59 replies to this topic

[TruthSeeker]

 

I don't know if ANY people go out to a restaurant and want to hear kids crying, but it does happen.

 

I think they could post a sign that says something like, 'this is and adult-oriented restaurant. if you have kids please visit one of our great neighbor restaurants nearby', rather than posting a list of anti-kid rules.

 

If I owned a restaurant, I'd accept kids and no what to expect from them. In over 50 years of going to restaurants, by the way, I seen far more rude bahavior from adults than from kids. I've never had a meal ruined by a child.

 

The problem is not with disliking kids or the sounds they make - the problem is with parents who don't keep control of their kids and let them run amok in restaurants screaming and yelling.  Sure it's cute, for about a nano-second. But when my wife and I go out to spend our hard earned money on a nice dining experience, we don't want to hear the sounds of ear piercing screaming kids running around while we are eating.

 

I applaud this restaurant and their decision to cater to adults who want to enjoy a nice dining experience. I see nothing wrong with that at all.

[TruthSeeker]

 

I don't know if ANY people go out to a restaurant and want to hear kids crying, but it does happen.

 

I think they could post a sign that says something like, 'this is and adult-oriented restaurant. if you have kids please visit one of our great neighbor restaurants nearby', rather than posting a list of anti-kid rules.

 

The problem is the lack of common sense, many parents don't get it - or they are too damn lazy to manage their kids and think it's "cute" to let them run around a restaurant screaming.  Aww, look at little Billy, he is so happy when he runs around screaming, that's sooo cute - lets give him some more candy to reward his jovial behavior.

[cw68]

I applaud and thank you. Well done. You had a lot of composure for a new mother with a lot on her hands. And I agree completely. Disruptive behavior isn't protected by the constitution

Thanks, I think it was less composure and more that I had see my share of bratty kids. At my wedding and rehearsal dinner, my nephews (aged 13, 11, and 10) were horrendous. They were opening the tops of salt shakers and dumping them on the shared plates, collecting matches and lighting them in the corners, and just being loud and rude. When I called the oldest out on something, my sister defended him and said, "He's only 13, he can't be expected to act any differently." My Dad turned to me and said, "When you were 13, you were eating at the Pump Room (old school high end Chicago restaurant) with the owner of Binks (the company he worked for). I can guarantee you didn't act anything close to this. It's the parents." It stuck in my head. Part if it was I never wanted to disappoint my Dad that way after he pointed it out to me.

Love my sister and nephews tons, but those boys aren't much different today.

[TruthSeeker]

I was trying to rack my brain to recall if I've ever had a restaurant meal ruined by a kid. Every once in a while I've encountered a crying baby, and wondered how long it would be before the parents took it outside... but it never turned into anything major.

I think this guy is "solving" a problem that doesn't really exist.

 

Perhaps you've not gone out dining enough at a wide variety of restaurants to have experienced this "phenomena" (?)

 

It does happen, very frequently and it really sucks.  We spend time and money with our spouses to have a good time at a restaurant only to have the experience ruined completely by some screaming kid running amok who's parents figure if they ignore the screams it will go away eventually. It never does. Then the parents always get all butt hurt and offended when a fellow diner asks them to reign in their children.

 

This problem does really exist, you just need to get our more to see it because it really does happen.

 

I'll say this also - any place I go to that has screaming kids running around in it - I will never visit again. 

 

There are plenty of family oriented restaurants - please don't force every place to accept screaming kids and please don't expect us to enjoy putting up with that raucous. 

[TruthSeeker]

I'd go in no problem.  I think people are too sensitive these days. 

 

Amen to that!

[The Average Joe]

Frankly, the whole idea of "service animals" in food areas is hard for me to wrap my head around. They are animals. They don't belong in food areas (whether market or restaurant).  If you are blind, I can see the exception. But if you are unable to function in public without an animal by your side every moment, maybe you should seek other therapeutic avenues.

I don't care if you are gay, a freak or whatever...as long as you aren't being disruptive. If you are disruptive, and are asked to leave, you should not be allowed to go to the "I was kicked out because I was gay" card.

The libertarian in me says no business should be forced to cater to anyone. Those who chose not to serve certain people would likely soon find themselves out of business. OR, a new business would open catering to those with need. As for the issue of racists owning business; there are civil rights laws that prohibit excluding certain races (not to mention the public pressure).

[TruthSeeker]

How do you feel about the ones who don't want the disabled? Gays? Minorities? 'They don't like it, they should go elsewhere?'

 

"Disabled vet kicked out of Houston restaurant over service dog"

http://www.khou.com/...07/30/12381314/

 

"Oklahoma Restaurant Owner Refuses to Serve ‘Freaks, Homosexuals or Disabled’

http://my1073fm.com/...ackback=tsmclip

 

That's a bit of a stretch to go from not wanting to hear screaming children at a restaurant to not wanting disabled vets, gays etc to be allowed.  Those are completely different circumstances and that type of discrimination is 100% illegal.   Not wanting to hear screaming kids is nowhere near the same.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

 

 

 

I applaud this restaurant and their decision to cater to adults who want to enjoy a nice dining experience. I see nothing wrong with that at all.

 

He can create whatever kind of atmosphere he likes. The way he delivers his message is offensive, which is why I said he sounds like an arse -- attitude, not desired atmosphere.

[Steve Heard]

Sure wording the sign outside to a vague children welcome elsewhere is more politically correct, but in my experience: people who ignore their kids are going to ignore subtle hints of impropriety of a child acting out. No im not offended if the sign outside the restaurant says children are not welcome this is an adult establishment. More embarrassing would be finding out after getting the kid inside.

 

 

That's probably the smartest thing you ever done wrote here.

 

 

The problem is not with disliking kids or the sounds they make - the problem is with parents who don't keep control of their kids and let them run amok in restaurants screaming and yelling.  Sure it's cute, for about a nano-second. But when my wife and I go out to spend our hard earned money on a nice dining experience, we don't want to hear the sounds of ear piercing screaming kids running around while we are eating.

 

I applaud this restaurant and their decision to cater to adults who want to enjoy a nice dining experience. I see nothing wrong with that at all.

 

I guess we go to different types of restaurants. I just don't see it. I would expect it at Chuck E Cheeze, BJ's, Crapplebees, Chili's, Bubba Gumps, etc., but not Sutter Steak House, Bix, or Sienna. I just think the sign is unnecessary, poorly worded and rude. 

 

 

That's a bit of a stretch to go from not wanting to hear screaming children at a restaurant to not wanting disabled vets, gays etc to be allowed.  Those are completely different circumstances and that type of discrimination is 100% illegal.   Not wanting to hear screaming kids is nowhere near the same.

I know that!

 

Anyway, my kids are grown now, but when they were small, I had a wild one and a quiet one.

 

I went through it with that wild one. She was carried out of supermarkets, malls and restaurants on numerous occasions. Once when I threw her over my shoulder and headed for the mall exit, a security officer grabbed his radio and started moving toward. He stopped and looked relieve when she yelled, 'Daddy no!'

 

I once left a basket of groceries in line at Safeway. I apologized to the folks, but she wasn't gettin' that candy nor the stuff in the basket. 

 

When at restaurants, the threat of going outside eventually became enough to keep her in line.

 

That worked until one day we were at a restaurant and she started to get antsy. She looked up at me sweetly and said, "Daddy, can we go outside?"

 

Eventually, she grew out of her 'can't sit still for long' phase, and went into the brooding teenager who hates being in the presence of adults phase.

 

Now at almost 26, she's pretty good and hardly needs any discipline at all. 

 

The quiet one, now 21, used to mix a little ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper on her plate and swirl it around. I suppose that was wasteful, but she didn't use much and was quiet about it. Today, she loves to cook and is always mixing different stuff to create sauces. Reminds me of when she was a little one.

 

Anyway, my point is that the problem is probably smaller than the owner is making it out to be,  but then again, I tend to be very tolerant of kids and don't expect them to behave like refined gentry. I expect them to act like kids, and if they get out of line, I expect the parents to take care of the situation.

 

I think this guy handled it poorly and though my kids are grown, his attitude is enough to keep me out of there.

[Homer]

I probably wouldn't go there, The owner sounds kind of like a jerk-off that i wouldn't want to give my money too. I agree with some of the other posts, If the owner of the restaurant doesn't want to cater to family's there's more tactful ways to go about it.

[TruthSeeker]

 

He can create whatever kind of atmosphere he likes. The way he delivers his message is offensive, which is why I said he sounds like an arse -- attitude, not desired atmosphere.

 

That's a very large assumption based entirely on a single sign.

[cw68]

Anyway, my point is that the problem is probably smaller than the owner is making it out to be,  but then again, I tend to be very tolerant of kids and don't expect them to behave like refined gentry. I expect them to act like kids, and if they get out of line, I expect the parents to take care of the situation.

How do you expect kids to act? Is jumping, or even standing, on chairs and booths expected kid behavior? Playing handheld games at loud volume expected kids behavior? How about running around? Yelling at the parents beause they are bored?

Sorry, I haven't ever LET my kids behave that way in a restaurant. Appropriate behavior or we leave was the rule and, at 11- and 13-years olds, still is the rule.

A friend who has a four-year old recently posted a video on FB of his son running around a pizza place, climbing all over the furniture, shaking tables, etc. He seemed to think it cute, commented that "kids will be kids" and, while the restaurant wasn't crowded, he definitely wasn't concerned about how his son's behavior affected the other patrons. My parents would not have put up with that behavior even in a Chuckie Cheese because it's self-centered and rude, but it seems to be acceptable nowadays.

When did we parents become so afraid of offending or hurting our children's feelings? Sometimes it happens, though I definitely don't go out of my way to make it happen.

Admittedly, I'm sick of the coddled child.

[TruthSeeker]

 

I guess we go to different types of restaurants. I just don't see it. I would expect it at Chuck E Cheeze, BJ's, Crapplebees, Chili's, Bubba Gumps, etc., but not Sutter Steak House, Bix, or Sienna. I just think the sign is unnecessary, poorly worded and rude. 

 

Anyway, my kids are grown now, but when they were small, I had a wild one and a quiet one.

 

I went through it with that wild one. She was carried out of supermarkets, malls and restaurants on numerous occasions. Once when I threw her over my shoulder and headed for the mall exit, a security officer grabbed his radio and started moving toward. He stopped and looked relieve when she yelled, 'Daddy no!'

 

Anyway, my point is that the problem is probably smaller than the owner is making it out to be,  but then again, I tend to be very tolerant of kids and don't expect them to behave like refined gentry. I expect them to act like kids, and if they get out of line, I expect the parents to take care of the situation.

 

Is Land Ocean close to your type of restaurant? It has happened to us there twice.  Eventually a waiter or manager mentioned it to the parents both times and the kids were corralled and put back in their booths.

 

Just because it doesn't happen when you are at a nice restaurant doesn't mean:

a) it never happens there

b) the person who says they've experienced this problem only dines at lower end or kiddie restaurants

c) the person who says they've experienced it dislikes kids because they hear them screaming.

We don't hate kids, we hate obnoxious noises in a dinning environment. This is from two parents.

 

You are a good man Steve, the big difference between you and your kids and the others who let their kids scream and run wild is good parenting (and common sense). Unfortunately there's a majority out there who are not good at it and have zero common sense.

 

Obviously you did it right as so many others do and you did not let your kids run amok restaurants.  However, it's that other percentage of parents that just sit on their asses and let their kids run around screaming that annoy the hell out of us when we're trying to enjoy a nice meal.

 

I think the reason the owner of that restaurant made that sign is because he's had enough of that bad percentage of parents who don't control their kids. Also the location is a tourist trap which as we all know can bring the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

Personally I commend him for taking the risk of adverse reactions to create a comfortable dining experience for folks who want to enjoy their dinner in peace.  I don't think that's doing "wrong" to anyone at all, in fact it's a reason for adults to want to go to a place like that - for peace and quiet..... and hopefully decent food.

[nomad]

Cannery Row is becoming (or has become) an over-priced snobbery tourist trap. This guy just seems to be playing into that to protect his investment from the average family that wants to grab a meal and drag down his atmosphere.

[mrdavex]

When I was a child, we didn't eat out that much, but when we did, we went to nicer restaurants, which were not McDonald's, but places at the time were Olive Garden (before it evolved into an Applebee's type environment), plus other indie places, like Chinese restaurants.  I have no recollection of eating out during my stroller days, but for the years I could walk on my own, I never behaved with the wild behaviors described in some of these posts.  My parents would definitely have taken me outside as punishment if I had misbehaved like that.  In fact, I insisted on being treated like an adult.  I always declined booster seats; I didn't like to color with the complimentary crayons provided by some restaurants, and I absolutely loathed those places where I would be offered a balloon.  I also liked to order from the adult menu, despite my parent's insistence that it would be too much food for me, and of course I'd always have room for dessert   At the time, Mom and Dad had no smart phone to distract them (and still don't to this day), and we'd be expected to carry on with conversation at dinner.  I was pretty introverted at the time, so if I got bored, I'd just shut my mouth, or ask nicely if we could go home.  Mom and Dad would not converse for hours after the meal without realizing that I would get bored, so they'd know when was the right time to leave.   If they wanted to go out with friends at a very nice restaurant and chat much longer, they'd hire a babysitter. 

By age 10, my Dad would bring me to conferences at Asilomar, and I'd be eating 3 meals a day at round tables shared with Dad's colleagues from around the world, some of which were highly-revered scientists.  Dad's career reputation would have been tarnished had I run amok in the Dining Room, and he would not have allowed me to come along had I not behaved (or would have asked Mom to take me out someplace else)   And don't think the colleagues were total snobs, as most of them were parents, some of which brought their kids to the conference, and others whose kids were grown up, but shared the same experience of raising young kids.  During these events, my mom take the opportunity to teach me about proper dining etiquette, like how to signify to the waiter that you are finished with your plate, though I admit I did not like being told what to do.  By 13, we had eaten at nicer restaurants, though not 4 or 5 star, in places like San Francisco (loved A. Sabella's), San Diego, Washington DC, and Toronto.  I celebrated my 14th birthday at a nice French crepe restaurant. 

 

In summary, the ultimate responsibility for a child's behavior in a restaurant falls to the parent or adult that brought them.  If the child is not mature enough to eat at a nice place, the adult should take them somewhere else more appropriate, or enjoy an adults night-out.  If the child misbehaves in a restaurant (and saying someone is 13 is no justification), the adult had better take appropriate actions without disrupting the other patrons, or else the restaurant staff should ask both the child AND adult to leave.