Virgin Blue: Toddler Locked In Overhead Bin
 

From MSNBC:

A Virgin Blue flight attendant was fired after an angry mother claimed he locked her toddler son in an overhead bin, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.

Natalie Williamson told the newspaper that she, her 17-month-old son, Riley, and her now estranged husband were traveling on a Virgin flight from Fiji to Sydney, Australia, when the flight attendant picked up Riley, placed him in the overhead bin and shut the door.

Virgin confirmed that the incident did occur but said Williamson's husband was playing a peek-a-boo game with Riley when the flight attendant joined in.

"We conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and the staff member involved was subsequently terminated," a Virgin spokeswoman told the Herald Sun.

Williamson said that Virgin Blue offered her free flights, but she said she is too shaken by the incident to redeem them.

"My husband, Shayne, was standing one meter behind my son, Riley, when the air steward picked him up and placed him in the overhead compartment," she told the Herald Sun.

"I stood up and there were people laughing and then I said 'Get my son out of there now'," she said.

"I was devastated. I was absolutely devastated."
Williamson said Riley was locked in the compartment for about 10 seconds in complete darkness.

Riley, now 20 months, has seen various specialists since the incident, said Williamson, and is suffering from anxiety and withdrawal.

"He won't leave my sight now. He sleeps with me. If I'm not in the same room as him, he will scream and yell 'Mum, mum, mum,' " she said.

The Virgin spokeswoman said that "the safety of our guests is our top priority."

"We have expressed our sincere apologies to the guest and have provided them with a credit for the full amount of the two return flights."

Mum Natalie Williamson outraged after Virgin crew allegedly locked tot in overhead locker | Herald Sun

NOT that I condone the FA's action (by any means), but kids take their cues off of their parents.

Because the Mom is so "devastated" and making such a big deal out of this, the kid is too. If the parents had simply downplayed the incident in front of their child it wouldn't have been a big 'life altering' issue that required "various specialists".

20 seconds? Seriously? My toddler daughter closed herself in a dark closet for longer than that and hasn't had any apparent emotional distress. Hell, she did a swan dive off of the couch the other day and hit her head on the coffee table. While I was concerned for her (and she cried), I jumped up, laughed a bit at her while I consoled her and she was back up and running within a minute (despite having a good egg on her forehead).

I have to agree with you...10 seconds should NOT be that traumatic unless the parents are doing something to make it a far bigger deal than it really is.

I wonder if Rileys father departing the scene may have had more of an effect than being in an overhead for ten seconds ?

Hmmm ..... ?

I'm torn- on the one hand, it's nice to know that the USA is not the only overly-litigious nation. On the other hand, this kid will never grow up to be a well-adjusted adult because mommy has made him afraid of darkness greater than nine seconds.

I'd been away from Australia for 15 years (11 Spent in the US) before I came back here to fly for VB and I can't say I'm overly impressed by my countrymen.

It's become a society where there is absolutely no accountability. It's always someone else's fault and there's always some wanker who's happy to report you or write you up.

Probably estranged because he couldn't take any more or Natalie's looney-toon #### (substitute another word for "stuff").

Clearly just a case of grabbing the wrong person. I suspect the FA actually intended to lock psycho Natalie in the bin for the duration of the flight - anyone who would make such a fuss over this is undoubtedly a high maintenance PITA. Here Natalie, have a nice hot cup of ****...

Imbecile.

Do not make such a bad comments about this child and an incident. Usually, the people trust the crew in a sense. A mother had a right to act this way, its her child. How can you lock someone for 20s, considering a fact that it was an airplane the kids are afraid to fly. They had right to fire this flight attendant. One can be fired for stealing, for the contents of emails, for having fun worldwide. I had such a incidence. A case had ended up at two criminal departments if not at three due to official aunt. When someone thought that he can run his double life once as a normal citizen other on internet a member of the crew desperate for a job spoke with London a family of my. It started this way in general now, I started to have doubts about the content of emails, but I was after mourn, and thought about Vagabond, but then again hence, my thought are hysterical I thought. I like Vagabond because she was flying in an area I am also from Africa a little bit above Zulu and looked at the pictures of my plane with blond hair I love Africa. And every time I thought about a recession within the airlines, about Africa about flying in Africa and etc,,, Again became anxious about the contents that they are no longer acceptable. Again thought God y brother is a capt within the same company, it is not possible. I am over exaggerating. Again, started to share the doubts. Watched couple of the criminal movies, never ever thought that I will be part of this mess. What happened one would not even imagine at a worst scenario,,,, usually in such a cases one is restricted to enter a territory when a crime took place, then again is being suspended, then is being blocked from the lovers worldwide the police is reading the emails immediately they can prove that the lovers are also taking part in stealing of others and their items and with restriction of entering Eu my aunt said so it goes immediately for the lover ins connections. I would definitely not bother mum at all for over reacting. I thought that oh well I like to fly with my capt brother got everything what I need .Never ever thought that it will end this way never at all. It happened couple months ago. There will be a new flight attendant lets do not think in bad terms about the mother of a child, its a baby, it is different to be locked at home then on a plane.

MeLu,
What do you mean?
Please explain with more detail.

Say what?!? Sorry - I didn't understand a bloody bit of that (or what the devil it has to do with anything), except that you think we shouldn't blame the mother.