After all, had the mother found someone in the departure lounge who would agree to help out, would the airline have been any wiser? Two people boarding together with two children wouldn't have attracted any particular notice
Now llondel, apply that statement to any of your kids (if you have any etc..
) imagine a situation where an emergency takes place.
Would you be happy to entrust your toddler with someone you meet in a departure lounge?
The next thing that will happen is that the "helper" would get sued for contributing to a toddlers' injuries etc.....
Most rules like this protect an airline from particularly litigious individuals..and you can bet that someone who runs to the Daily Mail over their own ignorant mistake, would be the same type of individual who would run to a "where theres blame theres a claim" legal practice.
Just your average stupid passenger getting upset and trying to blame someone else because of their own lack of intelligence.