Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for January 19, 2016

It would be easier to put Rat in a sound proof box.

She wasn’t talking to you, Rat. She was talking to the baby.

Try making your own airplane with that feature, Rat.

give him some Bose QC15 headphones. Works for me.

Babies cry on airplanes because their ears hurt due to the pressure changes when taking off and landing. Giving them a bottle just before ascent or descent will reduce that. The swallowing will equalize the pressure in their middle ears.

@Picto

Pig IS flying.

Babies! Put them all in the baggage compartment! Rat rules.

Forget noise-cancelling headphones and bottles to un-pop their ears – don’t take babies on flights. Or small children, for that matter. It may be adorable to you, but no one else should have to put up with your larva.

Pig and Rat don’t have a problem with legroom or seat width – but for many people that is what would make their flight more comfortable. Try telling that to the cabin crew. (They will tell you to fork out a thousand dollars more for business class.)

Cone of silence needed…

Or just send all the babies up to the cockpit.

The airplane is already fairly soundproof, but you’re in there with them.

I’ll take babies over annoying drunks any day.

They have already done that, Rat, only you are already in there with them.

If planes can have separate sections for different classes, why not one for people with rotten kids or screaming babies? Make it soundproof, and everyone’s happy.

Squalling infants can be annoying, but they aren’t as bad as the inadequate space between adult passengers. Granted, Rat is smaller than the average human, but if he and Pig don’t have to sit beside anyone, they’re already extremely lucky.

Rat is correct in his assessment of the sincerity of airline promises. It’s similar to my response to the PA announcements at baseball parks when they counsel you to speak to an usher if someone is interfering with your enjoyment of the game. I keep asking them to do something about that other team trying to score runs, and trying to prevent my team from scoring, but they never do anything.

Only if you choose to see it that way. Whenever I go to a restaurant where they seat you. I always ask in a normal volume of voice “I’d like a eat in the non-screaming baby section, please.”

Stop your squealing then Rat.

What’s with all the leg room?

How about seats with a maximum angle of recline so I ‘m not tempted to shove peanuts up a stranger’s nose? If you’re going to put your head practically in my lap, you have to expect things like that.