07-12-2010, 02:19 PM
DH and I go to a local diner for brunch after I'm finished at church. We were eating when a guy and his kid come in and sit RIGHT behind us when the place is literally empty except for us. The kid sits on the side of the booth right behind me and the father sat on the other side, which was by the door and not near anyone.
The kid was hacking coughing like it was dying, and it ran around the restaurant touching everything (disgusting!). The owner said something half jokingly, and the dad was like "oh, terrible twos!". Then the brat got back in the seat behind me and kept turning around, coughing on me, and started touching me. At this point I stand up to leave, and even DH is annoyed (he's not a kid fan but he is just generally laid back, so kids usually don't bother him that much).
The guy was like "Aw look, you ran them off". It was clear he was looking for some reassurance otherwise, but we said nothing, paid our bill and left.
Seriously!!!! Ugg.. my younger sister has a 2 year old and a 3 year old, and I've eaten out with them several times. The 2 year old goes straight in a high chair and the 3 year old sits on the inside part of the booth or table, and my sister sits on the outside to prevent escape. If they get too bad, she leaves and takes her kids with her. The kids are old enough to understand that and aren't really a problem.
I can't even count the number of things this idiotic father did wrong! HEY! My kid is sick and hacking everywhere, let's go out to eat and contaminate as many people as possible! Let's sit the kid in the one place where it can annoy the only other patrons in the place as much as possible and say and do nothing when it acts out and blame it on the kid's age as opposed to my utter laziness in parenting!!!
I have to say this problem is much worse here in the city than it is back home.. the city people seem to feel they and their kids are entitled to act any way they want. Back home, the owner would have at least asked the parent to keep the kid seated.
If I had any cooking or business skills at all, I would open a restaurant that is restricted to age 18+.
The kid was hacking coughing like it was dying, and it ran around the restaurant touching everything (disgusting!). The owner said something half jokingly, and the dad was like "oh, terrible twos!". Then the brat got back in the seat behind me and kept turning around, coughing on me, and started touching me. At this point I stand up to leave, and even DH is annoyed (he's not a kid fan but he is just generally laid back, so kids usually don't bother him that much).
The guy was like "Aw look, you ran them off". It was clear he was looking for some reassurance otherwise, but we said nothing, paid our bill and left.
Seriously!!!! Ugg.. my younger sister has a 2 year old and a 3 year old, and I've eaten out with them several times. The 2 year old goes straight in a high chair and the 3 year old sits on the inside part of the booth or table, and my sister sits on the outside to prevent escape. If they get too bad, she leaves and takes her kids with her. The kids are old enough to understand that and aren't really a problem.
I can't even count the number of things this idiotic father did wrong! HEY! My kid is sick and hacking everywhere, let's go out to eat and contaminate as many people as possible! Let's sit the kid in the one place where it can annoy the only other patrons in the place as much as possible and say and do nothing when it acts out and blame it on the kid's age as opposed to my utter laziness in parenting!!!
I have to say this problem is much worse here in the city than it is back home.. the city people seem to feel they and their kids are entitled to act any way they want. Back home, the owner would have at least asked the parent to keep the kid seated.
If I had any cooking or business skills at all, I would open a restaurant that is restricted to age 18+.
So sorry your brunch was ruined by a sick brat.