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Comment by tjtrapp | Hacker News Reader

From what I know, the crying is due to the change in pressure that affects babies inner ears during takeoff and landing.

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Exactly. Taking a baby onto an airplane is equivalent to torturing it... And, as a consequence, everyone around it.

My sarcasm meter might be off, but regardless, this is nonsense. You can easily mitigate the pressure issues by giving your kid something to snack on or a bottle during takeoff and landing.

All three of our children have been very happy to fly. They seem to find the engine noise soothing when they're infants, and out 4-year-old loves machines, so he's been thrilled anytime we get on a plane anytime for the past few years.

That said, I'd be happy to be put in a "family friendly" part of the cabin, and leave other audibly sensitive travelers to their piece.

It surprises me how poorly airlines integrate lap infants into their booking process. Often with domestic carriers there's no way to indicate that you're bringing an infant with you until you get to the checkin counter. Seems like poor planning.

that isn't true for everyone.

as a kid, and now as an adult I've had generic allergies that have caused eustachian tube disorder(s) throughout my life.

Airplane rides cause agonizing headaches for me for about an hour after landing, and there is little to be done about it other than waiting through it. It sucks. The first time I experienced such a thing I felt as if I was going to be permanently deaf or disabled due to it, it's that bad.

1000 times this. When airplane starts to descend my ears do funny thing. I begin to hear everything like from under a meter of water. My ears also hurt like hell. And it doesn't stop. On my first flight ever, I suffered for half an hour waiting for this feeling to pass. No amount of swallowing helped. Then I told my friend about it and he ssugested that I blow the air out through the nose while holding it shut with my hand. Presto. I was back with the living. If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture.

This method is also described in that flight magazine on page 53 or something. Should be on the cover.

I've experienced this to different degrees in my travels. One time it felt like I was being stabbed in the brain with an ice pick for the entire 6 hour cross country flight and no amount of blowing/swallowing/yawning would help.

It's a form of Eustacian tube dysfunction:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustachian_tube#Disorders

My ENT recommends taking a hit of Afrin nasal spray during takeoff and again just before descent.

> If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture.

Chewing/swallowing tends to accomplish the same thing, which is why it's recommended to give them a bottle during takeoff/landing.

FYI, this is how scuba divers clear their ears as they change depths. It's basic training.

Why do they cry on a bus or on a street even?

They cry when they need something from their keeper, like a diaper changed, some comfort, whatever. Perfectly understandable.

What is 10x more infuriating is a six year old screaming at the top of its lungs, with the parents either ignoring or smiling happily.

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