Fasten those seat belts when encountering turbulence

Recently, while flying to Miami, I watched a flight attendant do a lap dance on a passenger seated on the aisle. It was the result of unexpected turbulence. And she wasn't the only one. When the plane suddenly dropped, the youngster seated across the aisle from me was airborne. Luckily, the only thing injured was the flight attendant's pride. But that's not always the case.

Earlier this year, more than 40 passengers were hurt on a Northwest Airlines Boeing 747 when the plane encountered turbulence between Manila and Tokyo. And according to reports, many of those passengers weren't wearing seat belts.

Pilots can often predict turbulence from their radar screens, but not always. Clear-air turbulence seems to come out of no where, which is why crew members instruct passengers to keep their seat belts fastened at all times when seated. But not everybody listens. As soon as the captain turns off the seat belt sign, many travelers immediately unbuckle and remove their children from their restraints.

Several years ago, Jeff Kinney was one of them. He unbuckled his seat belt while flying over the Rockies. Suddenly, the plane began to shake so violently, the oxygen masks dropped and 6-foot, 3-inch Jeff flew.

I've had my share of unexpected turbulence as well. While working the galley on a flight to Rome, the turbulence caused several containers of meals to lose their lunches. It created a monstrous tossed salad that nobody could eat. And several of my flying partners have been on disability due to in-flight turbulence.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air turbulence during flight is the leading cause of injuries each year. And the majority of it usually occurs above 30,000 feet.

But it's the children who frighten me the most. Safety-conscious adults will keep their seat belts fastened, but still let their children play on the floor or seat untethered. And even more disturbing are the lap children. The government requires us to keep children buckled up in government-approved car seats when they drive, but still allows them to travel without restraint at 35,000 feet.

The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents more than 40,000 flight attendants, continuously fights for more protection for children up in the air. But the government lets the old policy fly.

For parents who don't want to see themselves or their children become missiles at 35,000 feet, here are a few things to consider.

Purchase tickets for your infants. While flying free sounds like a good deal, free flying isn't. Holding a child on your lap to save some money may be the most expensive flight you ever take.

Bring a safety-approved car seat. The car seat must be installed in a nonexit window seat. Make sure your airline approves your car seat for your particular aircraft.

Keep all seat belts fastened. Children learn to remain in their car seats for extended time periods. They can do the same on an airplane. And a loosely fastened seat belt is not abuse for a child or an adult.

Listen to the announcements. If you are away from your seat when the seat belt sign comes on, return to it immediately. Air turbulence can be a dangerous and frightening event. It's the one time you don't want to land on your feet.

Gail Todd, a free-lance writer,worked as a flight attendant for more than 30years. She can be reached via e-mail at gailtodd@aol.com.