Posted on 09/03/2014 10:02:25 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The parent of a child with a life-threatening peanut allergy is fighting for new rules to protect airline passengers who have severe food allergies.
Lianne Mandelbaum, who says she was practically kicked off a United Airlines flight last year because of her son’s condition, has been lobbying for new protections for allergy sufferers.
Now, more than 14,000 people are coming to her aid, petitioning lawmakers and federal regulators to establish a "buffer zone" around passengers who are allergic to certain foods.
“I am not after a nut ban,” Mandelbaum said. “Just the ability to preboard, wipe down the seat area and make an announcement that will let everyone live with their own moral compass around me.”
The petitioners are calling for a rule that would prohibit airlines from serving snacks containing nuts to any passenger sitting near someone with a peanut allergy. Furthermore, passengers who bring peanuts on board would not be allowed to eat them during the flight, if they are sitting within the buffer zone.
The buffer zone would extend to passengers sitting in the three rows in front of or behind someone with a severe peanut allergy.
The rules would also prevent airlines from removing passengers who have peanut allergies.
When Mandelbaum reported her son's allergy to United Airlines, she recalls being told: "Well, if you think he's going to die, don't get on the plane."
"Children and adults with food allergies should be able to report their allergy without fear of being kicked off a flight," Mandelbaum said. "As it stands, they have no such rights and cases have been reported of people being taken off a flight for reporting a food allergy."
Currently, there are no federal rules protecting airlines passengers who have peanut allergies, Mandelbaum says — something she is hoping to change.
Mandelbaum successfully convinced the New Jersey Senate to protect airline passengers with peanut allergies in 2013.
But she is pushing for federal rules that would expand the protections for passengers around the country.
Mandelbaum is also meeting with officials at top airlines, asking them to establish company policies protecting passengers with peanut allergies. She noted that "different flight crews on the same airline will react differently to a food allergy request" without set policies.
She has had some success in her efforts.
WestJet has stopped serving peanuts on board, while Jet Blue Airways will create a buffer zone for allergic passengers upon request, Mandelbaum said.
However, United Airlines has shown "no signs" of changing its policy, following the incident where she was asked to take her son off the flight, Mandelbaum said.
Delta Airlines has not responded to her request, she added.
The petition is being hosted by Care2, an activist website that hosts petitions from public interest, environmental and health groups.
How about Muslim free planes?
I’ll marry the first woman who invents a fully auto belt fed peanut gun.
I think it’s a crying shame for those stewards and stewardesses to hold down a 1 in 4,500 individual who is allergic to peanuts on the floor and pump peanuts down their throat. Just terrible I say!
My kid has a peanut allergy and we’ve flown plenty of times and never had a problem.
She just doesn’t take any of the peanuts they serve.
Have your kid wear a mask if you're that worried about it, Michael Jackson!!
I guess we will have to have 100 free zones that ban one sort of thing or another on the plane. By the time they go through all the warnings the idling plane would have to re-fuel.
“The buffer zone would extend to passengers sitting in the three rows in front of or behind someone with a severe peanut allergy. “
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So if I want a peanut butter sandwich I can’t have one?
Uh-uh. This is public transportation and I pay a fare for this trip.
Severe allergies? Stay home,charter a plane,or go by automobile.
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It’s a bit more complicated than that.
I know a child with peanut allergy who went into anaphylactic shock and required emergency treatment when he inadvertently touched peanut butter on a school lunch table. True story.
He’s fine now, but it is, for those who have the allergy, a true matter of life and death.
That is actually the correct response. If they can't guarantee there is not even a trace of peanut, then why should they accept responsibility for the son's welfare?
Just dumb I say!
Full disclosure...my wife has a serious peanut allergy, and it can create a dangerous situation.
That being said, this mother’s FIRST instinct in trying to protect her allergic child is to LOBBY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to REGULATE the behavior of others.
That in and of itself, speaks volumes.
A friend of mine died when a Chinese restaurant (his favorite) stated that there were no peanut pieces in the egg rolls. They forgot that they used peanut butter as a filler.
Died in the ER.
Does this mean Jimmy Carter will be banned from them?
Ive told this before but I do have a story about this...
I was on a plane once and they were handing out snacks..pretzels, peanuts or cheese crackers or such like..there was a choice..
The row in front had their snacks and the stewardess was working on mine..
I was at the window in a 3 seat row and the lady on the aisle said she couldn’t have peanuts she was allergic..
the stewardess reached back to the row in front to the lady on the aisle there and grabbed her peanuts saying she was sorry but that poor lady couldn’t have peanuts either because of the lady in my row..
I was astounded and mentioned that it should not have effected the poor deprived lady..
the steward said that the row BEHIND us would not be able to have peanuts either..
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