Canada Flight Cancelled After Child Refuses to Wear Seat Belt

VOCABULARY QUESTION
1. What does “reignite” mean? “The cancellation of a flight in Canada after a child refused to wear a seat belt has reignited a debate about the etiquette and safety procedures relating to children travelling on planes.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
REIGNITED: catch fire or make something burn that has already burned.
Example: He will reignite the flame of their love when they see each other again after spending these months abroad.
Synonym (it would depend on the context: spark, stimulate, revive.

2. What does “to split opinion” mean? ”The incident has split opinion about how children should be treated in such situations and how airlines should respond.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
SPLIT OPINION: generate a diversification of points of view and thoughts about a topic.
Example: the current Ceuta’s situation in Spain has split opinions about immigrants’ entrance and regulations. Nevertheless, we should always take into consideration humans’ rights, which is an aspect that certain influential individuals has forgotten.
Synonym: controversial, hot-debated topic.

3. What does “to be beyond the pale” mean? “We’ve all been those parents,” he said. “But this is beyond the pale.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.
TO BE BEYOND THE PALE: situation that crosses certain stipulated limits.
Example: Fights arised in night clubs are totally beyond the pale. Alcohol is not an excuse for caveman behaviours.
Synonym: intolerable.

DISCUSSION QUESTION
1. Do you think the flight was right to be cancelled? Why or why not?
I completely agree with the decision. As I see it, the crew members were following safety regulations, which is one of their main responsibilities during a flight. In fact, the crew members’ decision to cancel the flight was the legally correct one. If they had failed to follow the stipulated procedures, they could have been accused of serious violations of safety standards.

2. Who should be responsible when a child refuses to follow safety rules—the child, the parents, or the airline?
In this complicate situation, I believe that the parent must assume the responsibility of his child in case of being underage. Thus, the first individual to convince the child is the father. Not only is an opportunity to educate, but also to avoid putting the father on the spot if other passengers or crew members are involved. Nevertheless, in case of a negative result, the airline team could try to persuade the child by explaining the implications and consequences of that kind of behaviour. Finally, whether the safety conditions are not met, the crew members must do their job: cancel the flight.

3. What should parents do if their child refuses to wear a seat belt on a plane?
If I were their parent, I would try to be transparent and direct, explaining the consequences of their actions. Moreover, I would explain how their refusal could affect the other passengers on the flight, which might help me convince my child of following safety rules to avoid the trip’s cancelling. This way, I would be teaching them core values such as empathy and responsibility.

4. Should airlines have stricter rules for children traveling by plane? Share your thoughts.
No. As far as I am concerned, safety regulations must be adjusted to the different passenger typologies. Therefore, if the experts behind the rules deem that adults safety measures are equally applied to children, I would support it. I understand that accident simulations are constantly performed in airlines companies to ensure passengers security.

5. Have you ever experienced a difficult situation while traveling? What happened?
Yes. During the passenger’s boarding, while I was already on my site, three drunk passengers were disturbing the rest of individuals. After multiple failed attempts fostered by the crew members to generate a cordial and amicable atmosphere, the flight team had to force the three drunk passengers to leave the plane. In front of a negative response, police officers had to be called to de-escalate the conflict and persuade them to cooperate. Luckily, one of the drunk passengers saw the consequences of their acts and convinced his colleagues to abandon the plane.