Some people want to know how they can be as polite and accommodating as possible, because that’s just the way they want to be. This article is pretty clearly for people who go out of their way to make other people’s lives a tiny bit easier. It’s useful if you want to know if you’re actually helping someone by taking a…

Jeez, can’t even go to a nice little shop that isn’t run by oppressive nut jobs.  Thanks for the info.

You sound like a screaming baby yourself. Grow up.

You’re entitled to a seat. That’s all you get. You aren’t entitled to police your fellow passengers or pick and choose who else gets on the plane.

I am also entitle to not have to listen to your child scream the entire flight.

YES. I was just thinking that I would 100x rather have a crying baby than blaring an Elmo cartoon on your iPad for the whole plane to hear. I just want people to observe the rules of polite society on an airplane. Crying babies aren’t really on the list of things that make for a miserable flight for me.

Judging from a lot of the comments here, people don’t actually know when a child doesn’t want to be tickled or want it to be stopped. Primarily because of the involuntary reaction of laughing, which happens whether the person likes the tickling or not. Add to that kids feeling they can’t be forceful with adults and…

I detest being tickled. I have my entire life. As a kid, I wish the adults around me would listen when I told them that. Even as an adult, it’s an issue. I’ve come very close to injuring partners with a reflexively thrown elbow. It’s not rejection, it’s obtaining consent. And it doesn’t have to be awkward or gross.…

Congratulations - you also taught your sons that consent isn’t needed for people to be touched in whatever way someone wants to touch them. I’m sure their dates & partners are grateful.

I mean, we also survived the black plague, the inquisition, the holocaust, a couple world wars, slavery, lots of bad shit... that’s an awfully low bar you’re setting at just survival.

I HATED this as a child.

Yeah, it’s Super Fun to tickle kids who hate it and will remember you for the rest of your life as an asshole.  Who doesn’t love that???

Yeah, I’ve got to say I couldn’t disagree more.

I agree with this 100%. As an adult, I have an immediate fight-or-flight response to someone tickling me and I get really violent to make it stop and it’s not something I can control. I assume this comes from the standard childhood experience of being constantly tickled well past the point where it’s fun. My boyfriend…

It’s interesting that... So consent as a topic is practically a hobby for me. I have a philosophy and psychology background, I’m kinky, it fits a lot of how I think, and for me, consent is an important part of my moral foundations.

I’ve been doing this with my daughter from the beginning. She’s 2 now and will often say “want tickles!” when she wants to be tickled, and will often even specify where. (“tickles on the back!”) If I want to tickle her while we’re playing, I make asking part of the play, wiggling my fingers at her as I ask “want…

My father was a violent tickler - he would tickle until the child was largely incapacitated (frequently peeing themselves) and in pain. On some level, he must have thought the tears were tears of laughter. (I learned early to hold in any reaction, so I wasn’t “fun” to tickle.)

This may seem silly until you have a kid incessantly tickling you without your permission (and likely at a very inopportune time for you), then you recognize what you’ve taught them. 

Don’t tickle me w/o permission either, I will pee and puke on you.

Oh hey, this gave me a moment of pause as I remembered all the times I felt deeply uncomfortable as a child and also the prevalence of the “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME.” response I’ve had to even the most innocuous interpersonal contact as an adult.