交通工具中设儿童专区引争议

 

At 35,000ft, the klaxon-like howl（嗥叫） of a distressed¹ toddler screeches²（尖叫声） through a pressurized cabin.

 

For travelers already stressed by lengthy³ security checks, crammed⁴ into cramped⁵ seating and unnerved by the very fact of being so high above ground, it's almost enough to make them shatter the Plexiglas windows and jump.

 

And it's a source of anxiety for the embarrassed parents, too, desperately⁶ trying to pacify⁷（使平静，安慰） their wailing⁸ offspring while facing disapproving⁹ stares from fellow adults.

 

One airline is offering what it says is a solution. Budget carrier Air Asia says from February it will provide a "quiet zone" for passengers aged¹⁰ 12 and over at no extra cost.

 

Separated from the rest of the cabin by toilets and bulkheads, these seven rows of economy class seats should be immune from the sound of infant tantrums（发脾气）, the company claims.

 

It is following the example of Malaysia Airlines, which in April announced it would limit families with children sitting on the upper deck of its Kuala Lumpur to London service.

 

For the childless and the easily irritable¹¹, it may be a blessed relief.

 

Equally, many parents will surely be disgruntled at the suggestion they should be segregated¹² from other passengers like second-class citizens.

 

UK train operators which provide "quiet coaches" instruct commuters not to use their phones and ensure music devices aren't heard by other passengers - but no mention is made of infant noise pollution.

 

In April, a survey of 1,666 British adults by Jetcost.co.uk found that 53% supported child-free flights.

 

A poll by Tripadvisor in August found that over a third of Britons would be prepared to pay extra to travel by air without the presence of children.

 

But although airlines could presumably charge a healthy premium¹³ for the privilege of no-infant compartments¹⁴, there might be logistical（后勤方面的） difficulties.

 

In smaller aircraft, with different layouts to those used by Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines, screening off the sound of crying children will not always be practical. Adult-only flights would mean reducing the number of available customers, and thus have a negative impact on profitability.

 

And perhaps most importantly, introducing segregation¹⁵ would risk infuriating families who resent the idea they should be treated as second-class citizens.

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