disciplining a child. The airline, Juneyao Airlines, expressed regret over the incident and promised to take necessary measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
