How would you pronounce the name 'Abcde'?
A five-year-old named Abcde Redford caused quite a stir when she and her mother tried to board a plane at John Wayne Airport in California.
Parents looking to give their children unique names often go looking in history books, novels, and family archives for something that will truly stand out. And for those who aren't fortunate to have a robust family tree, there is the simple option of changing the spelling of a common name to make it truly special - the Ashleighs and Leannes of the world can testify to that.
But what happens when unique spelling and an uncommon name come together on one child's birth certificate? For Texas mom Traci Redford, giving her daughter a name that is not often seen or heard resulted in a very uncomfortable confrontation at a California airport.
The five-year-old girl's name is Abcde, which her mother claims is pronounced "Ab-si-dee". Airport officials at John Wayne Airport in California took one look at the child's boarding pass and, according to Redford, began pointing and laughing.
The mother says she turned to the airport employee and asked them to stop making fun of her child, saying: "Hey, I can hear you, so if I can hear you, my daughter can, too. I’d appreciate if you’d just stop."
Abcde herself noticed that something was wrong and asked why the employees were laughing at her. Her mother told her it was because "not everyone is nice".
Employees reportedly took a picture of the child's boarding pass and posted it to social media, prompting Redford to lay a formal complaint with Southwest Airlines.
The airline has since apologised, saying in an official statement that "the post is not indicative of the care, respect, and civility" that they expect from their employees.
Records show that there are currently 328 people with the name Abcde in the United States.
While people agree that the employee's behaviour was unacceptable, many are pointing out that a child who is given a strange name should expect to struggle a little bit in life.