[Poppycorn95]

When we were on vacation, we went to several tourist traps to find "something" the kids thought they "had" to bring home with them. For the little ones it was a breeze - show them anything in the store and they begged for it. Jenna (my 12 year old) on the other hand took a little work. She looked, and she looked, and all she could find that she "absoultely HAD to have" was hermit crabs.

You read correctly. Live, crawly critters. We have had them in the past and they really are fun to play with. Anyways, she talked for two days about really wanting hermit crabs, and how she'd take care of them. So we gave in. My goodness she paid more attention to the silly crabs than she did to going in the ocean to swim! She spent $30 of her own money on the crabs, the crab box (a nice ventilated, see through container to take them home until we could get them in a bigger home), and crab food. She scoured the beach for shells that the crabs could fit in - but she made sure no critters lived in the ones she kept.

Then we go to leave Marco Island. We have NO problem getting the crabs through security. In fact, the security personnel were laughing and playing with the crabs and my kids while we finished going through the security line. So Matt and I think we're home free... Not so. We get to our boarding gate and the boarding attendant tells us that we can't take the crabs on the plane because they could get out and are too small. My husband tried to reason, begged, argue, and nothing budged this woman. Jenna doubled over and just sobbed.

People waiting to board kept giving us sympathetic looks and one told us to just stick some crabs down in our carry on bag and leave the rest. Matt wouldn't go for that of course, although I will admit I was all for it. Anything to make my baby stop crying...

So we board the plane with my crying like I haven't seen her cry since my grandma died daughter, and the pilot asks us what in the world is wrong. He gets upset and says he has never heard this rule, talks to the flight attendants who say people bring them on the plane all the time, and demands to see the boarding attendant. I had already taken Jenna and the other kids to our seats while this was going on. We watch from a distance as the boarding attendant boards the plane, shakes her head, and the pilot stalk back to the cockpit. Matt comes back to say that everyone is ok with the crabs coming on, but the boarding attendant called her supervisor who read the "rule book" that stated living creatures couldn't be on the plane. That if the attendant "hadn't seen" the crabs herself that we would have been ok to take them, but since they physically saw them it was impossible to bring them on.

Jenna cried for over half the flight home, then fell asleep. Woke up right before we landed and bawled until we got out of the airport. She didn't say much about the crabs on the three hour drive home, but before bed she again started talking about how she didn't get to say goodbye, how she doesn't know if the lady will take care of them or kill them, how she wishes she could have shipped them home. (It wasn't an option - the plane was leaving and we couldn't afford to lose our tickets home.)

I feel like I failed her by not finding a way to get the critters home. We told her we'd give her the $30 back since she didn't get to bring them home, and she bawled and said it wasn't about the money, it was about the crabs. *ugh* So tomorrow we're going to check the pet stores to see if they have any hermit crabs, but I know that will just bring on more tears...

[Stormi]

Awww poor Jenna. I saw something similar happen on another flight. I was at Newark waiting for my flight home to Arizona and these people (hubby, wife and son) had 2 turtles that they needed to bring with them. They were moving from NJ to Nevada and couldnt leave them with anybody and they were really attached to them. The little boy cried and cried when the gate attendant told them the turtles wouldnt be allowed on the plane. They were on a later flight than me so I dont know how it went in the end, but the gate attendant got called to another gate for something. I am hoping they were able to sneak them on board. It was heart breaking to see that little boy so upset and the parents not able to console him .. all because of 2 little turtles in a locked container. Dont people believe in not sweating the small stuff?? I mean come one .. turtles? hermit crabs?? Really .. there has to be bigger things to worry about. I am sorry your daughter was so upset and it probably ruined the whole vacation for her. Poor thing I hope you are able to find hermit crabs for her at a pet shop.

[CryingInside]

That is horrible! Just over some hermit crabs! I will tell you that if you can't find any at pet stores I did see a hermit crab kit at Hobby Lobby. You have to send off for the crabs, but you get them through the mail after a week or two I think. $30 should be enough for the kit and the crabs and if you don't know or have a Hobby Lobby, it is a craft-type store, so you could probably find them at any craft store. Good luck!

[jenedens6102]

Anna, that is horrible. So they didn't allow you to keep them just because you couldn't carry them on the plane? Poor Jenna. I'm sure there are pet stores around where you can replace her beautiful hermet crabs. I'd feel horrible, especially after a pilot confirms that it happens all the time that people bring them on. Can't believe the attendant wouldn't budge!

[Kellileanne]

That is just plain mean!!!!!