Quick question: besides crashing, what's the worst thing that could happen on a flight? Answers will vary, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people would answer something along the lines of, "Being seated next to a crying baby."
It's something that everyone comes across if they travel enough, and there's seemingly no solution in sight. A TikToker shared his experience of being on a 29-hour flight with a screaming baby.
Babies cry for any number of reasons, and putting them on a plane — an unfamiliar, loud environment with changing pressure and unexpected bumps — is always a recipe for meltdowns for anyone who has to travel with a child.
Henry Beasley, who goes by the handle @balubrigada on TikTok, shared a video of his 29 hours — yes, 29 hours — on a plane near a screaming baby. Feel free to watch the video, but turn the volume down because the screaming is incredibly high-pitched.
He didn't smile or laugh (instead, his eyes just twitched a lot), but Beasley did seem to at least attempt to mine some humor out of the situation. His captions jokingly rate the baby's screams based on projection and stamina.
Again, just about anyone who flies regularly has probably experienced a few flights with crying babies onboard. Beasley's video has racked up 12 million views to date and most of the top-rated comments sympathize with him.
This question pops up anytime a video of a crying baby on a flight goes viral. Unfortunately, child-free economy flights are unlikely to be a thing anytime soon. If you want to guarantee a flight with no kids, you'll have to charter one yourself.
We've embedded the video above (once again, it's very loud). Since nobody wants to hear a screaming baby if they can help it, we'd recommend muting it and just appreciating it for Beasley's reactions to the ordeal.
In the days after Beasley's video went viral, some TikTokers came up with contrarian takes in videos of their own. Most of them followed a similar theme: the baby is making Beasley's life hell, but the baby's parents are having an even worse time of it.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the videos that were critical of Beasley came from parents who called for empathy, not judgment. It's an easy sentiment to get on board with, but a little bit tougher when you're on a plane with a screaming baby for 29 hours.
It's worth noting that while Beasley was clearly unimpressed in his video, he wasn't making a scene or giving anyone side-eye. It looked like he was just trying to make light of the situation for TikTok.
Some parents have no chance but to travel with their kids, and as we all know, babies are just going to cry sometimes. On the other hand, this can be an excruciating experience for other people on the flight.
Do you have a horror story about being seated next to a baby? Share it in the comments!
