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Monday, June 04, 2007

Out of Control

It's finally happened. Orthomom has read something that left her speechless. Read and weep:

The city's youngest high-fliers are pampered campers whose parents are paying big bucks to jet them off in style to their summer vacations.

In some cases, parents are spending thousands to save kids a bus ride of less than an hour.

The charter company Revolution Air has assigned more than 20 private jets to fly children to summer camp at the end of June, at a cost of about $8,000 a flight.

To cater to their young clients, the company has developed a special menu, including peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, chicken fingers and ice-cream sundaes.

Property developer and mother of three Robin O'Hara is sending her 8-year-old, Danielle, on a 30-minute flight to Lake Bryn Mawr Camp in Honesdale, Pa.

"The bus takes 31/2 hours. It is crowded, and it's always a very dramatic scene," said O'Hara, of Great Neck, L.I.

"This year, she is not going with her [older] sisters, so we want to make it a special, unique experience for her.

"It's a trend. A lot of my friends do it," O'Hara said. "They play videos, they serve kids' food, sometimes, we'll have a manicurist on board."

'Nuff said.

31 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

coming soon to the five towns

9:32 AM  
Blogger orthomom said...

Anonymous said...

coming soon to the five towns


I truly hope not.

9:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

don't kid yourselves. I know 5T locals who flew their kids up to camp in a helicopter.

9:50 AM  
Blogger Leah Goodman said...

The only time I went to sleepaway camp, I went by plane...
Flight included, it was cheaper than the camps all my friends went to... and the flight was to Israel.

but seriously, when we went on trips in high school and such, the bus ride was half the fun.

Don't parents get that overpampering their kids actually deprives them of good experiences?

10:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I went to camp around 15 years ago, there were a few kids from Brooklyn who helicoptered in.

10:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can they teach their daughter an important lesson, by sending the money to family in the post above? I think that family needs it more than the airline and manicurist.

11:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And to think that we are spending less than that for a family of four to visit the US this summer (at high season) and we can barely afford it. (Actually we can't afford it--the grandparents can)

11:31 AM  
Blogger Jameel @ The Muqata said...

including peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, chicken fingers and ice-cream sundaes.

Isn't it now not politically correct to serve peanut butter on flights due to allergies?

11:43 AM  
Blogger Commenter Abbi said...

How can they fit the food, videos and a manicure in a 30 minute flight? What's unique about pb&j and chicken fingers?

11:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To quote Rebbetzin Ilanit reuven, " Mi k'amcha Yisrael,"

12:19 PM  
Blogger Jill said...

35 years ago, we would fly from LaGuardia to Portland, ME to go to the all girls and all boys Jewish camps - most of which are still there. 95% of the kids were from the five towns and Westchester (Scarsdale, Hartsdale). A few from Miami, I was the only from CT for about 3 years, out of about 500 kids.

It's where I learned to really, really, REALLY not like Jewish girls. I'm not kidding. It took me going to a Catholic Univ. and then being on Sherut La'am to start wanting to hang around Jews again.

As for the plane thing - after a couple of years, my parents too thought it was absurd and we started to drive up. And THAT caused me to be ostracized.

Make all the fun you want - it's INSANE. Needless to say, I live in Ohio now and my kids either don't attend camp or go to the JCC day camp or the sleepover one that is 40 mins from my house.

And I do love Jews, and myself. :)

1:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

why does this bother you? it is their money they arent hurting you stop you bitchin

8:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree that people should spend their money where they like. That said, what I'd like to know is if they can't tolerate a bus ride, how on earth are they going to tolerate summer camp? Talk about absurd.

8:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

makes a lot more sense than spending 100k in 5 hours on a bar mitzvah. The only difference is that we are used to the insanity of bar mitzvah's with complete strangers being paid to dance with our kids and elderly relatives while the plane thing we are not used to...yet

12:46 AM  
Blogger Leah Goodman said...

There are a whole bunch of things that seem wrong with this picture. I think I'll have to blog about it on my own blog.

3:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

and sometimes, believe it or not, people can't afford insurance, and so live their lives on the edge, praying for that disaster NOT to happen....please, a little sensitivity, man!!!

7:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oops, comment on the wrong post, see above

7:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

capitalism.

thank gd you cant tell me how to spend my money. i work hard to earn it, and i will spend it the way i damn well feel.

7:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i love capitalism.

7:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

tushy head -get your hand out of the sand and realize that its all my nmoney and i can be as crazy and insane as i want hahahahahahhahahahahah :)

8:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Orthomom,
Once again you fail to moderate your own blog. How can you be taken seriously if you allow posts, like the ones above, to persist?

9:58 PM  
Blogger Leah Goodman said...

Scaredy-cat commenters who don't leave their names... It's true that it's legal and legit, but I think it's not very good parenting. Orthomom has a right to say that.

5:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon 12:46 AM is correct. The only reason this sounds odd to orthomom is because it isnt commonplace in her world.


Im sure 95% of the world would be left speechless if they would see how typical 5 towns jews spends their money.

9:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Im sure 95% of the world would be left speechless if they would see how typical 5 towns jews spends their money.

Not a 5 Towns issue, and certainly not a Jewish issue. If you compare the way money is spent by 5 Towns Jews to the way money is spent by residents of other affluent suburban communities, regardless of religious affiliation, I am sure you would find similar (and worse)excesses elsewhere, and you'd likely find less charitable giving as well.

11:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Anon 12:46 AM is correct. The only reason this sounds odd to orthomom is because it isnt commonplace in her world.


Im sure 95% of the world would be left speechless if they would see how typical 5 towns jews spends their money.

9:51 AM

Thanks for the props. I think what I said is very on target.

1:31 PM  
Blogger Leah Goodman said...

Okay, I've written my own (rambling and long) take on it.

Feel free to drop by my blog.

8:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why do you begrudge people who have the means to provide a fun and convenient life for their kids the ability to do so? Odds are these people are spending plenty of money on philanthropy too and hopefully teaching it to their kids.
Hating the rich doesn't make you a better person, just a bitter one.

11:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gee, I wonder what the Hiltons taught their daughter.

9:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For those of you who believe that flying privately for business, family vacation or summer camp please contact me - Steven @516 659-2768 Arise Air. We are a "boutique" private jet service that you will find to be very competitive with the best safety standards according to The Wealth Report 2006.

12:26 AM  
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