Katherine, I too have sympathy for people who get slammed unmercifullly on this board. Most of the banter is playful, but then things can turn nasty so often.

There are a lot of helpful, intelligent, humorous people on this forum, who sincerely want to help the inexperienced traveler.

I have noticed that some of the "old pros" NEVER respond or add fuel to a heated argument. They are dignified, and they are above the fray.

Hang in there kiddo.

<<This break down in civility just seems to be increasing.>>

This is simply not true.

I hate seeing anyone getting so worked up, essentially all over just one thread (which I had essentially not even noticed, despite its growing number of replies, for what it's worth - - the anti-children vitriol, rhetoric and defense has all been said here before, many times over).

Civility, and its absence, comes and goes here in waves. For me, much of the joy of this forum has been to have been here long enough to see newbie evolve into regulars. We'll miss you Katherine (I guess), but fortunately others will take your place, roll with the punches, and become part of the tapestry here by exhibiting some different kind of fiber.

Best wishes,

Rex

Katherine - Reread some of the old posts and notice the civility of persons such as Scarlet, Rex and Ira. In between all of the other rubbish you get to hear the excellent advice offered by some great fodors posters. Now, we are all waiting, are you leaving or staying?

Perhaps Elvis has already left the building.

Kathrine: It is so easy. Click; gone. There is no need to put up with the lunatic fringe. There is so much good information here and a real opportunity to help from time to time. Don't let the idiots chase you away, because then they win.

Don't let the pompous or rude ***** get you down.

Katherine, I think many of us who post often have felt as you are feeling now. I've come to the conclusion that there are certain topics that push all the hot buttons and bring out the worst in people.

Simply ignore those posts! This advice has been given time again and it's good advice. At first it's hard to take because unfortunately the "bad" posts are usually pretty interesting (in a peverse kind of way, of course). But it really does get easier NOT to read posts that have disintigrated, no matter how many times they're topped. And before you know it, you have NO interest in those kind anyway! And then you can concentrate on the useful and friendly posts which are always, thankfully, in the majority. I can tell you that I have met several wonderful Fodorites, people I am proud to call friends, and I'd hate for you to miss out on the same opportunity. Hang in there.

Katherine

Grow up.

Who's hurt by your one-woman boycott of this board? If it contains any information that's useful to you, you <b> and no-one else </b>. If it doesn't, you've been wasting your time hanging round on it anyway, whether or not the posters behave like a bunch of Milly Molly Mandies.

Who gains by your absence? Errr....

There's a totally valid debate to be had about kids on planes, and it's up to the debaters where they want to have it. If you don't want to read it, then don't.

Why the posters above are humouring your vacuous attitudinising is beyond me.

I'm with you on this one flanneruk!

Who cares.Stop whining.

Go ahead and leave and ask a bunch of people to feel sorry for you OR stay around and make the board a better place.

I'm not in the leats bit sorry that you didn't like my response or that of anyone else. If you don't like a reply then SAY SO rather than pursuing this passive-aggressive behavior.

Personally, I did not feel the &quot;Top Ten&quot; were anywhere NEAR the top ten and some of them were incorrect..and then the little cutsey response to &quot;which airline do you work for?&quot; ...that &quot;I'd rather not say&quot; routine..so teenager juvenile as the knife slides slowly into your back.

So, are you going to get over your little snit and stick with us big bad dogs or go feel sorry for yourself....?

With apologies to Mick Jagger:

You can't always get what you want
(a cooperative passenger/parent/child)

You can't always get what you want
(a reclined seat/a not-reclined seat)

You can't always get what you want
(a perfect messageboard of total harmony/total freedom of topics)

But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

Sue, now I'm going to have that song in my head all day!

Bye.

Well, there you have it. The nasty little TopBoy has injected her first biting dose of superior wisdom.

I say bring on the screwballs and the trolls...that's what makes this board so much fun.

Milly molly mandies Flanneruk? LOL! Moi, a milly molly mandie? Surely you jest! Katherine: this board will pull you back like a siren's song IMO. I know, it happened to me;-).

Gee, this one went on for quite a while until the nasties flew in. The gang-uglies who swoop down remind me of the scenes of death in &quot;Ghost&quot; when the bad guys died.

JocelynP

It seems I created a monster, because now it's in my head, too.

Should we switch to, &quot;I Can't Get No...&quot;

Looks like the usual suspects couldn't resist.