Narrative:

Within the first hour of the flight, I was informed by the purser that a couple in the business class cabin were refusing to hold or strap in their infant child (age 18 months) while the seatbelt sign was on. At this time, the child was laying on the floor of the cabin. The child's mother made a statement to the effect 'do you expect me to wake this child up and hold her every time the seatbelt sign is turned on?' my purser also told me that he had found out from another flight attendant that at some point during taxi out from the terminal, this same child had been left to crawl around on the floor. I asked the purser to convey to the parents my direct request for them to restrain their child while I had the seatbelt sign on, but they again refused. At a later time in the flight, when I again had to illuminate the seatbelt sign, I was told that the father had placed the child on his lap and then proceeded to fasten his seatbelt around the both of them. Clearly this couple had no clue as to the physics and forces of a turbulence encounter or sudden stop while taxiing! Prior to landing, I issued a direct order that this child be properly restrained. To my knowledge that was the only instruction in this matter that was followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT. FAMILY REFUSED TO OBEY THE SEATBELT SIGN RULES FOR 18 MONTH OLD CHILD. CHILD ON FLOOR DURING TURB. DIRECT ORDER FROM CAPT. COMPLIANCE LNDG.

Narrative: WITHIN THE FIRST HR OF THE FLT, I WAS INFORMED BY THE PURSER THAT A COUPLE IN THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN WERE REFUSING TO HOLD OR STRAP IN THEIR INFANT CHILD (AGE 18 MONTHS) WHILE THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON. AT THIS TIME, THE CHILD WAS LAYING ON THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN. THE CHILD'S MOTHER MADE A STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT 'DO YOU EXPECT ME TO WAKE THIS CHILD UP AND HOLD HER EVERY TIME THE SEATBELT SIGN IS TURNED ON?' MY PURSER ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD FOUND OUT FROM ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT THAT AT SOME POINT DURING TAXI OUT FROM THE TERMINAL, THIS SAME CHILD HAD BEEN LEFT TO CRAWL AROUND ON THE FLOOR. I ASKED THE PURSER TO CONVEY TO THE PARENTS MY DIRECT REQUEST FOR THEM TO RESTRAIN THEIR CHILD WHILE I HAD THE SEATBELT SIGN ON, BUT THEY AGAIN REFUSED. AT A LATER TIME IN THE FLT, WHEN I AGAIN HAD TO ILLUMINATE THE SEATBELT SIGN, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FATHER HAD PLACED THE CHILD ON HIS LAP AND THEN PROCEEDED TO FASTEN HIS SEATBELT AROUND THE BOTH OF THEM. CLRLY THIS COUPLE HAD NO CLUE AS TO THE PHYSICS AND FORCES OF A TURB ENCOUNTER OR SUDDEN STOP WHILE TAXIING! PRIOR TO LNDG, I ISSUED A DIRECT ORDER THAT THIS CHILD BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WAS THE ONLY INSTRUCTION IN THIS MATTER THAT WAS FOLLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.