AITA for getting an infant removed from a train ride?

Twinkling Christmas lights, a chilly evening, and a charming train ride weaving through a holiday festival—sounds like a perfect family night. One Redditor thought so, eager to share the magic with their kids, until a height rule sidelined their toddler. But when another family slipped an even smaller infant onto the ride, the parent waved down the attendant, sparking a fiery clash.

This Reddit AITA tale is a rollercoaster of fairness, safety, and festival drama. Was the Redditor petty for calling out the rule-breakers, or justified in demanding equal treatment? Let’s hop aboard and untangle this festive fiasco.

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‘AITA for getting an infant removed from a train ride?’

I (32f) attended a holiday festival tonight with my husband (33m) and 2 children (5f) and (1.5f). They had a little train ride that took you around to see Christmas lights and I knew the children would enjoy it. I noticed a sign off to the side that listed the minimum height requirement to ride the train and to me it seemed like my youngest was tall enough.

As we were entering, the train attendant informed me that he felt as if my youngest was too small for the ride and could not get on (he based this off of me carrying her, she was not walking so he was not able to see how tall she was) as a result my husband and younger daughter did not board the train.

I did not try to argue, I understand they have safety regulations. As more people enter I see another family holding a child that was obviously smaller than mine that tried to sneak past the attendant and succeeded. They just so happen to sit right behind me.

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As the attendant is doing his last sweep he either overlooks or didn’t care that the infant behind me was there. I waved him down and asked if the infant behind me was big enough for the ride, initially he said “I think so,” that was when I explained that that infant was obviously smaller than my child and if they can ride, then so can mine.

After a few extra looks he informed the family behind me that he thinks their infant is too small for the ride and therefore must get off. I can hear the women mutter something to the man behind me and as a result him calling me a “b*tch”. The man took the infant off the train and the women remained on the ride with another child.

This train ride tussle is a classic case of fairness versus flexibility. The Redditor felt slighted when their child was barred but another family’s infant slipped through, prompting a call-out that got the infant removed. It’s less about safety and more about leveling the playing field—though the move stirred bad blood.

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Amusement ride safety is non-negotiable. A 2023 Consumer Product Safety Commission report notes over 30,000 injuries annually on amusement rides, with height and age rules designed to protect the smallest riders. The attendant’s inconsistent enforcement likely fueled the Redditor’s frustration, as clear rules prevent chaos.

Dr. David Hill, a parenting expert, says, “Parents often act from a sense of justice when rules seem unevenly applied, but communication matters.” The Redditor could’ve shown their child’s height to clarify eligibility, avoiding the escalation. For future outings, checking rules upfront and calmly addressing staff prevents drama.

See what others had to share with OP:

Reddit rolled in with opinions as colorful as Christmas lights. Here’s the community’s spicy take:

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Jo_Doc2505 − Why didn't you stand your daughter up to check her height? Did you know she wasn't really tall enough?

[Reddit User] − NTA. The rules are there for a reason. Like you said. Safety. That being said, as much as I'd like to hope you did this for the child's safety...would you have said anything if they'd allowed your child on the ride too? If not, you did the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Salt-Lavishness-7560 − We live in a tourist town and have a lovely amusement park here. The train ride is the AH if they don’t have an actual height check point. This arbitrary plan where some underpaid employee is eyeballing up the size of kids is complete BS. An actual height check can be no more than a mark on a wall and if the kid stands below it - no dice.

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That said, our amusement park has a pretty awesome train ride and there’s no height requirement for it. Littles have to sit on the inside of the row but babies can be held by adults, etc. The ride has rules. The family with the tiny kid tried to sneak their kid in. You pointed out the safety violation (by the standards of the ride) to the attendant.

NTA. I’ll throw an a hole at the attendant for not doing their job - they would have let the to small kid ride anyway and an a hole to the parent who’s trying to teach their kid that rules don’t apply to them AND it’s okay to call another woman a b!tch. Really outstanding parenting right there \s.

joojie − Would it not have been super easy to just stand your kid up to the height sign? The whole thing seems a bit petty, tbh. Not sure I'd call you an AH...but definitely just need to mind your own. Especially since you did nothing to attempt to help your own situation.

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LIBBY2130 − sooooo if her child was tall enough ..then...why didn;t she have her child stand to the height measurement bar??? makes no sense that the mom didn't do this unless her child was actually not tall enough so she was holding her so she could sit on her lap on the ride,,,it is OBVIOUS

Happytequila − If you felt your child was tall enough based on the height requirement sign, why on earth did you not stand your child up to the sign for the attendant??? The fact that you didn’t argue and didn’t attempt to show that your child was tall enough, as you claim to think she was,

makes me believe you actually KNEW she wasn’t tall enough…otherwise it would have been all too simple to prove that she was for the attendant. I think you were trying to sneak her on unnoticed, too. Because of that, YTA. You were trying to do the same thing this other family did, and outed them because you were suddenly “concerned” about following rules.

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r1bb1tTheFrog − You can be right and still be TA at the same time.

Far-Juggernaut8880 − Such a gray area… cause it doesn’t sound like you did it out of concern for the baby… kind of feels like you did it to prove a point knowing you were throwing another family under the bus.

I hope you always go strictly by the rules yourself after all this. Cause karma has a way of teaching powerful lessons

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Early-Tale-2578 − That was petty

Abnormal_Rock − Info: Would you have said anything about the infant on the ride if your child had been allowed on?

These Reddit reactions swing from “rules are rules” to “petty much?” Are they cutting through the holiday haze or just fanning the flames?

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This festival flap shows how fast a fun night can derail over rules and fairness. The Redditor’s call-out enforced safety but earned them a harsh label from the other family. Was it a stand for justice or a petty point-scoring? A quick height check might’ve cooled the tension. What would you do—flag the rule-breaker or let it slide for holiday cheer? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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