what is wrong with parents?!!?!?

[Fox in Socks]

ok im at panera bread yesterday to do my friday PM studying + coffees. i know this isnt a posh place, its like a starbucks, but there is a certain level of social decency expected anywhere in public.

so ladys out with her 4 (!!) children, maybe ages 5-9, chitchatting with her mate. ok fine IF the 4 chidlren were not running around the restaurant like banshees. climbing on tables. running into oldies. throwing napkins around for like 15 minutes with only the occasional "____ keep your voice down". seriously you could hear nothing else but these kids and the place wasnt crowded but everyone annoyed. one of the oldies yelled at the kids after he almsot spilled coffee on them. i told them to scram when they were throwing napkins near where i was sitting.

point is, seriously, i know parents learn to tune out things with their kids and thats fine AT HOME. but if your kids at that age dont know how to act in public, well dont bring them out in public. ive seen 2 year olds better behaved. i really fucking hate parents who dont know the concept of discipline.
/rant

[Rizzabella]

It bugs the hell out of me too, especially in restaurants. My boyfriend and I were having a really nice, romantic dinner at this fantastic Thai restaurant in town when a mom and her kid (who must have been 10) show up to eat with a friend. The kid immediately begins whining about the food and the mom dismisses it and just orders him something and says "oh, you'll like it." He whines a lot more and starts playing his gameboy. His mother is also extremely annoying; she's complaining about the cost of food at this place and also complaining about service at other restaurants while also peppering the conversation with tidbits like "Thai people are SO much nicer than Vietnamese people. Vietnamese people are CHEAPSKATES and they're ungracious."

Their food comes and of course, the kid hates it so he seriously starts crying. The mom's reaction is to say "fine then, I'll tell them you won't eat it because I'm not paying for food you're not even going to eat."

How is that an appropriate reaction? You're going to send food back and say you're not paying for it because YOUR kid is a spoiled brat who can't stop crying in a nice restaurant?

Later on he starts crying even more and just lays underneath the table to play his gameboy while also crying because he doesn't like the "smell" of the restaurant. The mom realizes that everyone is staring at him and all she says is "well he's jetlagged folks so you can stop staring already!"

If he's jetlagged you shouldn't have brought him to a restaurant and you shouldn't be staying, either way we all have to sit and not only hear your awful conversations but also put up with a kid who looks like he's old enough to know better but is still seriously whining and crying like a 2 year old. It really kind of screwed up what would have been a wonderful dinner otherwise.

[jeth]

I just want to say I nearly cut a bitch in line at Best Buy today. First she purchased about eight items for herself, every single one having to be individually scanned and demagnetized. And she paid with cash, taking forever to get her change out. When the transaction was over and it should have been my turn her two kids ran into line and she announced that there would be not one, but two more transactions. Each child would be paying for their order seperately.

At that point I let out an exasperated sigh and moved to another line. She called out "Sorry!" when she saw that I was a bit peeved, but that doesn't cut it. I don't have all day to stand in line while you give your pre-teens lessons in spending money responsibly and counting out change. And when you have four more people in line behind you that is NOT the time to pull a stunt like that.

Anyway, I moved to another line and STILL got out faster than they did.

I know that's not a discipline issue, but it's definitely a "parent who can't understand common courtesy in a public place" issue.

[bellegurl]

I know exactly what you guys mean. I hate parents who feel that once they're out of the house, they don't have to watch them anymore. I've had kids at my house come over, acting like fucking little animals, climbing my furniture! And the fucking stupid mother would sit with a smile I wanted to punch from her fucking mouth. I don't care--if the parents say nothing, I do. I don't care what they think. They are not going to destroy my house. And they definately will NOT get another invite!

As for public places, it is really tough. And very annoying, too. I am always doubly on guard with my son, because I don't want to be given these looks by strangers that tell me he is being a brat. And I make him use manners--always excuse me, thank you, blah, blah, blah. It's how I was raised, and I try to raise him the same. I wish other people would think about that.

[Rizzabella]

I know that's not a discipline issue, but it's definitely a "parent who can't understand common courtesy in a public place" issue.
And of course you feel like you can't say anything about it because they're "teaching" and you don't want to ruin that. That was another pet peeve from my movie theater days ages ago; I'd be running box office all alone on a really busy Friday night and here comes mom with her kids and she decides that it's the perfect opportunity to teach her kids how to learn to pay. You have to learn sometime and I don't have a problem with that, I have a problem with someone who chooses to do so at the worst possible moment. That means that a ton of people in line behind you have to stand there while you and your "adorable" kid count out all the change for a ticket. It was even better when they had to pay with their own piggybank money----- so they're paying all in nickels, dimes, and pennies. [post59]

As for public places, it is really tough. And very annoying, too. I am always doubly on guard with my son, because I don't want to be given these looks by strangers that tell me he is being a brat. And I make him use manners--always excuse me, thank you, blah, blah, blah. It's how I was raised, and I try to raise him the same. I wish other people would think about that.
No kid is perfect, I'm not saying every time a kid cries in public I think there's immediately something wrong. :) But yes, manners are so important and so are parents who are aware of the distraction their child can cause in public. Kids are going to throw fits even if they're near-perfect mannerwise, but what's more important to me is the way parents handle it. It's not "handling" it when a parent ignores them or acts like it doesn't matter. That's what makes me so mad. Glad to hear you're sane at least!

[bellegurl]

Glad to hear you're sane at least!


Thank you!:) And you're dead right--kids will be kids--it's how the parents handle the situation that counts!:)

[half1113]

ok im at panera bread yesterday to do my friday PM studying + coffees. i know this isnt a posh place, its like a starbucks, but there is a certain level of social decency expected anywhere in public.

so ladys out with her 4 (!!) children, maybe ages 5-9, chitchatting with her mate. ok fine IF the 4 chidlren were not running around the restaurant like banshees. climbing on tables. running into oldies. throwing napkins around for like 15 minutes with only the occasional "____ keep your voice down". seriously you could hear nothing else but these kids and the place wasnt crowded but everyone annoyed. one of the oldies yelled at the kids after he almsot spilled coffee on them. i told them to scram when they were throwing napkins near where i was sitting.

point is, seriously, i know parents learn to tune out things with their kids and thats fine AT HOME. but if your kids at that age dont know how to act in public, well dont bring them out in public. ive seen 2 year olds better behaved. i really fucking hate parents who dont know the concept of discipline.
/rant

I experienced this at McDonald's the other day. Only it was busy and already loud and 3 kids were screaming, running BAREFOOT, and no parents in sight.

I think the tuning out is lazy parenting. I don't think my parents ever tuned us out. I remember my Dad would fuss at us for fighting and getting along and that was at home.

[tully]

I love Panera.

A few months ago I took a little roadtrip with my BFF to PA in order to help my parents move furniture and household stuff into storage. After a long, sweaty day of hauling hundreds of pounds of shit across town, my parents took us and my brother out to eat at this fabulous Mexican restaurant that we've been going to for over a decade. Cue Annoying Family -- three useless adults and EIGHT!!! kids. The kids were loud, annoying, fucknut terrors throughout the whole meal. It totally ruined the atmosphere for me -- it was supposed to be this special goodbye to the town and the experiences we've had, and there are these little fucking dipshits running around, running into waiters, running into other customers. The asshole bitches did NOTHING for a solid hour except bleat to the worst one of all. "Michael! Michael! Don't ... do that ... oh, they have chimichangas? Great!!"

My favorite part of the whole experience is when we were leaving. That little bastard Michael was "playing" in the lobby, opening and closing the door rapidly and not budging one inch to let people leave. My brother leaned down to the kid and whispered menacingly, "You might want to go back to your mom, Michael. Because someone out here might ... steal you, Michael. Someone might steal you and eat you for breakfast." The fucking look on that kid's face was hilarious.

I love my brother.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

^I love your brother too. Is he single? ;)

[tully]

He is, actually, and I think the two of you would get on quite well. :) You have similar interests ... that is, if I've been stalking you correctly.

[jeth]

If Michael comes available after Helen is done with him I'm game! :p

I have always wanted to talk to an annoying child like that. ALWAYS. But I always wimp out at the last second because I'm supposed to be the rational, upstanding adult and role model. Hmpf!

I initially wrote Rachel instead of Helen. Damn you, Fat and Wrinkled! I can't keep you apart, especially with the Kate avatars! Normally I wouldn't even have a problem, but the past two days have messed me up hardcore.

[half1113]

I thought that my husband farting on kids heads in Wal-Mart was sweet. Your brother did what 99% of us wish we could do.

[haunted]

your brother sounds fabulous.


because I just moved, I've been spending far too much time in furniture / home accessory stores. nothing is more obnoxious than the people who drag their young (5 and under) children through these places while they wail. sdkgjdlfkg.


this isn't exactly wailing children: but wtf is up with parents who let their kids play naked in the front yard? seriously, it creeps me out. three under 6 year olds were playing naked in the sprinklers of their front yard today. it probably wouldn't have caught my notice and horrified me if they hadn't been getting a barkdust delivery and the stupid truck was in front of us refusing to move. dfgjdfh.

(but seriously. a friend of my dad's was in the car and said that she knows of at least one sexual preditor within a mile of the house. fdgkjdflhk.)

[jeth]

^ I saw a picture on BBC News last week of some kids in Amsterdam hiding out in a public sculpture to avoid the heat. The girl had to be around seven or eight and was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. In public.

Like you said, some parents think "Oh, my child is underage and not yet developed, there's no harm in letting them go shirtless/pantsless in public!" but how many pedos are roaming around those same public areas? I shudder to think how many pedos probably found that picture and got a rise out of it.

And I don't care if you're in a country where topless sunbathing is the norm (though I'm not sure if that's true for the Netherlands). I just think children at any age should be dressed while in public. Even babies roaming around outside in just diapers freak me out.

[half1113]

My mom told me the other day that we never went without a shirt, even if we were in the house wearing a diaper. She thought it was inappropriate.

I grew up around the time Adam was abducted and murdered. I remember that after that I couldn't go to the toy section at Sears by myself. I don't know who was more paranoid about it, me or mom. They let me watch the news when I was growing up and I was actually aware of Stranger Danger.

[madworld]

Tully, your brother is awesome. Even in his dorkiest pictures. [post67] I LOVE that he told the child that. Perfect.

[jeth]

My mom told me the other day that we never went without a shirt, even if we were in the house wearing a diaper. She thought it was inappropriate.

I grew up around the time Adam was abducted and murdered. I remember that after that I couldn't go to the toy section at Sears by myself. I don't know who was more paranoid about it, me or mom. They let me watch the news when I was growing up and I was actually aware of Stranger Danger.

Same here. I remember when a six year old girl was abducted, murdered and stuffed in a dumpster behind the mall in the city we lived in at the time. I was just a wee bit older than her at the time, but oh did my parents ever have a conniption over that. I was already pretty much relegated to staying with in the apartment complex at that point, only venturing out if my family knew exactly where I was going (route and all), but after that mom started following me everywhere for awhile.

That's why I don't understand parents that let their kids roam around and have no idea where they are, what they are doing, or who they are with.

[half1113]

Same here. I remember when a six year old girl was abducted, murdered and stuffed in a dumpster behind the mall in the city we lived in at the time. I was just a wee bit older than her at the time, but oh did my parents ever have a conniption over that. I was already pretty much relegated to staying with in the apartment complex at that point, only venturing out if my family knew exactly where I was going (route and all), but after that mom started following me everywhere for awhile.

That's why I don't understand parents that let their kids roam around and have no idea where they are, what they are doing, or who they are with.

I'm still scared I'm going to get abducted and thrown in a dumpster, and I'm 31. That's why I always comment loudly about the wandering child. "Oh look a child abduction waiting to happen. Oh look a pedo's dream come true." Sure I get evil glares, but I'm just letting them know. Half the time I get ignored.[pan]

[bellegurl]

^Good for you. One day it'll pay off, and a child will really be saved.

[St. Theresa]

I just want to say I nearly cut a bitch in line at Best Buy today. First she purchased about eight items for herself, every single one having to be individually scanned and demagnetized. And she paid with cash, taking forever to get her change out. When the transaction was over and it should have been my turn her two kids ran into line and she announced that there would be not one, but two more transactions. Each child would be paying for their order seperately.

At that point I let out an exasperated sigh and moved to another line. She called out "Sorry!" when she saw that I was a bit peeved, but that doesn't cut it. I don't have all day to stand in line while you give your pre-teens lessons in spending money responsibly and counting out change. And when you have four more people in line behind you that is NOT the time to pull a stunt like that.

Anyway, I moved to another line and STILL got out faster than they did.

I know that's not a discipline issue, but it's definitely a "parent who can't understand common courtesy in a public place" issue.
Ah, I swore I'd never post here, and I keep writing, then deleting, a response, but I'm all out of self-control.

Denali's complaint I can't touch. I would have been all over my kids' asses for throwing/wasting napkins, not to mention getting all hyper. Yours? I think you're pushing the envelope.

Now, I might have gotten just as exasperated in the same situation if I were in a hurry, as I often am. And I might have even gotten bitchy about it, even though I'm a mom and completely support the right (and responsibility) of a parent to teach her kid the fine art of handling money. But you know what? You got behind three other people, even if it was a bitch mother with her two kids. You could have been delayed by three friends or a couple with an in-law, each conducting their own transaction. It was a bad guess on your part, not a "stunt" on the mother's part.

Trust me. I have the worst luck with the "short" lines. I make the wrong guess. I don't know that the person ahead of me is going to write a check...slowly, or delay the whole deal by gabbing on a cell phone, or conduct more than one transaction, or start getting social with the cashier, or have a price checked, or that they'll change cashiers just BEFORE they wait on me.

I often conduct more than one transaction, myself - which tends to piss people off - again, because they assume I'm going to be faster. But I have to keep my business and personal expenses separate and that's that. And there's no way to predict how many people are going to get in line behind me. And how to you balance this? If you can only let your kids pay when there's no one behind you, you end up in the short line, so people end up behind you!

And she did say "Sorry," which shows some courtesy. Depending on my mood, I might have said the same or given you something sarcastic to chew on. Fortunately, I don't recall feeling like an inconvenience to the world for letting my kids pay for their own items. I am often made to feel like an inconvenience because...well, I'm the cheapskate at the self-checkout with $100 worth of groceries, waiting for assistance because the canned tomatoes are supposed to be on sale for .99 and they rang up $1.39 - and store policy says I get that item free. :f

Now tell me she did that in the express lane, or she made everyone wait while one of kids went to grab another item, and I'll eat my words. Otherwise, on a 10-point scale, I have to give your complaint an optimistic 2.

[jeth]

Actually, I got behind one person. All of the other lines were three people deep. I chose the one on the end with just one person, and as she was completing her transaction her two kids ran up with their items and she announced that there would be two more transactions taking place. Of course since she was standing in line it was assumed that it was okay for her to be holding their place in the line and all that jazz.

I do believe I had a right to be peeved, especially as I was in a hurry to get out of there. I specifically chose the shortest line for a reason. Her kids butted in front of me and she elected to use that time to teach the handling of money (when, by the way, another three people had since joined the line behind me). I ended up moving to another line, still three deep, and got out before she did because the kids were counting out every little coin.

There's a time and a place for teaching those lessons. I don't feel that was the place. I feel she was rude to assume that I would be okay with her letting her kids butt in line ahead of me to complete their seperate transactions. Why couldn't they have moved to the end of the line and waited their turn? Why should she be allowed to dictate that additional transactions should take place before my turn (when anybody in my place would have seen her and assumed correctly that she was the only one checking out at the time) when I waited in line like everyone else to check out?

If this had been a group of teenagers or even grown adults who played cut-sies I'm sure everyone would have been pissed off, but because it's a mom with two young kids it's suddenly okay to let the younger ones butt ahead in line and hold everyone else up? I don't think so.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

Ellen, posters here can bitch about parents as much as they like. If they do it in OIT, you can jump all over their arses to your heart's content, but please don't come in here if all you're going to do is tell people their complaints are not valid.

[St. Theresa]

I thought I could use reason here, as long as I don't bingo anyone. Checked the FAQ and everything. And I did find Denali's complaint more than legit, didn't I? At least Idaho addressed what I said. And now that she elaborated, I think the mother might have mentioned to those behind her that her kids would be paying separately, if she knew. And maybe she couldn't just keep shuffling to the back of the line all day because a store "isn't the place" to teach kids about buying stuff. Maybe she was in a hurry, too.

*shrugs*

I took a wrong turn. Heading out now.

*runs*

[Thom.]

Now tell me she did that in the express lane, or she made everyone wait while one of kids went to grab another item, and I'll eat my words. Otherwise, on a 10-point scale, I have to give your complaint an optimistic 2.


Thank God your percocet addiction clouds your otherwise calm judgement. *end sarcasm*

[jeth]

There could be a load of reasons why she didn't exhibit enough common courtesy to let the other shoppers go ahead of her (particularly those who were next in line) because she wanted to take the time to teach a seven year old and a nine year old how to count out change for the cashier. I don't care about those reasons. She was rude, I bitched about it, and that's that.

I don't feel that I should have to give anyone the benefit of the doubt just because young children were involved in the incident, just as I don't think I should be chastised for my complaint because I don't understand where the mother was coming from. I don't need to understand where she was coming from or what else was going on with her.

While the biggest rule in here is not to Bingo, there's a lot to be said for respecting the type of forum this is. This is where the childfree can come to vent, share common pressures and issues, and everything that goes along with that. I don't bust into the Parents Pad and offer commentary on what's going on in there. We are not CF Hardcore or CF Debate or any of those CF communities on LJ that you so enjoyed getting banned from. We're just a little forum full of people with similar lifestyle choices who like to discuss the issues that face us with other people who understand where we're coming from. It's not that we don't like a dissenting opinion or two (we've had our share of them), but to be honest your initial post did seem like you were coming in and telling me that I had no right to be peeved off at this woman for her rude behavior because it involves kids. Had this been a story about some rude college students cutting in line I doubt I would have gotten the "2 out of 10" rating from you. Of course a story like that probably wouldn't have been in here either, so I doubt it would have captured your attention in the first place.

Oh, and nice move running off to Parents Pad to demonize me for OMG being upset that some woman was so rude as to allow additional people to cut in line in front of me at the store. Because you know, I'm only angry because she's a mother. Or that's what you think.

What part of "You wouldn't be causing a fuss over this if the story had been about a bunch of college students or grown adults who had done the same thing" do you not understand? Why do you have to see a big CF vs. Parents fight everywhere you go?

I think you need a time out. Seriously. You're blowing this entire incident way out of proportion.

[jeth]

I understand the disclaimer, but fact is I've never seen any cross-forum bashing in here. I would say the majority of us have no interest in perusing a forum that has no bearing on how we live our lives, and we certainly wouldn't get all up in arms about what they say in there.* We're not threatened by them, and they shouldn't be threatened by us. I don't know what they go through on a daily basis, they don't know what I go through on a daily basis. That's why the forums are seperate. They have their place to share their common experience and we have ours.

*The exception, of course, being when someone twists your words around to demonize you for their own agenda and puts it in another forum to instigate drama.

Plus we've got plenty of parents and parents-to-be that join in the discussion in here and also join in over at PP. It's just that when they participate over here they don't try to demonize us for how we feel or express ourselves on an issue because the fact is, if they are over here and participating they probably feel the same way on certain issues.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

Cross-forum drama is so 2001. Seriously. I feel soiled by association with such a thing.

ANYWAY. Everybody, back on track, please! We now return you to the original topic - what's WRONG with parents? Specifically annoying ones in supermarkets and shit? Answers on a postcard to the usual address!

[jeth]

My kid wants to order top shelf when you get here. ;K

Only if he's sharing!

Mmm, Margaritas!

[Wen]

Was at the supermarket yesterday, and saw a kid in his pram all alone in the aisle, no sign of the parent anywhere. When my friend joined me after she went to get some snacks, I wondered about that, and she told me she saw 2 women arguing about who should stay with the kid in the other aisle! Had to say "We should steal him just to scare them".

[toriwannabe]

There was a story this morning where a policeman had to rescue a young girl from a car that was rolling down the hill after her mum left her in the car alone. He ran alongside the car, opened the door and jumped in behind the wheel.

Now, that is definitely a happy ending, but may you ask how he got in the car? That's right - the door was unlocked. The girl was sitting alone in a car with the door unlocked. Anyone could have hijacked the car, or abducted the girl, but the mum obviously has no concerns.

[RedHead]

^^ She couldn't even have put the car into park!!

[katz]

^ if it was a manual without the parking brake engaged it's pretty easy to see how it could happen. kids like to play and fiddle with things that move. parking brake is easy to engage/disengage and i know MANY people who are dumb enough to leave the car in neutral relying on the parking brake to hold the car in place.

reading your stories in the past few thread guys really makes me embarrassed to be associated with these people due to situation of being a parent-sighs-

[half1113]

Was at the supermarket yesterday, and saw a kid in his pram all alone in the aisle, no sign of the parent anywhere. When my friend joined me after she went to get some snacks, I wondered about that, and she told me she saw 2 women arguing about who should stay with the kid in the other aisle! Had to say "We should steal him just to scare them".

haha [post75]

[The March Hare]

It drives me nuts when other people encourage someone's child to act up. I was having a semi-nice dinner with my father at a lovely Mexican restaurant when a small child began climbing over the edge of my seat and elbowing me to get her balance. Of course, the child's parents didn't do anything. My father began smiling and waving at her, mentioning how adorable it was. After that dinner, he proceeded to ask when I was planning on having kids.

I felt my uterus drop to the floor in horror.

[HideAndSeek]

I was at a business yesterday and was horrified by a child and her father who were also in there. The child would have been about four years old and she was running around with no shoes on and the bottom of her feet were black with filth. Her pants were covered in god knows what and the cuffs were as black as her feet, her jumper was on inside out, her face was dirty and her hair looked like it hadn't been combed or washed for a couple of days. She was running around all over the place and being silly, trying to get attention (no doubt she's starved for it at home) and was crawling on the floor and jumping the chairs for over 10 minutes.

What was Dad, who also looked like he hadn't washed for a couple of days, doing while this was happening? He had his back to the child the whole time. The kid could have run out of the building and he wouldn't have had a clue. How the hell does someone not notice, or not care, that their child is completely filthy and crawling around on a floor that was last cleaned god knows when, or leave them running around completely unsupervised?????? Is it really that hard to wash someone and keep and eye on them????

[Boomer #8]

Ah kids in shops and their parents.


I don't mind people buying stuff, and I don't mind children in the store, but one thing I hate the most is parents who go shopping late afternoon, even though it's their kids bedtime, or their naptime (or one can clearly see that the child is tired and whiny). I fucking hate that, because you can barely hear yourself think. I can understand that parents too have the right to go shopping and have leasure, but it's not nice and It's tiresome, not only for me, but for everybody else in the store when a child is crying louder than Boeing 747.

So instead of leaving and going home, oh no...the parent will hush the child (I have to say, not to sound like a mysogonist, but they are all women) and/or look at me hoping for understanding and say; "He/She's just tired", and continue the shopping spree.

I understand, believe me I understand - but I don't have to accept it. It's just selfish and unconsiderate to other people, including the child's need.

[Callum]

I was in a chocolate shop the other day, waiting for my friend to be served. A woman was wandering around, browsing the shelves and not keeping an eye on her son of about 4 years old who was eating a baguette sandwich.

The little boy trundled up to the chocolate fountain at the front of the shop, picked up a kebab stick with marshmallows on it in one hand, took the baguette in the other, and stuck them both into the chocolate fountain. The mother did not notice until the girl at the till said "Excuse me!"

I was thinking of this thread the whole time.

[Fox in Socks]

thats just a shame. i mean if you have kids, you shouldnt expect workers to watch them for you. i get it takes a village blah blah blah, but honestly we all know those days are far behind and youre on your own. so reign 'em in i tell ya!

[DarkLuna]

I wait tables in a restaurant, and here's one I love dealing with: parents that change their babies' diapers on the fucking table. Despite the fact that we have baby changing tables, for which changing diapers is (who knew?) its intended purpose, in both the men's and women's restrooms.

It's completely unsanitary! Not only do we have to take the time to remove the tablecloths and scour them with chemicals in case there was any leakage, but I'm sure it's appetizing for our other customers seated next to them. "You know, Harold, that baby's log looks a lot like your top sirloin."

And then there are the people who leave the dirty diaper on the table for ME to clean up! I'm sorry. I'm not your husband and I'm not your fucking nanny. I am not cleaning up your brat's shit-ridden ass-napkin for $4 an hour, especially when your kid probably dropped a turd bigger than my tip.

Get your lazy, baby-squirting ass out of your chair, walk the eight feet to the bathroom, and use the fucking changing table. No one, especially not the other paying customers seated next to you, wants to see your baby's fecal frankfurters while they're trying to eat.

And fucking throw it out yourself! Or, next time, you'll be wearing it as a mask.


xx.xx.xx

[Fox in Socks]

i was picking up some clothes at the store yesterday, sort of browsing. since it was a thursday afternoon it was pretty empty and quiet except for the incessant intermittent hihg-pictched scream from this little girl. i could hear it all over the store. well finally the offending child and mother were near me and the kid kept it up. mom says nothing. i browse away from her and then happened to be near her again. and still with the screaming so i give the kid/mom a look like "what the fuck with that?" and mom's all, quietly, "dakota, please stop that" and looks at me apologetically. Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me you cannot totally tune yourself out to that high-pitched screaming shit not to mention don't semi-chastise your kid for my benefit.

I couldnt believe she wasnt trying to check that behavior. Most obnoxious. :r

[Rinky vs.4.0]

I wait tables in a restaurant, and here's one I love dealing with: parents that change their babies' diapers on the fucking table. Despite the fact that we have baby changing tables, for which changing diapers is (who knew?) its intended purpose, in both the men's and women's restrooms.



Won't management throw them out? That should NEVER be tolerated for one second in an eating establishment of ANY kind. Shit is a public health hazard and at the first sign of this changing-on-a-table caper, the parents should be told to pack up, ship the hell out and not come back.

I would NEVER eat at a restaurant where that behaviour was allowed to go unchecked. I woulds seriously throw a fit if someone started that when I was eating. I mean, how fucking pig-like can you get? Seriously, you have to wonder what sort of homes these people come from. Do they eat where their baby shits at home too?

[DarkLuna]

Won't management throw them out? That should NEVER be tolerated for one second in an eating establishment of ANY kind. Shit is a public health hazard and at the first sign of this changing-on-a-table caper, the parents should be told to pack up, ship the hell out and not come back.

I would NEVER eat at a restaurant where that behaviour was allowed to go unchecked. I woulds seriously throw a fit if someone started that when I was eating. I mean, how fucking pig-like can you get? Seriously, you have to wonder what sort of homes these people come from. Do they eat where their baby shits at home too?


You would think they would! Unfortunately, because it's a chain restaurant, my managers are slaves to the district managers, who are slaves to the regional managers, who are slaves to the top corporate people. Our motto is, "The customer must leave happy." Even when the customer is completely wrong or is trying to score a freebie, it is company policy that the customer must leave happy. My managers are too chicken-shit to challenge these women who insist on changing their babies on the tables. They're afraid the women will complain to corporate headquarters, which will get the regional manager in trouble, who will then bitch out the district manager, who will then bitch out the general manager and servers involved. It's fucking ridiculous.

For example, a month or two ago, a woman was screaming at me when I charged her full price for the salad bar. At our restaurant, we have an all-you-can-eat salad bar. If you're only getting the salad bar, it's $7.49. However, you can "add" the salad bar on to any entree and get it for a reduced price of $2.79. A woman came in with her friend; all she ordered was the salad bar and her friend ordered a hamburger. I asked her friend if she wanted to add the salad bar on to her entree and she said, "No, I'll just share it with her." I said, "We don't permit that, since the salad bar is all you can eat. If you're both getting the salad bar, I have to charge her full price and you the $2.79 add-on price." They didn't seem to understand that. I repeated, "It's all you can eat. You cannot share something that is all you can eat."

When the bill was presented, the woman who only got the salad bar tried to act completely shocked that I charged her full price. So she decided to lie and say she ended up not getting anything except "one tomato" (to which I replied, "Do NOT insult my intelligence," since I saw her with my own eyes going hogwild up at the salad bar) even though her plate was sitting in front of her with remnants of lettuce, carrots, a pool of dressing, peas, mushrooms, croutons, etc. She became extremely belligerent, told me I was trying to "rip her off," and then huffed, "Welp! There goes your tip!" So I thought, fuck this, I'm getting my manager. My manager, even though I was right (and he explained to the woman that I had done the proper thing), *had* to take it off the bill; if the woman called up corporate HQ and complained, my manager could have been in deep shit.

And, speaking of deep shit, that's why they don't do anything about it. I'm shocked that none of our other customers have complained to us, to a manager, or to corporate headquarters. I would have told my server or a manager immediately if someone was wiping their kid's diaper rash on the table next to mine.


xx.xx.xx

[RedHead]

So, basically if I went into your restaurant and ordered $12.99 entree and then said I didn't want to pay for it, I could get it for free if it meant I left happy? Hmmm....where do you work?

[Rinky vs.4.0]

I do not understand this American 'customer is always right' mentality. The customer is sometimes a royal pain in the arse, totally WRONG and pacifying them to keep their custom is usually not worth the trouble. Besides, horrible customers who cause scenes and create mess tend to create an atmosphere which drives other customers away.

Seriously, I would never eat a a chain where I knew managers refused to deal with biohazards and put my and other customers' health at risk just to keep some dirty, cheapskate bitch happy. Anyway, couldn't the place be shut down by Public Health (or whatever you call them over there) for breaking every health reg in the book by tolerating shit (hello, ecoli?) in an eating area? What does corporate have to say about that? "Oh, we got shut down for public health offences, but at least Ms. Turd and her shitty-arsed baby went away H.A.P.P.Y!"?

[Kari]

The restaurant industry in the US is fucked. No question. Its slave labor with utter disregard for the mental health or physical wellbeing of their employees. It's all turnover and dealing with bullshit. Chain restaurants are the worst culprits in this.

That said, a customer had a small child who spit up all over the banquette in the restaurant I worked at, and did not inform anyone until one of our very wealthy customers came and sat down in it. In her Chanel coat. My manager was apalled, and told that particular customer that they were no longer welcome with their small children if they could not clean up after them. It was the good thing about working at a non chain restaurant.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

Oh my god, Kari. Oh god. Never mind a Chanel coat, that's just outright reprehensible anyway. Hooray for your manager. And I hope the owner of the coat sent the parent the bill for the dry-cleaning.

[Kari]

Oh my god, Kari. Oh god. Never mind a Chanel coat, that's just outright reprehensible anyway. Hooray for your manager. And I hope the owner of the coat sent the parent the bill for the dry-cleaning.

Well, I remember it being a Chanel coat because the woman went batshit screaming "OMG! MY CHANEL COAT! Baby spit up! BABY SPIT UP ON CHANEL!" But yes, any coat would be bad. But a coat that cost that amount of money was especially traumatic for this lady.

It was quite comical in ways, we got a good laugh out of the woman's reaction anyway later on (she was right to be upset, but was a huge bitch and we all hated her). My manager picked up the bill for the dry cleaning, as Chanel coat lady was one of our most loyal customers. They did manage to get the stain out, but the woman claimed for weeks that she could still smell soured milk. Ugh.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

Well, I remember it being a Chanel coat because the woman went batshit screaming "OMG! MY CHANEL COAT! Baby spit up! BABY SPIT UP ON CHANEL!"

I wouldn't blame anyone for having an Edina Monsoon moment in that scenario.

[Kari]

I wouldn't blame anyone for having an Edina Monsoon moment in that scenario.

Oh, I would have. Believe you me. I wouldn't care if it was H&M or DKNY, do NOT get baby spit up anywhere near my clothes.

If it were my shoes (say, Mommy lets Baby puke on the floor and I step in it with my Cole Haan platforms), there would be hell to pay. Hell. Absolutely.

I had a child turn around and pull my hair on the train this morning. And then laugh. She was about two. And her father yelled at her!! I was so pleased.

[toriwannabe]

I saw a lady and her 2 year old girl on the train recently. The girl had a barbie doll and kept banging it on things. One of those things ended up being the old lady in the seat behind her. Did the mum tell the kid off? Nup. Just an embarassed smile and no chastising of the child at all.

[Amy!]

I stopped in at the local convenience store earlier this evening and there was a small unsupervised boy, around five, climbing the metal security grating over the windows. He yelled some gibberish at me as I went in and as I was gathering my purchases I looked out and he had his head propped on the top of one of the metal rods. One slip from the rung he was perched on (about 3 feet off the ground) and it would have gone right through his head. Great place for your kid to play.

When I walked out of the store there was a man standing outside with him having a discussion about his ProLine (sports gambling) picks with the lad in the middle of the parking lot/roadway. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the man was wearing a giant obviously fake gold chain and a spectacular mullett.

Poor kid might have been better off with his head on a pike considering the look of his sperm donor and the mother that actually fucked said sperm donor.

[queensiefaerie]

I do not understand this American 'customer is always right' mentality. The customer is sometimes a royal pain in the arse, totally WRONG and pacifying them to keep their custom is usually not worth the trouble. Besides, horrible customers who cause scenes and create mess tend to create an atmosphere which drives other customers away.
You mean it's not like that in the UK? ;)
I absolutely HATE the whole "cumstomer is always right" crap.
Fuck the cumstomer is usually a rude dipshit asshole in a retail scenario.
That said.....Baby barf.... on any article of clothing is just fowl.
I totally would have had an Edina moment if that happened.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

^Not to the extent it appears to be in the USA, no. You can't always just return goods to stores because you don't like them after you've bought them, for example, and expect to get a refund. And restaurants aren't constantly giving away free shit to appease noisy and stupid dipshits here either.

[YosemiteBear]

This is nowhere near as bad as some of the stories in here, but...

I realize that people sometimes have to bring strollers on public transportation and that's cool, but for god's sake, fold up the damn thing once you're on the bus or train. It's really annoying to travel on a bus with a stroller blocking half the aisle. Especially when 1) the bus is rather crowded and several people have to stand, and 2) the mom in question and her toddler are already taking up three seats between the two of them.

I won't even get into people parking strollers in the middle of a cramped cafe or bakery on a weekend morning, forcing all other customers to clamor around it.

[Boomer #8]

^Not to the extent it appears to be in the USA, no. You can't always just return goods to stores because you don't like them after you've bought them, for example, and expect to get a refund. And restaurants aren't constantly giving away free shit to appease noisy and stupid dipshits here either.

In the UK and pretty much the rest of Europe. If that woman dared to change her kid on the table over here, and the manager didn't do anything (which I highly doubt it), the health department would've shut down the place immediately.

[HideAndSeek]

^^I can't imagine someone being allowed to get away with it in Australia either, aside from the fact that most people would have an absolute fit if someone was changing a nappy/diaper on a restaurant table.

[Rinky vs.4.0]

In the UK and pretty much the rest of Europe. If that woman dared to change her kid on the table over here, and the manager didn't do anything (which I highly doubt it), the health department would've shut down the place immediately.

Yeah, exactly. Shit in an eating area = major public health hazard. All it takes is one phone call, and if I were the customer exposed to this? I'd make that phone call right there and then.

[BakeMeACake]

ok im at panera bread yesterday to do my friday PM studying + coffees. i know this isnt a posh place, its like a starbucks, but there is a certain level of social decency expected anywhere in public.

so ladys out with her 4 (!!) children, maybe ages 5-9, chitchatting with her mate. ok fine IF the 4 chidlren were not running around the restaurant like banshees. climbing on tables. running into oldies. throwing napkins around for like 15 minutes with only the occasional "____ keep your voice down". seriously you could hear nothing else but these kids and the place wasnt crowded but everyone annoyed. one of the oldies yelled at the kids after he almsot spilled coffee on them. i told them to scram when they were throwing napkins near where i was sitting.

point is, seriously, i know parents learn to tune out things with their kids and thats fine AT HOME. but if your kids at that age dont know how to act in public, well dont bring them out in public. ive seen 2 year olds better behaved. i really fucking hate parents who dont know the concept of discipline.
/rant

This happens all the time at the restaurant I work at! I am a server and at least once or twice a week there are families that bring their kids there and think it's okay to let them run around the whole restaurant, most of the time unsupervised. I cannot even begin to explain how much this pisses me off! Some parents will even let their little 2 year olds walk around.

Not only is this extremely annoying and rude, but it also is extremely dangerous, for both their kids and me and the other servers. Especially when we're busy, it is not cool to have to be looking down at your feet everywhere you walk to make sure you won't run into some kid wandering around. Our restaurant also has some steps in it, so it is super dangerous for really young kids to be walking around in case they fall down a step and then we would be liable. And even if the parent is following behind them while they roam the entire fucking restaurant, they don't seem to realize that if a server is carrying a tray of food to another table that they need to get out of the fucking way. Most times they just stand there with a dumb look on their face even if I've said excuse me. It is ridiculous.

Oh yeah - about a week ago, this younger couple came in with their baby and the baby proceeded to cry extremely loudly for the whole hour/hour and a half that they were in the restaurant. They did nothing to try to make the baby stop crying. They didn't pick it up or anything. The parents were even laughing with each other and acting like nothing was happening. We got several complaints from other tables that had their lunches ruined by having to sit through an hour of an obnoxious kid crying. It was pretty unbelievable that the parents did NOTHING to try to stop their kid from crying.

Then there are the parents who come to our restaurant, bring their kids, and proceed to get extremely intoxicated...don't even get me started with that...

[BakeMeACake]

I wait tables in a restaurant, and here's one I love dealing with: parents that change their babies' diapers on the fucking table. Despite the fact that we have baby changing tables, for which changing diapers is (who knew?) its intended purpose, in both the men's and women's restrooms.

It's completely unsanitary! Not only do we have to take the time to remove the tablecloths and scour them with chemicals in case there was any leakage, but I'm sure it's appetizing for our other customers seated next to them. "You know, Harold, that baby's log looks a lot like your top sirloin."

And then there are the people who leave the dirty diaper on the table for ME to clean up! I'm sorry. I'm not your husband and I'm not your fucking nanny. I am not cleaning up your brat's shit-ridden ass-napkin for $4 an hour, especially when your kid probably dropped a turd bigger than my tip.

Get your lazy, baby-squirting ass out of your chair, walk the eight feet to the bathroom, and use the fucking changing table. No one, especially not the other paying customers seated next to you, wants to see your baby's fecal frankfurters while they're trying to eat.

And fucking throw it out yourself! Or, next time, you'll be wearing it as a mask.


xx.xx.xx

Oh My god! I feel so sorry for you. Thankfully, I've never experienced someone doing this. If I witnessed this, I would tell them that this was unsanitary and completely unacceptable and to please use the restrooms, even if it means they wouldn't leave me a tip. If they're changing diapers on a restaurant's tables, they probably wouldn't leave much of a tip anyway.

Also, I live in the U.S. and have been a server for about 3 1/2 years and have never seen anyone changed a baby's diaper in a restaurant. Not saying it doesn't happened, b/c it obviously did to DarkLuna, but just saying it isn't common.

And, yes, the whole "the customer is always right" mentality sucks ass.

[toriwannabe]

Yesterday at a restaurant a young baby was crawling along the floor to the front door step of the restaurant. The door was open after the waiter had gone outside to serve the outside patrons. It was a windy day, so I grabbed the door just in case it slammed shut on the baby. I looked around and said quietly "where is the parent?" and the father came around and picked her up.

He let it happen again a few minutes later, to the point where the baby had actually crawled out of the restaurant on the footpath out the front. Anything could have happened! In fact a few minutes after that, the door DID slam shut, but thankfully the baby wasn't in the doorway anymore.

[bellegurl]

^Shit, some people just don't deserve to be parents. Sorry if that sounds a little harsh, but to me, anyone who treats a child like a possession, sometimes to be played with, at others, to be ignored even if in danger, is a fuckhole. *This is a bad run-on sentence!*

[Barbarella]

So I was at work walking into the kitchen, when I hear a blood curdling scream coming from the ladies room. I dash over there and a little girl (maybe 7) had slamed her hand in the door.
I had one of my co-workers get her a bag of ice while I went to tell her parent. (they were guest at one of my tables)
So I go to the table and tell them, no one bats an eyelash. The mom just asks "well is she ok?"
And I'm like, I don't know, we're getting her ice right now!
So I go get the girl and bring her back to the table.
I can't believe the parents are so lazy they couldn't get up to check on their child who was screaming and crying! Fucking assholes!
Needless to say, they where shitty tippers as well. Total trash!

[Rinky vs.4.0]

Co-worker came in on Friday ranting about the heavy traffic along the front for the Illuminations (crappy traditional lightshow thing that's on in autumn at the local seaside resort) and tells me he came across a 4x4 driving along with the 'parents' in the front seats and three kids balanced on the ROOF, clinging on for dear life. My jaw dropped and another co-worker who lives on that route said such a sight actually isn't uncommon at this time of year. Can you believe anyone could be so stupid? Parenting makes you a better, more responsible person my fat white arse.

[Auntie Laura]

he came across a 4x4 driving along with the 'parents' in the front seats and three kids balanced on the ROOF, clinging on for dear life. My jaw dropped and another co-worker who lives on that route said such a sight actually isn't uncommon at this time of year.

ah ha haa haa! The mental images this conjures are astounding!;l

Stupid fuckers.

Laura (who is going to hell on the top of a 4X4)

[Rinky vs.4.0]

I swear to god, the genetic detritus of the UK are drawn as if by some invisible magnet to The Resort. If we handed out free sterilizations at the borders, we'd improve the overall IQ of the UK by many points within a few years.

[Kozmic Blues]

Saw this thread here and I just *had* to chime in.

This past weekend, husband and I went to see Borat. We settled in to our seats and just as the movie began, a 40-ish woman plopped herself and a 5 year old into the seats in front of us. A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL. Anyone who has seen this movie (or even heard a lot of the reviews) knows that this is 100% an adult movie.

There is a scene in the movie where there is some *extremely* graphic nudity, and this woman didn't even make a move to cover her kid's eyes or anything! Do parents just not care anymore, or what? I am starting to feel like a relic of the dark ages because my parents actually *cared* about what I saw, so therfore, I wasn't allowed to see a PG-13 movie until I was 13, and so on.

I just don't get it.

[sweetsangria81]

That is ridiculous! Even I felt strange watching that scene in Borat! Why would you even let your child watch that?

My BF and I aren't planning to have children (dogs and cats only, please!), but a few of our friends and family have kids - which is fine, of course. The thing that gets us is that we rarely go out to dinner and when we do it's nice to have a romantic night, even if it's not that fancy of a restaurant. I usually request not to sit next to children, especially if they look like they'll be acting up. I've even asked at a restaurant if we could be moved. Nasty looks from the parents, but you know what? I'm a paying customer too.

-K

[anu]

My BF and I aren't planning to have children (dogs and cats only, please!), but a few of our friends and family have kids - which is fine, of course. The thing that gets us is that we rarely go out to dinner and when we do it's nice to have a romantic night, even if it's not that fancy of a restaurant. I usually request not to sit next to children, especially if they look like they'll be acting up. I've even asked at a restaurant if we could be moved. Nasty looks from the parents, but you know what? I'm a paying customer too.

-K

I'm not childfree, children are very much in my and my fiancee's plans, but kids in restaurants really really piss both of us off. And the scary thing is, I bet it's going to be even worse when we do have children. We will be paying a babysitter to take care of our children while we do adult stuff just to have our meal ruined by a bunch of morons carrying their drooling, idiotic offspring everywhere with them because "they can't afford a babysitter" or whatever excuse they feel like using at that moment. If you can't afford a babysitter, tough shit. I'm just assuming you can't afford to eat out either.

And no, "taking kids out to eat is the only way to teach them how to behave in public" is not an excuse. Firstly, most parents who say that don't actually even try to control their kids in public. Secondly, if they can't sit still and eat their food at home, there's no way in hell they're going to do it in public. Somehow I'm inclined to think that the kids who misbehave in public probably aren't exactly darling little angels at home either.

Sometimes it just feels like it's not even worth waiting until we can afford to have children AND do stuff we like without a) taking the kids to places that would probably be boring for them and b) bothering the shit out of other people. I could just pop one out now and do what everyone else does. But sadly, I feel the need to train my drooling, idiotic offspring to respect other people. Curse you, mother, for raising me like this.

Don't even get me started on children in supermarkets. Seriously, don't.

I hate other people's kids.