A Bad Rule That Needs To Be Broken

I sat alone at Gate C31, lost in my own head and surrounded by fellow passengers and all their backpacks and computer bags. In less than 30 minutes, we’d board the plane. After a glance at my watch, I settled into a free chair and pulled out my laptop, content to be alone.

That’s when I heard the screaming.

“Nooooooooooo!”

A woman’s voice. Frantic. Terrified. I looked up, my brain struggling to recognize what my eyes were seeing.

Less than 40 feet away, a mom hovered over her toddler on the carpeted floor.

“No! Nooooooooo!”

She screamed again, desperate, pounding her son’s ba...Nooooooooo!”

Shefloor.“No!seeing.Lessscreaming.Aalone.That’s