Flying too close to the son

It was cold and late winter in 1954 when I set out with my mother, 2 year old younger sister and 9 month old younger brother from our little country town of Ripley, Tennessee to join my father at his duty post at the US Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya, North Africa. My mother was a strikingly beautiful young woman, younger then than my own daughter now. Heading out from the Halls of Tennessee to the Shores of Tripoli must have been daunting, but herding along the three young 'uns must have been a fright.

I don't remember much of the trip, but I do remember getting on an airplane somewhere on the East Coast. It would have been a long trip in those days, with a layover in the Azores if not elsewhere as well. And what I recall of that trip is that a very pleasant and "uncle-y" kind of man took me off my Mom's hands, to give her a chance to focus on the 2 younger ones and perhaps get a touch of much-needed sleep. He was probably another GI; I don't know.

I don't recall that we talked, though we probably did. What I do recall is that the world opened up for me that day and showed me that perfect strangers can and do provide security, care and compassion, and it was kinda neat. It was a feeling that sticks to me these 50 years later.

Imagine, then, my mixed feelings about the following story:

The airlines have been criticised following revelations an Auckland man was ordered to change seats during a Qantas domestic flight in New Zealand because he was sitting next to a young boy travelling alone.

Mark Worsley, a 37-year-old father of two, was approached by a flight attendant on a Christchurch to Auckland flight and told to change seats with a woman sitting two rows in front. [Other reports had it that the woman, who was sitting with her husband and didn't want to be separated, was also upset.]

Both airlines on Tuesday confirmed they did not allow men to sit next to unaccompanied children, with Qantas saying the move was intended to "maximise the child's safety". "The policy reflects parents' concerns and a need to maximise the child's safety," Qantas said in a statement. "Where possible we aim to seat children near crew areas or next to an empty seat."

Air New Zealand said the policy was common practice among airlines and that it had been in place on its domestic and international flights for "a long time". It's in line with other carriers' policies internationally," a spokesman for the airline said. http://smh.com.au/news/WORLD/Airline-policy-may-be-discriminatory/2005/11/29/1133026429806.html