Would you go to a restaurant that banned crying and screaming children?

Oh and one small note of clarification.

I did not blow smoke into the children's faces (they were too busy running around the dining floor raising hell). I blew smoke into the parent's faces.

hazlnut said:

Welcome to DP - piece of advice, read the links you post and make sure they don't contradict what you're saying.

You misrepresented what the article said and left out that they listed cases where people were refused service based on dress. *

'No shirt, no shoes, no service' holds. *'No blacks, no muslims, no disabled' would not be legal.

Here's what the sign should read: *'In consideration of all our guests, we ask that parents please monitor their children. *And silence your cell phones. *No substitutions. *And absolutely NO CLOWNS!'

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Welcome to DP, yourself. There's a saying about people in glass houses throwing stones... I read the whole article, top to bottom. Either you didn't or you're being just as disingenuous as you accuse me of being.

Using the "dress code" example that you've latched on to, a biker gang was asked not to display their colors and the court ruled that the establishment had the right to protect it's patrons from what the potential to become a violent gang situation.*

Now... you tell me, has a crying child ever posed a realistic or imminent threat to a restaurant patron?

Here it is for you again:

For the most part, courts have decided that the constitutional interest in providing equal access to public accommodations outweighs the individual liberties involved.

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Now, feel free to try again with a REAL rebuttal.*

theangryamerican said:

Now... you tell me, has a crying child ever posed a realistic or imminent threat to a restaurant patron?

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There is the possibility I could go to jail if I come unhinged because said child will not calm the hell down.

BDBoop said:

There is the possibility I could go to jail if I come unhinged because said child will not calm the hell down.

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We've already covered that. Someone comes after my children, I'll go all Papa Bear on them. They're more likely to end up in the hospital than jail, so no worries there. :2razz:

theangryamerican said:

We've already covered that. Someone comes after my children, I'll go all Papa Bear on them. They're more likely to end up in the hospital than jail, so no worries there. :2razz:

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Yes, we have already covered it, so - why are you covering it again?

BDBoop said:

Yes, we have already covered it, so - why are you covering it again?

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Dunno ... You brought it up. :2razz:

I was just reiterating.

screaming, yelling, running brat distract the waitress, she drops a scalding hot plate of food down your back or into your lap or a tray of cups of coffee into your face. I think that would qualify as a realistic or imminent threat of danger.

OscarB63 said:

screaming, yelling, running brat distract the waitress, she drops a scalding hot plate of food down your back or into your lap or a tray of cups of coffee into your face. I think that would qualify as a realistic or imminent threat of danger.

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So...potential second degree burns on your leg are on par with being violently maimed or killed due to gang violence? Honestly, I can see where you were trying to go with that example but it's really not the same.

Spills, while unexpected, are certainly a hazard of dining outside your own kitchen. Gang violence is not (unless you live in South Central, or some such.)

Every accident I've EVER seen involving a server dropping a tray was either directly related to the server him/herself, with no outside interaction OR it was due to the outside involvement of an adult not paying attention or following directions correctly.

As I stated earlier, I would much rather tolerate a rambunctious child than an ignorant adult with a sense of entitlement.

theangryamerican said:

would much rather tolerate a rambunctious child than an ignorant adult with a sense of entitlement.

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such as an ignorant adult with a sense of entitlement to force you to endure the actions of his/her undisciplined bratty kids? I don't blame the kids, i blame the parents.

If you are a ****ty parent who hasn't taught your children how to behave in public, then you are not "entitled" to infringe upon me.

When my kids were little, we either stayed home or went through the fast food drive in until we had them trained on how to behave.

OscarB63 said:

such as an ignorant adult with a sense of entitlement to force you to endure the actions of his/her undisciplined bratty kids? I don't blame the kids, i blame the adults.

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Now we're getting somewhere... but let's extrapolate this a little further.

For some reason, adults have the propensity for FAR more obnoxious behavior when they are dining out than their offspring. If their kids are not behaving properly, it's probably because the parents are behaving even worse. I know of not one example where parents were sitting down to a proper meal, personally treating everyone around them with courtesy with the one exception of letting their rugrats run wild.

Kids will be kids, especially young ones. Most adults have had a lifetime to learn proper manners and treatment of others, but some just choose not to exercise these skills. I want the restaurant that bans all obnoxious adults, but alas, this is an illegal infringement of their rights. Why should the one issue of children be singled out when they are but one symptom of a larger problem: inconsiderate adults in general?

theangryamerican said:

I know of not one example where parents were sitting down to a proper meal, personally treating everyone around them with courtesy with the one exception of letting their rugrats run wild.

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then you are much more fortunate than I. I have witnessed on numerous occassions parents sitting calmly at their table completely oblivious to the fact that little johnny was eating off the salad bar with his snotty hands or that little susie was crawling underneath the next table over and pulling on some stranger's pantsleg. The incident I mentioned earlier was such a case. mom and dad sitting at the table eating and talking while the kids played ring around the rosie around the neighboring tables.

I want the restaurant that bans obnoxious all adults, but alas, this is an illegal infringement of their rights. Why should the one issue of children be singled out when they are but one symptom of a larger problem: inconsiderate adults in general?

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because maybe it would be a step down a slippery slope in the right direction. :lol:

OscarB63 said:

then you are much more fortunate than I. I have witnessed on numerous occassions parents sitting calmly at their table completely oblivious to the fact that little johnny was eating off the salad bar with his snotty hands or that little susie was crawling underneath the next table over and pulling on some stranger's pantsleg. The incident I mentioned earlier was such a case. mom and dad sitting at the table eating and talking while the kids played ring around the rosie around the neighboring tables.

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Touche, but that's not exactly what I meant. They may have been eating calmly, ignoring their children, but were they treating their server politely? Did they thank the server for anything or carry on polite banter with the server, or did they treat them like they were "hired help?" Were they keeping their own private conversation to a respectable public topic and volume level? If they were out of their seat for any reason, such as using the restroom, did they defer to other staff and guests or shoulder their way through first? Was there any cellphone activity at the table?

These are just a few common courtesies off the top of my head, that should be practiced by anyone dining out, and I've yet to see a table with an unruly child exhibit these.

Just sayin'