Southwest Airlines apologises for mocking girl's name

[left-of-center2012]

Southwest Airlines has apologised after a member of its staff mocked a five-year-old girl's name.

Traci Redford and her daughter, Abcde (pronounced ab-si-dee), were en route home to El Paso, Texas, from California's John Wayne Airport when the incident occurred. A gate agent allegedly began laughing and took a photo of the child's boarding pass and posted it online.

Airline spokesperson Chris Mainz offered the family a "sincere apology". In a statement, Mr Mainz said the employee's social media post "is not indicative of the care, respect, and civility" the airline expects. "We take great pride in extending our Southwest hospitality to all of our customers," the statement reads.

Ms Redford told broadcaster ABC7 that the airline "hadn't done anything" for two weeks after she had filed a formal complaint. Ms Redford said the gate agent "started laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees", and her daughter had asked her why they were mocking her. "She said: 'Mom, why is she laughing at my name?' And I said not everyone is nice and not everyone is going to be nice and it's unfortunate," Ms Redford said.

Vocativ, a news and data website, published a piece in 2014 saying there were at that time 328 children in the US named "Abcde", according to the Social Security Administration.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46393501

[Shell_Seas]

1. Her name is ABCDE....

What did her mother think was going to happen?

Middle school will be pure torture for her.

[onenote]

2. Well, I doubt that the SW agent that mocked her was a middle-schooler.

And, to be honest, she could be named Sue and middle school might be torture for her.

Would I name a child Abcde? No. But that doesn't mean that its okay for anyone to make fun of her name or of anyone's name for that matter.

[Hortensis]

17. Agree. Good manners are duty.

Especially for people behind the counter, but also for those raising and teaching our children.

[Drahthaardogs]

65. It's ridiculous.

And laughing is a fairly natural reaction.

Stupid shit like this is why I like the German model of state approved names

[bullwinkle428]

71. C'mon - that's only because Germany doesn't want to see a host of

"Adolf Hitler Schmidts" rolling home from the maternity ward!!

[Drahthaardogs]

73. Actually, I keep dogs from Germany train and test them

Under their rules and breeding regs. They are just as anal with dogs as everything else.

They are just a tad uptight

[Jeffersons Ghost]

95. but did the "dogs" of war apologie for this OP?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211490147

[onenote]

80. You like a rule that says boys must get boys names and girls must get girls names?

Really?

You like a rule that says the government gets to say whether your child's name meets their approval?

Really?

[alwaysinasnit]

4. I have to agree with you. As bad as the gate agent's actions were, the woman obviously gave

no real thought to what her daughter would face given that name and the type of society we live in.

[2naSalit]

28. Really?

Perhaps it's a family honored name. That is a pretty callous response. Did you consider that they may have come from a different culture? And who is to judge what a parent give their child other than something obviously crude or offensive.

[LisaL]

33. What are you talking about?

What different culture?

[GaYellowDawg]

64. Farming.

You know, E-I-E-I-O.

[DeeDeeNY]

78. Good one!

[HopeAgain]

102. Nearly spit out my coffee on that one

too funny.

[smirkymonkey]

109. *snort*

[delisen]

88. I agree.

[alwaysinasnit]

90. Perhaps my response was callous, but given how difficult it is for children to grow up in the type

of society we have that has not done a very good job of protecting children from bullying, it might be easier for kids not to be given a name that is likely to be mocked.

[Shell_Seas]

108. I saw the mom's interview;

She was blonde-haired, blue-eyed, all-America; soccer-mom as they come. So, in that sense. Maybe Abcde was a cultural thing; like Apple, Sage Moonblood, Blanket, or Diva Thin Muffin.

[tarheelsunc]

30. Agreed 100%. Eom

[Honeycombe8]

45. Yes. The agent went over the line in posting it & talking to others about it.

But to laugh when she initially saw it, that could just be a reaction that's unavoidable. But then the agent went overboard with it.

But really, when you hang a name like that around your child's neck, maybe like the song "A Boy Named Sue," she intended to teach her daughter to be tough because of how others would react to the name.

Son this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.
So I gave you that name, and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die.
And it's that name that helped make you strong.
He said, "now you just fought one helluva fight,
And I know ya hate me and you got the right
to kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do.
But you oughtta thank me before I die
For the gravel in your guts and the spit in your eye
Cuz I'm the son a b*ch that named you Sue.

[LisaL]

46. I totally agree agent's action were not appropriate. An adult shouldn't mock a child's

name.
But what is going to happen when this child goes to school with other children?

[erronis]

79. Be tough. My last name is Tubby

And I have survived many years quite well.

(Derivation: Thor Bjorn - some of the vikings that introduced civilization to the backwards Celts.)

[JuJuYoshida]

3. I say blame the Mom

What the gate agent was wrong, however you can't name your kid something that's going to get them teased or bullied later on in life.

[BannonsLiver]

22. Two high school athletes in my community

A few years ago were named Kokaine and Marihuana, a brother and a sister. To my knowledge they both overcame it and are successful young adults, but I always wondered wth the parents were thinking.

[ProudLib72]

62. Marijuana is not that uncommon of a name

Marijuana Pepsi Sawyer tells of living with her name

WE'VE heard and read about people with unfortunate names but has anyone told you of their life? Meet Marijuana Pepsi Sawyer.

She become famous as a young woman when pulled over by police for going through a red light.

"I'm about to arrest this person right now," the irritated officer radioed to a dispatcher. "She's telling me her name is Marijuana Pepsi Jackson."

It's the truth. Marijuana and Pepsi are her legal first and middle names, and the woman from Beloit, Wisconsin, in the US embraces them as a symbol of her struggle to succeed and to help other children overcome obstacles, the StarTribune reports.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/marijuana-pepsi-sawyer-tells-of-living-with-her-name/news-story/56a3590a8b50de895104e9d19872032c?sv=603ce39262e1fcfac2942e2c0cc6c5c4

[greyl]

94. So the cop was mad because she said her last name was Jackson, not Sawyer? nt

[Dennis Donovan]

5. Better than my kid's name...

Wxyz... pronounced "wizz".

[Shell_Seas]

9. I literally lol'ed.

[Bluepinky]

11. Now that's funny!🤗

[phylny]

12. I'm still laughing. Good one! n/t

[malaise]

19. DUzy

Too Good.

[Renew Deal]

6. It's a learning experience for everyone

[Takket]

8. Give your kid a joke name, and throw a fit when someone laughs

Shouldn’t be posting kids names online but... come on. Can’t complain when you set up the joke!

[Blue_Tires]

21. +1000

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

27. Agreed

+

[Raine]

35. Exactly nt

[Demonaut]

82. I agree, it might also have considered a mistake by the desk agent..that would be funny if I saw the

mistake...especially in secure environment at a security checkpoint

[madaboutharry]

10. I think choosing a name is

the privilege of parents. But I also think it is important to think of how the name will serve them in the real world.

When I was a teenager I had a job at a local hospital as a clerk. One of the things I did was type out the slips for baby ID bracelets. All I can say is that there were a lot of parents who obviously smoked too much weed.

[left-of-center2012]

13. Ima Hogg

Ima Hogg (July 10, 1882 – August 19, 1975), known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American society leader, philanthropist, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century.

Hogg was the daughter of Sarah Ann "Sallie" Stinson and James Stephen "Big Jim" Hogg, later attorney general and governor of the state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg

[Honeycombe8]

52. OMG. What were they thinking? Maybe the name made her tough.

Like in "A Boy Named Sue."

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. The parents are idiots for giving their daughter that name,

but it's completely inexcusable for the Southwest employee to mock it, and even worse to put a picture of the boarding pass on line.

[Devil Child]

15. Abcde's parents should apolgize to Abcde for giving such a "unique" name

Stupid parents...

[cwydro]

16. Play stupid games and win stupid prizes.

Some of the names I’ve seen for new babies are just awful.

[Beartracks]

68. Heard a story once about a kid named sheh-THEED. Of course...

... it was spelled "Shithead."



==========

[Calculating]

18. Stupid parents

It's not right to make fun of the name, but why give her a name that will cause her hardship later in life?

[Adrahil]

20. Feel sorry for that kid.

Stupid parents.

[samnsara]

23. i think mom should have known this was gonna happen..A LOT!

[Ms. Toad]

24. Mom's an idiot

Not only is her child going to have a miserable middle school, she will probalby also have tech challenges with filters that are intended to block people making dummy accounts using fake names.

That does not excuse an adult in customer service making fun of the child's name - especially when the adult is working in such a tightly regulated indstry that closely monitors for fake names, making it highly unlikely the name was fake.

[LisaL]

25. Obviously an employee of the airline shouldn't be doing that.

But I think it's a good guess the kid is going to go through a lot of mocking because of that name.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. The gate agent shouldn't have made fun of it,

but holy crap, what a stupid name.

[jberryhill]

101. Holy Crap?

You rang?

https://www.nie.edu.sg/profile/chew-shit-fun

That lady, who is aware of her notoriety, is the reigning grandmaster of the "names some people find odd" sweepstakes. Although in Prof. Chew's case, it is a simple matter of names not working well across language divides.

[2naSalit]

29. Interesting how so many here, on DU

think it's okay to belittle the mom for the name her child has when I think it could be from a different culture not like our own... and you are doing exactly what the gate attendant did... shame on you.

[WillowTree]

31. Seriously???? What "different culture" would that be?

[LisaL]

32. Alphabet loving culture?

[Coventina]

39. They live on Sesame Street!

[Drahthaardogs]

69. Ha!

Brilliant

[GaYellowDawg]

70. And work at the Electric Company!

I wonder if her brother’s name is Eieio. Maybe if they live on a farm?

[Ms. Toad]

83. Ummm . . . no.

Watch the video. Boring white mom who apparently thought she was clever.

[X_Digger]

34. She's a white mom from Texas. Watch the video in the linked article.

Texas culture ain't that special.

[violetpastille]

81. It is kinda.

I worked at an employment agency in Austin for a time.

The names. Omigod. The names.

[Raine]

38. In what culture would that "name"

be represented of...

[delisen]

40. I am often shocked when confronted with the narrow-mindedness of "progressives."

Let's expand freedom and creativity, not smother it.

[912gdm]

92. this isn't creativity.

this is jerry springer culture thinking it would be cute to name a baby the first 5 letters of the alphabet.



If a pair of Star Wars nut's decided to name their child R2D2, it wouldn't be defended on cultural or creative grounds. And defiantly not artistic.



this is just lazy while trying to be different.

[delisen]

97. ....and what is wrong with R2D2? Artoo-Detoo

I love the sound of Ab-si-dee. I would be happy to not continually meet yet another John, George or Paul.

Shall we demand that Ringo revert to Richard or shall we tell another celebrity that she part of "Jerry Springer" culture for naming her child Apple?

You have inferred a great deal about this family based upon their child's name.

Are odd or unusual namings to be reserved only for the rich or famous? Frank Zappa can indulge himself but supposedly lesser beings must conform or be censured?

When in doubt I lean toward freedom and away from the provincial.

Cheers to Abcde-Her name is not unique but rare enough to not sow confusion-and and may she reap the benefit of that.

[yardwork]

98. Then why didn't she name her Absidee?

[Whiskeytide]

107. No one is saying the woman cannot ...

... name her child whatever she wants. The point is that it can have rather obvious consequences that you have to accept and be prepared to deal with.

Celebrities who name their children odd names are doing it for the attention it gets. Moon Unit, North West, etc... It seems that is what this mother did as well. This child did not choose her name. Mom thought is was clever, and that it would garner attention - for HER. (“Oh look what I did with my kid’s name - isn’t that the coolest thing”). She did it, obviously, with very little consideration for the impact it might have on her child.

The gate attendant should have shown more professionalism, I agree. But for this woman to claim victim status for herself and her daughter is just more evidence that attention is her goal. Her problem is that the little girl is getting old enough to realize that mom might be a little foolish. I suspect that is just going to become more apparent to her with time.

[Devil Child]

76. Culture of stupidity

How about shaming mother for engaging in possible child abuse by choosing an absurd name that will inevitably complicate this child's future.

[Raine]

36. If I was that kid I would change my name

to something else as soon as I was old enough to legally to it. Seems like cruelty to give a person a name like that.

[Ilsa]

59. As would I.

Having a messed up name can affect how people think of you, affect your job prospects, income, etc.

Parents can name their kids as they see fit, but realistically, there is a price the child could pay for the parents' nonconformity.

[smirkymonkey]

110. +1000

This. I think naming a child something unusual just for attention is idiotic and puts a lot of burden on the child as they go out into the world. Unfortunately, people make judgments and that isn't going to change just because we want it to.

[delisen]

37. In Praise of Nonconformity. Let parents be imaginative and Scold the bullies

I am not in favor of mindless and ignorant conformity.

Years ago Dr Joyce Brothers , a well educated psychologist, who won the $64,000 Question game show due to her expert knowledge of boxing, warned us all to not name our children "unusual" names claiming they would be ridiculed and not be successful in life.

Actually millions of people with unusual names are quite successful and mostly are not ridiculed.

I surmise that Joyce Brothers was a northeast big city person and was used to many people being named the standard James, John, Mary, Joseph--conservative names often forced upon parents by the Catholic Church.

At that time I was pleased to know many people in other parts of the US who proudly sported more interesting names and lived in communities where they were not bullied.

Ironically many people who ridicule name due to their own ignorance, make exceptions for their favorite "stars" or pop musicians.

Moon Unit, anyone?

Obama's grandfather named his daughter "Stanley Ann.'" She dropped the Stanley as an adult but seemed to handle it well as a child. She did remarkable work. Her family was non-conformist. Good for them.

Apparently big money can be imaginative, but the less affluent get dumped on if they exercise their creativity.

While some names may be truly cruel or unwise, the vast majority of unusual,unique, or imaginative names add to our culture.

Let's scold the bullies, not the nonconformists.

[Coventina]

41. I agree with you to a point, but ABCDE is not imaginative.

That's just lazy.

[LisaL]

43. Yes, I am not sure what is imaginative of giving a child name consisting of first five letters of

alphabet.

[delisen]

86. Absidee is how it is pronounced. I wonder if people rejecting ABCDE

would be more accepting if it were spelled Absidee.

[Sanity Claws]

106. I would be more accepting of that name

At least I could phonetically pronounce it. I wouldn't have any idea of how to pronounce Abcde, except to recite the letters.

[delisen]

87. I like it better than a host of names. I like the sound of Ab-si-dee

I don't like several of the names that are now out of fashion, such as Gladys or Minnie but I think my distaste for them is a a personal thing and could change if I looked at them differently and did not have negative associations.

I have seen some names, such as Emma, go way out of fashion and then come back in fashion.

For awhile it was fashionable in Japan to use names borrowed from the US -such as "Neon" ( once saw an argument in print over whether it should be a male or a female name.

Wonder what people think of "River" Phoenix?

I have known people named after rivers in the south, Coosa for example.

Basically I yearn for a world where there is more creativity in everyday life,

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

60. Yeah, it's like making all your internet passwords "12345"

[demigoddess]

55. there are a lot of names that are considered female now but started as male

Shirley is one of them.
Meredith is another and so on, should we stop people from using names like that.

[Tikki]

61. Schuyler...50 year's ago, before it and it's derivatives became trendy.

Very successful man and we are the only ones who call him Sky.

The Tikkis

[yardwork]

99. The child will "scold the bullies" every day of her life.

I guess the mom enjoys feeling like a victim. It was very selfish of her to make that decision for her child.

[albacore]

42. Actually, Abcde is more common than you think...

How many ABCDEs have been born in the U.S. so far? Here are the SSA’s numbers:

2013: 16 baby girls named ABCDE [9 in Texas]
2012: 18 baby girls named ABCDE [13 in Texas]
2011: 21 baby girls named ABCDE [14 in Texas]
2010: 25 baby girls named ABCDE [19 in Texas]
2009: 32 baby girls named ABCDE [20 in Texas]
2008: 28 baby girls named ABCDE [21 in Texas]
2007: 24 baby girls named ABCDE [14 in Texas]
2006: 26 baby girls named ABCDE [15 in Texas]
2005: 22 baby girls named ABCDE [16 in Texas]
2004: 15 baby girls named ABCDE [10 in Texas]
2003: 22 baby girls named ABCDE [13 in Texas]
2002: 17 baby girls named ABCDE [11 in Texas]
2001: 16 baby girls named ABCDE [11 in Texas]
2000: 12 baby girls named ABCDE [10 in Texas]
1999: 13 baby girls named ABCDE [5 in Texas]
1998: 5 baby girls named ABCDE
1997: 5 baby girls named ABCDE
1996: unlisted
1995: unlisted
1994: unlisted
1993: unlisted
1992: 6 baby girls named ABCDE
1991: unlisted
1990: 5 baby girls named ABCDE [debut; all 5 in Hawaii]

http://www.nancy.cc/2010/07/06/is-abcde-really-a-baby-name/

[LisaL]

44. Yes, we know.

Apparently there are around 300 abcde(s) country wide.

[Takket]

47. okay that does it.............. i'm moving to Canada

[grantcart]

66. Am I the only one wondering why they are ALL girls?

[DFW]

91. I have a theory

Because Johnny Cash is no longer around to sing "A boy called Abby?"

[smirkymonkey]

112. I thought that was unusual too.

Maybe the parents wanted a boy and couldn't be bothered to come up with a decent girl's name.

[NickB79]

75. WTF, Texas?

[xor]

114. I know, right?

[smirkymonkey]

111. Their parents are all republicans who voted for Trump.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

48. Lots of superiority on this thread. Great to see people be so understanding and compassionate.

[LisaL]

49. Yep, cause that's what world is full of.

Understanding and compassionate people.

[Glimmer of Hope]

54. The child was five! Who makes fun of a five year old and why would anyone think it is ok?

[displacedtexan]

50. I went to school with a girl named BeGe.

Pronounced like the singing group. Her parents were Betty and George. I thought it was a great name, and I hate that Abcde had her trip ruined. I assume they were leaving Disneyland, since that's the airport you use.

[underpants]

51. Boring story to me. Sounds like it will end in some 😴

[Luciferous]

53. I don't agree with adults mocking her name in front of her, but come on! She is going to

get teased a LOT with a name like that, and shame on her mom for naming her that!

[Jake Stern]

56. The gate agent was an epic asshole

That being said I cannot overlook the fact that this mom saddled her daughter with a ridiculous name that is sure to put her on the receiving end of a metric shit ton of bullying and awkwardness throughout her school years.

Why can't we be like Germany or Denmark that actually limit the bullshit parents can label their kids with?

1. Germany
In Germany, you must be able to tell the gender of the child by the first name, and the name chosen must not be negatively affect the well being of the child. Also, you can not use last names or the names of objects or products as first names. Whether or not your chosen name will be accepted is up to the office of vital statistics, the Standesamt, in the area in which the child was born. If the office rejects your proposed baby name, you may appeal the decision. But if you lose, you'll have to think of a different name. Each time you submit a name you pay a fee, so it can get costly. When evaluating names, the Standesamt refers to a book which translates to "the international manual of the first names," and they also consult foreign embassies for assistance with non-German names. Because of the hassle parents have to go through to name their children, many opt for traditional names such as Maximilian, Alexander, Marie, and Sophie.

Rejected names: Matti was rejected for a boy because it didn't indicate gender.
Approved names: Legolas and Nemo were approved for baby boys.

[link:http://mentalfloss.com/article/25034/8-countries-fascinating-baby-naming-laws|

[ecstatic]

57. The gate agent was inappropriate. By the time one reaches

adulthood, those type of reactions should be a thing of the past. I was yanked out of that type of behavior in either Kindergarten or the 1st grade, after laughing at a boy's underwear in school.

[agingdem]

58. cruelty

the pain and suffering this woman has inflicted on an innocent child is nothing short of abuse...

[ProudLib72]

63. Dr. Taco B.M. Monster is not amused

Your 2011 Name of the Year

Is Taco B.M. Monster. Of course it's Taco B.M. Monster.

What were we thinking those scant 13 months ago when we gave Taco B.M. Monster a No. 2 seed? Did we actually believe the Dutch pharmacoepidemiologist bore an inferior name to any of the No. 1's—Monquarius Mungo (a pale imitation of 2009 NOTY Barkevious Mingo), Atticus Disney, stonegarden grindlife or La'Peaches Pitts? Did we?
http://www.nameoftheyear.com/2012/04/your-2011-name-of-year.html

And just for kicks, here's a link to one of Dr. Taco BM Monster's articles: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1874550/

[renate]

116. Interesting how the context makes his name seem not so bad

It was probably a bit of a burden when he was a kid.

[ProudLib72]

118. First of all, he's Dutch, so we don't know just how strange that name is

In fact, I've tried searching the library database for the author name "Monster", and it appears there are several.

Secondly, few people are going to make fun of you when you are a published endocrinologist.

But you're right, he had to become the doctor first. Even if "Monster" is not an uncommon last name, "Taco" is certainly a strange first name.

[Horse with no Name]

67. Silly name aside.

The SW agent put the information of a minor child on her Facebook.
That’s not okay.
What if this child was in danger for whatever reason?
The silly name is an entirely different debate but That agent posted private information and that is the issue.

[3catwoman3]

72. In 42 years of pediatrics, I have seen some, shall we say, interesting...

...names.

Parents do their children a disservice when they choose a name that is too obscure in terms of pronunciation. It is possible to be distinctive without being bizarre.

A small example. Years ago, I had a patient whose name was Jerome. Simple, right? Wrong. His mom would get all pissed off when people pronounced it the way it looked, because she wanted it pronounced like Jeremy - Jair-o-mee. Nope. You can’t change spelling rules just because you want to. I can’t name my kid James in an English speaking country and expect people to pronounce it Juh-MEEZ just because I think that wold be cool and distinctive.

No way in hell anyone was ever going to get it right the first time, and that poor kid was going to have to explain it forever.

There are kids named ESPN after the sports channel. Pronounced “ES-pin.”

[HDSam]

74. Names and ...

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

77. My grand-daughter, Eleminopea, loves the Abcde name.

Last edited Thu Nov 29, 2018, 11:24 PM - Edit history (1)

We don't understand the issue. <ha>

[Raine]

84. How is a name like that even pronounced

or is each time every letter said..

[left-of-center2012]

85. 1st sentence of the post ...

Abcde (pronounced ab-si-dee)

[Raine]

96. Thanks

I guess I overlooked that..

[shanti]

89. Espn

Yes, I know of a child with this as his name.

[HopeAgain]

104. Anybody know a Qwerty?

Just askin'

[912gdm]

93. I just have to.

[cbdo2007]

100. Yes, it is a ridiculous name and both kind and mean people will laugh about it...

her whole life. Not because they are all evil and hateful, because it is a stupid, ridiculous name which her parents knew when they named her that.

That being said, the airline worker should have been professional and not made fun of it or taken a picture of it and posted it on Facebook, so I agree that is harrassment and bullying.

But just laughing at someone's stupid name that is meant to shock people and confuse them, is not bad.

[HopeAgain]

103. Two wrongs make two wrongs

No smart people involved apparently.

[liberalmuse]

105. It doesn't matter.

I don’t care how ridiculous someone might think a name is. It is inappropriate for an airline employee to post a picture of a boarding pass showing a a 5-year old’s, or person of any age’s name for any reason, most especially to mock on the internet. It is bad business and you’re a failure of a decent human being if you participate in or condone this shit.

[Totally Tunsie]

113. Then, of course, there's always the lovely Asshole,

pronounced "Ah-SHOL-ee".

[link:https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/funny-names/|

[left-of-center2012]

117. Asshole, pronounced "Ah-SHOL-ee".

correction

It's pronounced "Trump".

[xor]

115. Abcde would be an excellent middle name.

That's something I would appreciate, but I would be a bit annoyed if my parents gave me the first name of Abcde.