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OP acted like an immature child by applauding, and OP's dining companion was justifiably embarrassed.
My mother HATES to be near noisy children at restaurants. She asks to be moved if seated next to them and says she is happy to wait until another table opens up.
Other option would have been to ask the server to get the manager and ask the manager to have the parents take the kid outside. It is not the server's job to manage issues between customers - that is the manager's responsibility.
I am the exact same way. It seems like every time I eat out I'm seated next to screaming babies and toddlers. There could be a million empty seats in the place and I am that customer that has to be seated there. If I am eating alone or with somebody that is also annoyed by it, I ask to be moved. If I'm eating with someone that isn't bothered, I don't because I don't want to embarrass them. And the manager in the place was unfortunately not around at this time. I'm sure if he was around he would have stopped it.
It all comes down to effort on the part of the parents. No one (well, very few) would complain about a kid acting up if the parents immediately and actively made significant effort to stop the bad behavior, which, by the way, would actually make it stop or remove it from the public place.
It's the parents who sit there and ignore it, or give the old "kids will be kids" type excuses that rile others up.
If our child acts up in a public place, we remove her from the scene if she won't quiet down. That's how it was always done when I was growing up, but now there seems to be a really lazy generation of "parents" who can't or won't discipline their child.
The server should be told if their customers are being annoyed. She should then take it to the manager to speak on behalf of the other customers who are getting irritated by the parents.
We've had to cut short a lot of dinners because of our daughter. Either I or my wife picks her up and takes her to the car, and we ask for a To Go box and the check. But that's what it takes if you're a good parent. Conversely, on nights when we get a rare date night for ourselves without our child, we don't want to be subjected to another kid screaming their head off.
When that happens, yes, I speak to our server, and I expect something to be said to the parents who are refusing to take care of the situation themselves.
Exactly, and the mother saying "he's just a baby"--no, he is not. 2 years old is PLENTY old enough to discipline for noise, we're not talking about a newborn infant. I once spanked my son who was 18 months old for crying, I mean although I didn't bruise him (obviously) I tore his butt up, and that was in an Arby's. I'd surely expect a 2 year old to behave in a steakhouse. Besides, even if he is "just a baby"--tell that to my ears. My ears hear noise, period, my ears don't care about anything except that the noise is awful and unbearable and it wants the noise gone post-haste. Period. (The same goes for next-door neighbors with yapping Yorkies, but that's another story.)
My reply to the usual "if you're not a parent you don't know what it's like." First, I AM a parent, and as I just said, I tore up the butt of an 18 month old due to crying, in an Arby's, and it worked, so enough of the excuses. Second, even if I were not a parent and "don't know what it's like," my ears know what noise is like. I don't have to be a parent to know that screaming children is an extremely annoying sound to my ears, and my memories of my childhood and what my mother and aunts etc did to me tell me that correcting said noise is a legitimate response. If you ask "are you suggesting that your ears have some 'right' to freedom from such noise in a public place"--you bet I am. That is a RIGHT. Noise pollution is a legitimate problem, and the proper response to it is to FIX it, not tell people to put up with it.
Utterly sickeningly that you not only relish assaulting an 18 month old under your care, but that you BRAG about it.
The mom overheard the guy complaining, and that's what got them outside. The server didn't do anything.
If it had been a table of women laughing loudly for 30 minutes, should someone have complained? Or guys telling bawdy jokes loudly enough to be heard?
What if it had been a large group with annoying, nasal voices or accents??? Should THOSE people be asked to leave?
Until you have a kid, you don't know what it's like. All parents are different, and they parent differently. Some people (like us) jump up at the first peep. Others are SO used to a higher noise level that they don't get why it bothers people SO much.
I hate passive-aggressive people, and so I would advocate for speaking directly to the parents, not the server. But APPLAUDING after the dude complained??? That's just a d*ck move.
This and two thumbs up. If you want quiet while you eat stay home. You can not predict when a young child is going to have a melt down and taking it out on parents who may be stressed already is just wrong. We were on a plane once with a young mother sitting next to us with a very rambunctious baby. He was all over our laps as well. Were we supposed to be angry at the mother because her innocent baby was very active? I don't think so. We tried our best to help her out. The baby and I had a lovely conversation about the moon as he sat on my lap and looked out the window. I loved it If I see kids running around by our table I will engage them with calm nice conversation. Why be angry at them for behaving age appropriate? I agree that the considerate parents are the ones that take their children out of the room, but what if it's raining outside or extremely cold? I guess taking them to the bathroom might be wise but I'm sure they will be heard there as well, especially if the crying can be heard outside. If I see a crying kid next to our table I try to talk to them. Sometimes it works because they're distracted by a stranger trying to engage them. Instead of acting like an entitled crab I would suggest trying to help the parents with a little kindness directed at a distraught child. They are after all upset about something aren't they and who wants to be mean to someone in distress at any age?
Utterly sickeningly that you not only relish assaulting an 18 month old under your care, but that you BRAG about it.
You guys must have missed some of his earlier pearls of wisdom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shyguylh
Someone else mentioned barking dogs--I agree, and in fact that is probably my #1 complaint with regards to noise pollution. People who REFUSE to make their dogs shut the heck up are people who ought to be thrown in jail, and in fact in Italy I'm told that is a very real possibility. It should be that way EVERYWHERE. No one wants to hear your yorkie yap and yap and yap and yap and yap at everything from A to Zinc. When I read stories about neighbors killing another neighbor's dog, I don't feel sorry for the dog owner in the least and to a certain extent I even CHEER this sort of thing. I say this because typically when you ask the dog owner, even nicely, to PLEASE try and curtail the noise their dog makes, you are basically told "go f`u-c`k yourself" or the like. Moreover, the laws, when there are any, do little to protect property owners' rights to peacefully and quietly enjoy their property free from such distressing noise pollution. That someone poisons or "kidnaps" a neighbor's dog is not a reflection on how sick such people are, it's a reflection on what jerks many dog owners are.
As for the dog barking and the owners saying "I can't make it stop"--like heck you can't. That durn dog would sure enough stop barking if you'd put your foot up its a`s-s and show it who's boss. Either that, or get a shock collar, or have it trained. And don't tell me how those things are "abuse," that's no different than someone having a noisy brat of a child in a nice restaurant and refusing to do anything to make them stop because giving them a pop on their rear-end is "abuse." You're being a wuss of a dog owner or parent letting your dog/child run the show, and it's not cool. The REAL "abuse" going on is the abuse you're heaping onto the people around you who have to hear your yorkie yap all day or have their romantic dinner spoiled by your obnoxious brat.
He's going to have Karma hit him hard someday. I feel sorry for his children.
This and two thumbs up. If you want quiet while you eat stay home. You can not predict when a young child is going to have a melt down and taking it out on parents who may be stressed already is just wrong. We were on a plane once with a young mother sitting next to us with a very rambunctious baby. He was all over our laps as well. Were we supposed to be angry at the mother because her innocent baby was very active? I don't think so. We tried our best to help her out. The baby and I had a lovely conversation about the moon as he sat on my lap and looked out the window. I loved it If I see kids running around by our table I will engage them with calm nice conversation. Why be angry at them for behaving age appropriate? I agree that the considerate parents are the ones that take their children out of the room, but what if it's raining outside or extremely cold? I guess taking them to the bathroom might be wise but I'm sure they will be heard there as well, especially if the crying can be heard outside. If I see a crying kid next to our table I try to talk to them. Sometimes it works because they're distracted by a stranger trying to engage them. Instead of acting like an entitled crab I would suggest trying to help the parents with a little kindness directed at a distraught child. They are after all upset about something aren't they and who wants to be mean to someone in distress at any age?
1000x YES!!!
Thank you for adding your wisdom and kindness to this thread--and the world
Utterly sickeningly that you not only relish assaulting an 18 month old under your care, but that you BRAG about it.
Oh please, a spanking is hardly assault. I got my butt beaten with a belt until I bruised by my father when I was two for having a temper tantrum. He never had to lay another hand on me.
I remember the entire thing clearly to this day. Am I traumatized? Nope. Do I hate my father? Nope.
Quote:
Originally Posted by animalcrazy
This and two thumbs up. If you want quiet while you eat stay home. You can not predict when a young child is going to have a melt down and taking it out on parents who may be stressed already is just wrong.
Oh, so since you popped out some children you have more rights to go out and people who want a nice quiet meal should stay home? Give me a break. If you can't control your child, why don't YOU stay home? And in regards to stress... oh well. It is a choice to have children. If they stress you out, that's your problem. It shouldn't have to be everyone else's.
This mindset that children can do no wrong and everyone should cater to them is just sickening. It's no wonder that the majority of them are brats with no respect for anyone.
Oh please, a spanking is hardly assault. I got my butt beaten with a belt until I bruised by my father when I was two for having a temper tantrum. He never had to lay another hand on me.
I remember the entire thing clearly to this day. Am I traumatized? Nope. Do I hate my father? Nope.
Oh, so since you popped out some children you have more rights to go out and people who want a nice quiet meal should stay home? Give me a break. If you can't control your child, why don't YOU stay home? And in regards to stress... oh well. It is a choice to have children. If they stress you out, that's your problem. It shouldn't have to be everyone else's.
This mindset that children can do no wrong and everyone should cater to them is just sickening. It's no wonder that the majority of them are brats with no respect for anyone.
Spanking is not assault. However, to "(tear) up the butt of an 18 month old due to crying, in an Arby's," is. For Pity's Sake, in an Arby's?
Yes, people who expect to eat in abject silence should stay home. I've been more bothered by drunken adults than I ever was by kids. I have never even asked for another table, either, although this fall in Minneapolis a waitress offered to move our group away from a bunch of drunken 20somethings who thought everything was insanely funny!
Oh please, a spanking is hardly assault. I got my butt beaten with a belt until I bruised by my father when I was two for having a temper tantrum. He never had to lay another hand on me.
I remember the entire thing clearly to this day. Am I traumatized? Nope. Do I hate my father? Nope.
I never claimed "spanking is assault"
HOWEVER, the phrase "tore his butt up" (used multiple times in reference to an 18 MONTH OLD) sure sounds like assault to me. Oh, but might I remind you he said "no bruising"?! A "spanking" hardly calls for that clarification
I am shocked someone would defend "tearing up" a baby. Yes, 18 months is a baby
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If I see kids running around by our table I will engage them with calm nice conversation. Why be angry at them for behaving age appropriate? I agree that the considerate parents are the ones that take their children out of the room, but what if it's raining outside or extremely cold? I guess taking them to the bathroom might be wise but I'm sure they will be heard there as well, especially if the crying can be heard outside. If I see a crying kid next to our table I try to talk to them. Sometimes it works because they're distracted by a stranger trying to engage them. Instead of acting like an entitled crab I would suggest trying to help the parents with a little kindness directed at a distraught child. They are after all upset about something aren't they and who wants to be mean to someone in distress at any age?
I got my butt beaten with a belt until I bruised by my father when I was two for having a temper tantrum. He never had to lay another hand on me. 
