The decision to have children is a personal one and not everyone wants to start a family. But parents and those who choose to remain childfree often get into heated arguments about their differences. A recent Reddit post by user Lilenah highlights this burning conflict.

The Redditor encountered a mother and her children on a train. The woman had booked just two seats for herself and her three kids and, according to Lilenah, the sense of entitlement she displayed and the lack of consideration for others made the trip unbearable.

This train passenger sat near a mom and her three kids who were crammed into two seats

Image credits: Maksim Goncharenok (not the actual photo)

And they dreaded the trip so much that they turned to the internet to post a rant about it

Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual photo)

Image source: lilenah

This story is an illustration of why many people would like to travel without any kids around them

Image source: Daniel Frese (not the actual photo)

The debate about small children on planes, trains, and buses has probably been around since people started using them for transportation. And the opinions are usually split.

For example, when over 1,800 Australians were polled by the travel agency website TripAdvisor after budget airline Scoot introduced a child-free zone on their aircraft, some 61 percent of respondents said they would be happy to pay more for a seat in such a section, and 21 percent said they would not. Another 11 percent said they found the notion offensive.

But as hard as it is for the parents, they do not wish to leave the little ones behind

Image source: Iakobchuk (not the actual photo)

While it’s easy to sympathize with the passengers, let’s play devil’s advocate for a second. Kids asking their moms and dads, “Are we there yet?” is the least of their concerns once they’re on the road, according to a recent survey of 2,000 parents of children ten and under.

Nearly 6 in 10 parents reported having a hard time cleaning up messes on the go (59%), with bathroom accidents being the most common after their child is nestled in one spot for a while (41%). Others cited drink spills as being the hardest to take care of, especially when they soak into the crevices of the seat (36%).

There are some hacks parents use to help the situation. Toys (38%), snacks (38%), and electronic devices (35%) usually allow for a smoother trip. Despite being prepared, however, 71 percent of parents still need to purchase extra necessities – such as diapers or snacks – at their destination after almost running out of supplies during the trip.

Although some fellow passengers would like parents to just leave their kids at home, 69 percent of moms and dads think traveling wouldn’t be the same without their little ones because they keep the vacation fun. 7 in 10 take their kids on every trip they go on, and a similar share looks forward to bonding with their kids on vacations without any distractions (72%).

As the story went viral, its author clarified a few things

And people shared their own similar experiences

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