A passenger onboard a Lufthansa flight from Germany to New Jersey shared his nightmarish experience after a “demonic” toddler showed disruptive behavior throughout the flight.
New York City artist Shane Townley documented the little boy’s eight-hour-long tantrum, leaving passengers horrified. In the clip uploaded on YouTube, the 3-year-old boy can be seen climbing on seats, running through aisles, and making “demonic” screams at the top of his lungs even before the flight took off.
The five-minute video, which was taken a few seats back, showed the restless kid clambering all over the passengers’ seats and jabbering, while his mother tries to calm him down.
The boy’s mother, who appears to be American, also asked the flight attendant to get the Wi-Fi going to distract the hyper kid with an iPad but to no avail. Instead, the disruptive boy ran up and down the aisles screaming, while horrified passengers cover their ears, according to the Metro.
The screaming continues even after the kid returned to his seat. Townley, who tracked the hours as they passed by, described the toddler as a “demonic child.”
Passengers expressed their relief as the plane landed at Newark Airport, with one passenger saying, “What a nightmare, oh my God – eight hours of screaming” as they wheel their suitcase off.
According to the Daily Mail, who has the video on their website, the boy is suffering from a disability that affects his behavior but it has not been specified.
WATCH: A ‘demonic’ child screams and goes on rampage on flight https://t.co/bODMarj5AQ
— Republic (@republic) February 15, 2018
Meanwhile, Townley told the outlet that he had not filed a complaint with the airline despite the incident. However, he claimed that someone else surely did as the entire plane was affected throughout the eight-hour flight.
He added that the staff had “tried to intervene but the mother said he just needs his internet.” A representative from Lufthansa also told the outlet that most passengers were understanding of the incident and that their crew did their best to de-escalate the situation, tend to all passengers, and give assistance to the mother.
The same source also clarified that they were not able to comment further on the incident due to the “individual’s medical privacy.”
The video, which instantly went viral, drew mixed reactions online. While some expressed sympathy for the child and mother, others were less understanding.
Some viewers suggested that the kid and his parents should have been removed from the flight, especially since the disruptive behavior started even before the plane took off.
Another one called the boy’s behavior as “unacceptable,” adding that the parents should have done something more to discipline him. There was even one who brutally commented, “Call an exorcist.”
For years, travelers have long pushed for airlines to offer child-free flights. In fact, a survey revealed that three-quarters of business-class travelers found children on planes irritating.
Despite all that, no carriers offer such service and it doesn’t look like they will consider having one soon.