Things I Find Annoying, Part 2

...people who give dirty looks to crying babies and their parents on airplanes. I actually heard someone "shush!" an infant today on a plane. And it wasn't one of the parents.

First of all, if you have kids that have grown a bit older (like mine), muster up some empathy for those poor, beleaguered parents, Instead of a scowl, flash them a smile. You remember how bad it can be traveling with an unhappy infant.

Second, if you don't have kids and can't muster up some sympathy from the cup of human kindness, just remember this: you were once a baby, and you probably ruined the trips of others when you your ears popped on the descent, too!

Third, realize that by allowing your frustration and irritation show, you will, in most cases, cause a lot of stress and discomfort for the parents of said baby. That, in turn, makes them unhappy and stressed with their kid. And this, in turn, makes the tot even more unhappy. The cycle is so viscious.

So lighten up, be a little friendly, or worst care scenario, stick your head phones on and drowned out junior. But save your scowls for the adults who can make air travel so miserable: the guy who's drunk on cocktails 45 minutes into a trans-Atlantic flight, the traveler with the pea-sized bladder who insists on a window seat, or the jerks who try to board before their zone is called. That crying baby isn't looking so culpable after all......