What's that, you say? Yet another story of a woman being persecuted for breastfeeding her baby in public? Tragically, yes: 32-year-old mom Afrykayn Moon was riding a bus in Detroit when she was told to stop breastfeeding or get off the bus by the driver. Let me add here: To stop breastfeeding her 2-week-old baby who was being discreetly held in a football hold for minimum nipple exposure. How the (female) bus driver even noticed when she should have been looking at the road is beyond me!
By the next stop, security guards had been alerted and were on board. This is the kind of precautionary measure I'd expect if the woman was actually Wile E. Coyote hiding an ACME bomb in a baby blanket. But no, this was a real mom with a real baby, and to make matters more ridiculous, her baby was a newborn!
Not that I agree with the morons who make a big stink about the indecency of toddlers nursing in public (my kids both nursed for longer than I'd planned on, which is to say, a long time), but this bus driver didn't even have the lame stand-by "that child is old enough to eat a sandwich" argument to back her up?
I don't understand why people insist on making things harder for nursing moms than they already are. Because they are hard, even when nobody's giving you grief about it. You're exhausted, hormonal, the baby won't latch on or only wants one side or can't seem to go more than 20 minutes without a feeding ... I know when I got hassled for breastfeeding my then 5-month-old daughter on a plane, it felt like a full-force slap across the face. I'm just trying to be a good mom, I wanted to sob. Why are you treating me like a criminal?
Thankfully -- shockingly -- the security guards didn't haul this poor woman off in handcuffs. Turns out nursing moms are protected under Michigan law, which states that "a mother's breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstances constitute nudity." Damn straight it doesn't! As a result of this incident, the bus company has promised to remind its drivers of the law, but some people feel that's not enough: They want the driver who tried to kick the mom and baby off her bus fired.
Guess who's one of those people? Me. Ordinarily I'm all for second chances, but it's time to make an example of one of these anti-breastfeeding bullies.
Do you think the bus driver should be fired for harassing a breastfeeding mom?
Image via Aurimas Mikalauskas/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Comments 156
Depending on where that bus was in Detroit, kicking her off while alone with a newborn could've been incredibly dangerous on top of astonishingly stupid. Nice work.
I agree it was a ridiculous thing for her to her do but maybe she was unaware of the law or felt pressured by passengers who may have complained. She has been educated on the law now and feel she should get a second chance.
Sounds like some education is needed. The driver certainly needs to be disciplined (in addition to whoever didn't tell the driver that she was wrong when she called for security), however, unless there was clear malace or it was part of her training and she should have know she shouldn't be fired.
The driver needs to be disciplined ( not fired) and educated about the breastfeeding laws. I doubt the driver will make the same mistake again!!
FIred for hurting someone's feelings? No. That's ridiculous.
they need a sign put up in the buses so everyone can see that breastfeeding is welcome on the bus and in public in general. the woman should be repremanded, i don't know about fired.
I think gunning for someones job to teach them a lesson is just as bad as the anti-breastfeeding side. Mom's need to know the law and STATE it when they are approached. If they know the law, then everyone who overhears this bullying gets an education, too.
If moms would just stop showing their breast when they feed their child, then we wouldn't have as much of this crap happening. I breast fed 7 kids, I never used a "hooter hider" but I never ONCE flashed someone. I respect other people's right NOT to see my boob. I wish other women would respect my husband and my sons' rights not to see other women's boobs. Yes, it is only feeding a baby, but you do NOT have to flash people, I never did.(and my kids DID pull away to look at people. but I paid attention and kept it all covered)
Moms today seem to be out there purposely not covering to make a point that they CAN do it. Respect people like you want to be respected.
I don't think she needs to be fired but she definitely needs to be put back in her place. I don't see the problem with breastfeeding in public, I see it all the time and it doesn't bother me in the least, most mothers are very modest about it. We're all mammals, nursing is the most natural thing since giving live birth. If you're offended then don't stare directly at the breast.....derp.