SalNicholas - The question of the stroller going into the hold should have been politely explained to the mother both at check-in and again at the gate when boarding pass was checked. When the mother raised her concerns about being without the stroller and on her own the AA staff should have arranged 'Meet and Assist' for her; Why do you assume a lack of empathy or exertion of authority 'all the time'? I explained a totally bog standard, time worn procedure that is followed internationally, hundreds of times, every day. AA failed, it would seem, but we don't know what exchanges took place between the mother and AA staff from the time of check in until the mother was engaged in a tug-of-war with ground staff. From a safety point of view strollers cannot normally be secured in the pax cabin, they rarely fit in an overhead locker and probably exceed the weight limitation if they do, there are no other areas where they can be properly secured that I am aware of and if loose in the cabin could cause serious injury in turbulence. Cabin storage is normally limited to overhead bins and wardrobes for passenger clothing.