My two cents about the banning of kids in restaurants...

[WCGreen]

I could see no tables sat with kids under 6 after 7:00.

Of course this means 7:00 in the afternoon.

I don't see the problem with people going out to eat with their children at a reasonable hour.

I like to eat late anyway. I like to go out and grab a bite after about 9:00, when things are a little less hectic in most places.

The last time I went to a TGI Fridays was about 6 years ago. We went out with my MIL at about 10:00 one Saturday night.

There was a table of ten or twelve right in the middle of the room. I can't say for sure how many people were suppose to be sitting because the 5 or 6 kids, they blend to me when they are in packs, were running around the room causing all sorts of raised eyebrows and an over all sense of hey dude, calm your kids down mood.

The parents seemed to care less how their little darlings were behaving.

Finally, I told the waiter I would like to see the manager. He came over and I asked him if he could say something to the parents about corralling the wild beasts. He replied that this was a family restaurant and that they encouraged families with children to come in for a good time...

I said but it's passed 10:00. Wouldn't you do something if a person was drunk and disrupting the dining experience of dozens of people.

He said absolutely.

I said pretend these kids are drunks

He said this is a family place.

I said, well, this family is leaving and we are not coming back.

That's all I have to say about it.

[slackmaster]

1. Both the waiter's responses to you and your reaction were perfectly proper

There are plenty of other restaurants to choose from.

I tend to go to places that are child-unfriendly. When I go to places where children are allowed, I often eat at the bar.

[pnwmom]

2. My 2 cents: don't be surprised to see families in family restaurants.

And don't expect children to act like little adults.

You might not have a choice about whether the kids are there or not.

But you DO have a choice in whether you let yourself get steamed about the situation. You can choose to feel angry or annoyed. Or you can choose to let it roll off you.

[WCGreen]

6. the kids sere running around and disrupting the whole place...

If the parents would have controlled the kids perhaps it wouldn't have been a problem.

And beside that, what kind of family oriented restaurant devotes over half of it's space and marketing to drinking.

I guess you are a better person than I am because I let it get to me that the parents were not even trying to get their darlings to behave in an acceptable manner.

[pnwmom]

23. Choose your battles, right? There is so much worth getting upset about in the world --

the financial horrors, the environmental horrors, etc. Other people's kids running around in restaurants, or crying in airplanes, etc., just don't get to me.

[WCGreen]

30. This was dangerous...

The kids were running wild in a crowded and cramped restaurant.

Someone could have been seriously hurt.

And yet the parents were letting the children have the run of the place, literally.

I just picked this one example out of many to show the extreme.

I have nothing against kids. But the parents weren't even trying to contain the kids.

From the looks of people around the room, I wasn't the only one who was concerned.

[pnwmom]

74. So the restaurant should have dealt with that situation. That doesn't justify

the extreme measure of banning all children, when the vast majority behave well enough.

[Darth_Kitten]

83. I think parents forget their kids should be EATING at a family restaurant....

not running around like it's some daycare.

:)

[KittyWampus]

87. I think many parents now forget their kids entirely. They treat their children like they're luggage

to be toted around and ignored for the most part.

[Warren DeMontague]

112. If that were the case, they'd be allowed to ride the baggage carousel at the airport

trust me, they're not.

[PatSeg]

94. Even if it was a "family" restaurant,

it is perfectly acceptable, even advisable, for management to ask parents to keep their children in their seats. Wait staff walking around with heavy trays and hot coffee could easily trip over one those children. Good customer service does not include allowing customers to do whatever they want. I'm quite sure they wouldn't allow the adults to behave like that.

That was an example of bad management, not to mention really bad parenting skills. I would have left as well. Who wants to pay money for that kind of dining experience?

[trueblue2007]

113. i will NEVER be seated next to little monsters.

I would have walked out and not paid my bill ..... lolol

not really but almost!

[ChazII]

7. +1000

I have not read every post on all threads about the banning but your response is one of the more level headed responses. Thank you for your common sense.

[Kceres]

15. +1. You're going to have a stroke if this kind of thing bothers you.

Communities include children. Period.

[WCGreen]

39. I am a reasonable man who considers the needs and rights of others...

I don't believe that it is asking too much to expect the same from others.

[Kceres]

54. Umm, from children, yes it is.

Many, many years ago, before I had kids, I felt the same way. Kids running around in grocery stores and restaurants really bothered me. It didn't feel healthy to be angered by that, so I decided instead to force myself to smile at every child that was getting on my nerves. It was a powerful remedy. In just a few weeks children stopped making me angry. A few weeks later I began to enjoy seeing kids being kids. To this day I still smile at children in grocery stores. It DOES take a village, and whether you like it or not you are a member of that village.

[WCGreen]

56. I love kids... Wish I could have a had a few....

But this particular incident was dangerous.

Around Christmas Time, a lot of little kids do a double take because I guess I look a little like Santa Claus.

[Philippine expat]

99. Never blame the kids

the problem is with their parents and the lack of parenting skills.
And in my opinion a couple of unruly kids are not as bad as obnoxious cell phone users
However I support an establishments right to ban children if they desire

[Darth_Kitten]

85. If you are the one paying in a restaurant, you do deserve some respect.

Don't think the kids are the ones spending their hard-earned money for a meal, so I can't see why they are defended so much at the expense of adults.

People should be monitoring their out of control children; if they DID, there wouldn't be as much resentment as there is.

[KittyWampus]

86. I expect children to behave- PERIOD. Children aren't wild animals. They are capable of good behavior

in the event their parents give a shit and bother teaching them.

Your attitude is part of the problem. "Let the little darlings do whatever the heck they want whenever they want to".

[Warren DeMontague]

109. I know. I go to TGI Fridays, I expect an atmosphere like a Japanese Tea Garden, or a library.

This picture was taken in our local TGI Fridays, last, uh, Friday.

[Cant trust em]

3. I don't have a problem with their policy or you leaving.

It's their private business and they can do whatever they want. They'll figure something out if they wind up losing a lot of business.

[WCGreen]

10. that was my point....

I don't think you can imagine what these kids were doing. It was like a band of feral children let loose at ten o'clock on a saturday night.

I haven't been back.

[Mimosa]

65. Leon Russell's cousin?

WCGreen, it's been a while...let go. You're best off not eating at TGIFriday's anyway. Frozen processed foods aren't a good value. IIRC correctly the chain is going bankrupt!

[RZM]

4. Why should he have to 'pretend these kids are drunks?'

Couldn't a drunk then say 'pretend I'm a kid?'

I would never support banning children from restaurants. I hope nobody else would either. Although I probably disagree with your position on this, I think the way to handle it is to do what you did . . . politely inform the business that you disagree with their policy and that you will no longer give them your money.

[WCGreen]

8. I didn't say anything about banning the kids...

I thought it was pretty clear that I didn't go back because they would rather, I gathered, cater to kids, although that was the only table in a place that seats about 200 people, where kids were sitting...

The kids were so disrupting that a waiter almost was tripped up as the kids were running up and down the pathway.

[RZM]

12. I'm sure they would rather cater to families than to those with your high standards of behavior

That's not meant as an insult. There's probably a lot more money in families :)

Kids can be loud and annoying. Parents can be lax in their disciplinary/supervisory roles. That's just how it goes.

Myself, I'm much more bothered by parents who let their kids run the streets at all hours than I am by those who fail to shut them up at a restaurant. Of course frequently they are the same parents . . .

[WCGreen]

27. since they were the only kids in the whole place...

besides that, they were acting in a way that could be dangerous. What if they ran into a waiter carrying a tray full of food...

BTW, I remember when I was at a wedding reception and I ran right smack into a waiter and knocked a whole tray of glasses out of his hand.

I was smacked in the ass really hard and made to sit in the chair.

But that was back in like 1959 or 1960 and I was three years old...

[Missy Vixen]

100. Oh, of course there's more money "in families".

Let's discuss this, shall we? First of all, many of the chain restaurants are offering "kids eat free" now. I'd also be curious to know how much time the average server or busperson spends cleaning up after said kids; I've seen some restaurant tables and surrounding areas TRASHED by those "families" that are so highly sought after.

I'd also be curious to know who spends more - those without kids who can enjoy an appetizer or alcoholic beverage with their meal, or those who order, gobble, and get out.

[laundry_queen]

101. If it's a busy restaurant

those who order, gobble up and get out. It clears up the table for another customer. Last time I was in a busy restaurant, they brought the bill 20 seconds after asking if you wanted dessert. hint hint, lol. No hanging around for coffee refills there!

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. I don't like to go to restaurants real late when the kitchen staff is zonked and the servers want to

go home.

I like to eat at a normal hour. And I don't mind dining with younger patrons.
The occasional crying baby is not the end of the world to me and has zero effect on my hunger pangs.

[WCGreen]

9. It wasn't a crying baby....

It was a bunch of kids running wild through the restaurant.

[Shagbark Hickory]

25. Did you complain to the manager or anything:

:shrug:

[WCGreen]

33. did you read the post....

Of course I complained...

[Shagbark Hickory]

38. I did read the post but by the time I had replied to your reply I had forgotten what it was all abou

I forgot where I was. I forgot what time it was. I forgot how old I am.

Most importantly I forgot that it's time to go eat.

[uppityperson]

14. "I like to eat at a normal hour". WHAT is a "normal hour"?

Seriously, what is it with people assuming what they prefer is "normal" or HOW it should be done? One of my sibs eats supper at 6:30 pm, another at 8:30 pm, both with kids. My supper is 4 pm when I work an early shift, 9 pm when a later one.

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. That's an easy one.

Your sibs eat at a normal hour and you don't.
:hug:
But that's ok. Nobody's perfect.

[uppityperson]

28. Nope. I am the "normal" one and they are abnormal since they don't do what I do.

see?

[Shagbark Hickory]

36. Nope.

Most people don't eat at 4 o'clock or 11 oclock or whatever o'clock it was.

[uppityperson]

52. That would average, median or mean. Not "normal". Normal is what I say it is.

[seabeyond]

11. ok. SIX years AGO, you had a bad experience with a restaurant, kids and their parents.

SIX YEARS AGO.

let it go.

every once in a while there is a situation when we go out in the big bad world that we cannot control, that is not fair, where justice does not shine.

it is a bitch. it is wrong. it shouldnt be. the parents should have done something with the kids and manager should have done his job.

SIX YEARS AGO.

that is my issue. every once in a while, something shitty happens. the answer is not.... BAN THEM

[Gold Metal Flake]

17. Ahhh. As expected.

:rofl:

[WCGreen]

19. that isn't the only example...

It was just the most egregious one...

Look, I don't care if you take your kids out. But if they start acting like little ass holes and you don't do something about it, then I do have a problem...

And I didn't say ban them I said have a reasonable cut off time, like no seating after 7:00. That's reasonable, I think.

[seabeyond]

24. i agree with this post... not the restricting time, but i do agree.

as you see in my post, i expect both the parents and the manager to do their job.

[Purveyor]

26. I haven't stepped a foot in our Meijer bigbox store for at least 12 years after they BANNED the

Salvation Army Bellringers at Christmas time.

The day they allow them back will be the day I revisit the store (except I won't know where anything is in this now, unfamilar store, and I hate that).

[Luminous Animal]

77. Really, you are champing at the bit to let an anti-gay organization solicit money

at Christ's Time. Thank you for supporting a virulent anti-gay organization.

[rurallib]

13. I love to see kids in a restaurant or most near any place.

I hate irresponsible parents, or on the other hand abusive parents who slap their kids to make them behave.
I used to really hate it back in my grocery store days.
10PM was way too late for kids to be up. That is irresponsible.
Don't blame the kids. They can't make their parents any smarter.

I have avoided other restaurant chains for reasons of my choosing. Looks like that is one for you.

[uppityperson]

16. "10 pm was way too late...irresponsible"? Friday night. Maybe during vacation. Maybe they were trave

traveling from another time zone. "10PM was way too late for kids to be up. That is irresponsible." We can all assume things based on facts not in evidence.

Thanks for liking to see kids out and about and not mistreated. Appreciate that. Edited to say sorry for the gripe, one of the things that get me.

[laundry_queen]

102. About the time - I agree

Once upon a time we went out to eat at 11 pm with the kids. We had just completed an 8 hour drive that turned into a 10 hour drive (on the way to a funeral), and we had left late because my mom had to work the morning. The kids were starving, and we had to eat out as we were staying in a hotel that night. My kids were a little antsy after being in the car for 10 hours. Try to look at it from other people's point of view. It's not always about you, it's not always about bad parents, sometimes it's just circumstance. BTW, my kids weren't running around destroying the place, they were just having a hard time staying seated in the booth, still, they weren't model children that night. I can imagine someone like the OP just seething at my 'wild children'.

[seabeyond]

21. that really is a tough one for me. 16 yr old son and i will run in there late and see babies and

toddlers being carted around. and i think... man, past bedtime.

i was on such a schedule with bed for my kids, just didnt find me out past a certain time. but i know families where their babies stay up well past midnight and sleep all morning.

bugs the shit out of me.

and sometimes... it is an unusual, once in a lifetime, soemthing special going on that a parent may allow... this time. we dont know. we can guess that this is norm for the family, but it may well be the rare.

[Control-Z]

55. And if the kids aren't causing

problems, why would that even be your business? Now, to say, "I wouldn't let my kids stay up that late", is one thing. But to find fault in it when someone else does? I thought you were more progressive than that.

Frankly, getting my babies down for the night around midnight (when they were very young) gave me the optimum amount of sleep between feedings and was also great for setting them up to sleep all the way through the night as they got older.

My older ones always needed more sleep than the younger ones.

[seabeyond]

63. hence... my saying that is a really tough one for me.

it is an inner battle. and i understand i have nowhere to take it.

one can be progressive and even realize that some things are tough to see, because of our own inner struggles, but not ours to do.

[TK421]

18. why do you hate children WCGreen?

[WCGreen]

34. I don't hate kids....

I am, however, concerned about parents who allow their children to run around a crowded restaurant at 10:00 on a Saturday night completely unfettered.

[TK421]

45. I forgot the sarcasm tag, sorry...and we are in complete agreement

some people think "family restaurant" means that they and their children are the center of the fucking universe, and they don't have to control the kids no matter how disruptive they are being to your dining experience...fuck you, after all!! It's a "family restaurant"

it is a "family restaurant" after all! that means YOU don't need to enjoy your meal, do you?

I'll wait and see who comes along to tell you this very thing ( I'm sure they're shambling their way over here now )

[SheilaT]

20. When our kids were young and we wanted to eat out

we deliberately chose restaurants that had a high noise level. That way if our kids got a little noisy, it wouldn't be as noticeable.

Quite honestly, adults who chose to have personal phone conversations in public are a lot more annoying than noisy kids, IMHO.

[WCGreen]

32. That's reasonable and thoughtful...

[JoePhilly]

29. So to be clear, this issue was the management.

As you correctly note, the management has the responsibility to deal with disruptive customers, regardless of age.

Or ... maybe you should demand that TGIF not serve alcohol, because after all, drunks can be a nuisance too.

So don't serve alcohol and that problem is solved too.

[WCGreen]

42. Drinking doesn't bother me...

But the management would have escorted a drunk person who was one half as disruptive as this table of children and parents who could care less what their kids were doing...

[JoePhilly]

44. Sorry, doesn't cut it.

I've been to restaurants where the management does not escort the drunks out.

You can't claim that the one should be allowed in, but the other should not.

[WCGreen]

46. I have been in a Fridays where they did escort a drunk person out...

[JoePhilly]

48. so you saw it once?

Big deal.

If I saw a TGIF manager speak to the parents of kids who were disruptive, does that counter your observation??

Again, the job of the MANAGEMENT is to deal with disruptive customers, regardless of why they are disruptive.

btw ... I'm curious ... how do you plan to keep kids out, card them?

[WCGreen]

61. I didn't say anything about not letting children in a restaurant...

I said perhaps not sitting children after a reasonable time...

[JoePhilly]

73. Yea, those are very different positions ...

Ban them altogether, versus, ban them after what, 7PM?

And again ... what does the restaurant manager do, card them?

It's nonsense.

I find this whole thing funny not because I have little kids who are threatened by this silliness, my kids are now 18, 12, and almost 10, and have been going to nice restaurants (much nicer than TGIF) since they were each about 2 or 3.

And given their ages, this would not be an issue for us.

In one of these threads, a person complained about kids at an IHOP ... a restuarent that serves almost nothing but kid food ... waffles with whipped cream and sprinkles as just one example.

Yes, there are bad parents, and bad restaurant managers. Focus on them rather than kids who may or may not likely to act up.

As one more example ... we recently went as a group (about 14 of us) to a nice seaford restaurant ... most of the kids were 10 or older, we had 1 child that was 3.

Should the manager have refused to seat us? It was after 7pm when we arrived.

And yet ... all of these kids were very well behaved, including the 3 year old.

[WCGreen]

64. I guess we are at an impass...

I can claim that with a fairly good back-up being that I worked are at least 5 restaurants when I was working my way through college. Waiter, bus boy, bartender...

[TheCowsCameHome]

31. Ask to be re-seated elsewhere.

If they won't accommodate you, get up and leave.

They'll get the idea.

[WCGreen]

37. the kids were sitting half way across the room and the kids were running

amuck...

I talked to the manager and then left and haven't been back...

[TheCowsCameHome]

57. Then that's their loss.

I'd do the same - find another place to eat that doesn't tolerate that sort of behavior.

I've done pretty well TGIF with as a whole, but it only takes one bad experience to wipe that out.

I've had too many experiences with obnoxious adults to count. It isn't just kids.

[LiberalFighter]

35. Add a service fee on the bill if the kids run around uncontrolled,

have a temper tantrum or cry for more than a few minutes.

[LuvNewcastle]

40. There are plenty of things you can do to discourage

people from bringing their unruly children to your restaurant without banning them entirely:

Don't provide high chairs

Don't sell kids' meals or provide kids' cups

Make each person at the table order an entree

Have a strict policy on noise levels and enforce it

I'm sure that there are plenty of things I've missed. I wouldn't want to have a ban on children if I owned a restaurant because I think it's unfair to punish good parents who make their kids mind. However, I would have strict policies on dealing with young diners. If a family doesn't like it, there's always Chuck E. Cheese.

[WCGreen]

43. All I asked the manager to do was say something to the parents

to get their kids in line...

It was dangerous, there were people walking around with hot food, hot plates and all sorts of sharp instruments.

[LuvNewcastle]

51. That was dangerous.

I've waited tables in restaurants with kid-friendly policies, and I've tripped over kids before. Luckily, I never dropped a tray of steaming food or broken dishes on their heads. People don't realize what they're doing when they let their kids run around like that. There are many good parents out there who make their kids behave, but I think the bad ones need to be weeded out. Otherwise, they never learn.

[Mimosa]

67. I've noticed Pappadeaux's uses a couple of methods like that to discourage kiddie crowd

It seems to work. No seniors specials either. :7

[KittyWampus]

89. "No seniors specials either". Made me laugh

[Missy Vixen]

103. I've watched an OUTRAGED parent

drag a high chair across the mall from another restaurant. In other words, she wanted to have lunch with Little Pwecious at the non-high chair providing, no kids' meal, completely inappropriate for her young child adult venue. She got stopped at the door.

I'd love to believe that the vast majority of parents are reasonable and would abide by the restaurant owner's rules, but I've watched what happens too many times when parents are confronted about their children's behavior. They bitch and moan till the restaurant caves, or the OUTRAGE can be clearly heard from the next county.

I used to own a yarn shop. I had a little girl perform a cartwheel in the middle of my store, while her mother smiled and clapped. She was asked to leave. I had another parent who dropped her pre-teen daughters off at my store to "browse". Uh, no. I could relate story after story after story, all true, about those who believe their kids trump anyone else's needs (and insurance policy). I can't even imagine how stressful it would be to add in servers with hot coffee, trays full of food, etcetera.

[Angry Dragon]

41. BAN THE KIDS!! .............. BAN THE KIDS!!

No place did the poster say to ban the kids. No place did he state he did not like kids.

He was making a comment about how the kids were behaving.
If I was out having dinner and a child came up to my table and started talking to me and
asking questions about what I was eating and if it was good, i would answer that child
with honest answers. Not a problem.
If that child was running up and down between the tables i would ask in a very loud voice
'What the hell are you doing??' Two different things. Children are children but at the same time they
do need to be taught the correct way to treat people. If that is too difficult for some to do
then perhaps it is better for the world if they stay home and eat.

[WCGreen]

47. Exactly!!!!

Thank you...

[Angry Dragon]

49. You are very welcome

I do not know why some are not reading the post and attacking you
You always have intelligent posts

[WCGreen]

53. I think people sometimes see what they want to see...

[TK421]

50. CHILD HATER@@#!##

just kidding, spot-on post..especially the last sentence :D

[Control-Z]

60. That makes two today.

Responses from you that I thought were great - that spoke for me better than I could for myself. Your response in the congress "Going to Go PRAY" thread was the other. I wonder why I haven't I noticed your posts so much before now?

[L0oniX]

98. Maybe people should yell at the f*cking asshole kids. No law against that.

...and if the asshole parents want to get up and confront the yellers then tell them to f*ck off ...and if they batter you then call the cops and press charges ...and see how the restaurant likes having the cops show up.

If the kids can yell scream and run around then maybe everyone else should do it too.

[TheCowsCameHome]

58. If we could only control obnoxious adults.

THAT would be worth doing.

[WCGreen]

59. I agree...

when I worked in taverns and restaurants when I was younger, we asked more than a few adults to change their behavior or walk out the door...

[Pool Hall Ace]

62. You just don't understand -- children are our future!

Of course, children who are not taught manners or respect for the boundaries or property of others do not have much of a future. However, the parents aren't concerned about that.

Show patience with these children, because they will be wiping your butt when you are in a nursing home! Apparently, this is all that clueless parents expect career-wise from their speshul snoflaykz.

Seriously though, this whole dust-up started because one (1) restaurant owner decided to ban children. Even though there are parents on DU who have no issue with this ban, a whole host of others have labeled anyone who sides with the restaurant owner as a kid-hater OMG!!!

I understand perfectly why you walked out of TGI Friday's that night. There are some parents who become experts at ignoring their own children's behavior, then get testy when the rest of us do not do the same.

That manager at TGI Friday's should have been reminded that "families" don't just mean Mom, Dad, and minor children.

[TK421]

69. this was awesome n/t

[WCGreen]

70. that's true....

The manager was a bit of a callow fellow...

[Pool Hall Ace]

71. Of course, that could have been a line from the corporate script

that he was instructed to parrot. I do not know a thing about managing a chain restaurant. :shrug:

[REP]

78. It takes a village ... except when the village has anything but praise and adoration

Part of the 'it takes a village' idea is that the village tells children when their behavior is inappropriate. That's the part that's not welcome (by some, that is; there are many who do get it), and telling little Jeffy that dogs don't like to be hit or that screaming is for outside is met with 'don't tell me how to raise my chyuld!' or worse.

I wonder about those who think it is normal for children to act up and be disruptive at meals; was my home life so odd, where manners where learnt and made fun? Where going out was a treat, and everyone - including adults - were to courteous to others, whether we were at McDonalds or the Savoy? My patents simply said to us, "Make us look good."

I guess some parents don't care if they look like sloppy, inattentive, thoughtless parents.

[Missy Vixen]

104. This kind of stuff makes me realize how old I am

Even saying "please" or "thank you" now is cause for whomever it is that is waiting on me or ringing up whatever it is I bought at a retail store to comment on it.

>'don't tell me how to raise my chyuld!' or worse<

Just one more thing to add on to the restaurant owner or manager's job description: Dealing with those who refuse to accept fault, or admit their child is anything but perfect.

[pipi_k]

66. Restaurants, no....

Calling them a "family place" shouldn't be a license for the kids to go wild.


Although I think there are other appropriate family places for kids to raise hell.

This past April my daughter had her son's 7th birthday party at one of those places that are similar to indoor amusement parks. The place was full of kids (as many as six different kids' parties that day) running around yelling and screaming and laughing.

There are private rooms for the pizza and cake party, then the kids get turned loose in the big area. Adults can hang out in the room or go over to the food counter away from the fun.

And there's a special little area for the very young kids where they won't get hurt by the older ones.

Yeah, it's noisy, but it's supposed to be. And I didn't mind it, but really couldn't wait to get out when the party was over. :7

[U4ikLefty]

68. +1000 Good job leaving...I hope you wrote a bad Yelp review.

Oh yeah, and to hell with all of the bad-parents posting spam.

[LWolf]

72. This reminds me of my days as a waitress.

In the late 80s, as a single parent, I moonlighted at a well-known coffee shop franchise a few nights a week. My day job and family schedule inevitably left me covering Sunday nights.

Unfortunately, this was the scenario, EVERY Sunday night:

I covered most of the non-smoking section, as there was little to moderate traffic until Sunday night church services let out. Then, though...here they came.

Anywhere from 10 - 20 adults, with kids in tow. We would set up one LONG table across the entire non-smoking section, and I would be assigned to it. Even under normal circumstances, it would be unpleasant. Every family wanting separate checks, ordering coffee and pie...hours of running, no one eating dinner, each check small enough that there would be no tip, or, If I was lucky, a quarter, and they stayed the rest of the night, ensuring I got no decent checks or tips.

The kids, though...they didn't want to be bothered by the kids, so they'd send groups of kids to the booths around the long table, where no adult supervised them. That meant a bunch more checks. It also meant kids playing with the salt, pepper, etc., making messes, throwing things...while their godly parents ignored them. Kids, of course, leave no tips. By the time they were gone, though, they'd doubled my side work that evening, which had to be done after they left, before I could go home.

It was supposed to be a "family" restaurant, not a dysfunctional ill-mannered family restaurant. Managers, though, with their eyes on the nightly take, would take just about anything from the customers.

[Warren DeMontague]

75. Holy shit! The peaceful, pastoral, zen-like atmosphere and fine dining experience of a TGI Fridays

was disrupted?

You should write the CEO of the corporation, good sir! And, your congressperson. Nay, the President!

And the Pope!

And, the Dalai Lama.

What the fuck is the world coming to, when you can't relax and ponder the elusive mysteries of existence over a refreshing decanter of Pabst Blue Ribbon and some Cheddar Fries, at your local TGI Fridays????

[Darth_Kitten]

88. The point is that people really are pissed off about out of control kids...

and their lousy parents.

What happened to the old fashioned notion that when you went out (doesn't matter WHERE) you have your kids behave in an acceptable manner? Or at the very least, TRY to? :shrug:

It CAN be done, after all, look at all the posts about well-behaved children and how they shouldn't be lumped in with the brats. Yes, brats. ;)

[Warren DeMontague]

108. I know. You're right. Kids, today, are clearly worse behaved than EVER before. Look at this quote.

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."




That's attributed to Socrates.

[Warren DeMontague]

116. And yes, it DOES matter WHERE.

I'm sorry, but "TGI Fridays"? In my experience, it's an overpriced shithole with cholesterol-laden crap that makes probably 50% of its money selling watered down drinks to college students. Going to "TGI Fridays" and expecting a quiet, candlelit dinner is like voting for a Republican and expecting something other than totally corrupt, incompetent governance.

[Luminous Animal]

76. One time, at band camp...

but I digress.

[spanone]

79. some of my fondest memories are from our family of seven 'eating out' in the 50's & 60's

sometimes rather late.....

[fishwax]

80. I don't know if it's b/c of when I eat or where, but I rarely run into kids at restaurants at all

ill-behaving or otherwise. And it's been a long time since I've encountered one who wasn't behaving well.

That said, I understand if people want to go to restaurants without kids, and I agree with you that the manager at the restaurant should have done something in that situation.

[izzybeans]

81. It's bad business for about 85% of restaurants to ban kids.

Families spend more per visit than non families. It's also quasi-fascist to ban individuals from establishments that serve the public. It's Jim crow for the children. All just to serve some self-entitled schmuck who thinks it's their right not to be annoyed in public. Cry me a fucking river... Oh there were kids there and they made "The Noizeeee!!!!! Totally like ruined my appetite! For reelsees!"

[Pool Hall Ace]

82. One restaurant in Bunghole, Pennsylvania banning children under 6

is far, far from 85 percent.

And did you read the OP? He wasn't talking about noise. He was talking about children running around creating a hazard for customers and waitstaff.

[Warren DeMontague]

114. What you fail to realize is that as bunghole, Pennsylvannia goes...

so goes, well, not a whole hell of a lot, actually.

But really what I think much of this is about is a bunch of pissed-off boomers with nowhere to put their considerable aging angst, so "KIDS FUCKED UP MY FINE DINING EXPERIENCE AT TGI FRIDAYS!!!ZOMG!11111!!!!" is a useful surrogate.

Kids have ALWAYS been difficult, and crusty duffers have ALWAYS thought that "kids today" are somehow worse behaved than ever before.

[Pool Hall Ace]

118. If you have the ability to tune out feral, screaming children running rampant

when you are dining out, then Goddess bless. :hug: :*

As for the rest of us, is it really a crime to have a dining establishment we can patronize where we can eat in peace?

And by the way, the OP never referred to TGI Friday's as fine dining. In fact, YOU sound grumpier than HE does! Take that, Warren ==> :spank: :rofl:

[Warren DeMontague]

119. I think anyone who goes to a TGI Fridays "demanding" a quiet dining atmosphere

is on crack.

[WinkyDink]

84. (There is no 7:00 in the afternoon. :-) )

[Aerows]

90. I would have left immediately when they refused to do anything about it

When you go out to eat, you pay for more than just the food, you pay for the environment - even in McDonald's you are paying for the environment. If they let a wild tribe of kids ruin the experience for everyone, then they aren't serving their purpose.

I shudder at an experience I had at Olive Garden and a wild three or four year old that wasn't being made to behave. It culminated with the mother changing the other baby's diaper RIGHT AT THE TABLE. I left before my food even got there, and I made management more than aware of why as I left.

Seriously, who would want to eat after seeing that? I can't believe how many people have not even the slightest shred of decorum or manners.

[WCGreen]

96. Oh we left shortly after I talked to the manager who did nothing...

[swilton]

91. I am for kids in restaurants

But the restaurants can go bat shit of their marketing to kids and families. It sounds like this restaurant didn't know where to set the limits.

[yourpicturehere]

92. It's all about control

This is my first post about anything on DU. I have been a
lurker for quite some time because I can get the real news
here and no where else.

Why am I posting first on this particular subject? I guess
because I feel strongly about it. I don't particularly care
for most kids because of the behavior a lot of them exhibit.
Before you start, I have three of my own and I can say without
a doubt that parenting is a very difficult task and not for
the faint-of-heart. Mine are finally grown and one thing that
I have learned is that you have to be more stubborn than the
kid you are raising. "No" means "NO".
Behave means BEHAVE. I rarely had to do anything to my kids
but speak sharply to them.

That being said, I understand that just surviving nowadays
will wear anyone out and dealing with the kids is tiring, to
say the least. But, dammit, your kids are your responsibility.
Maybe it's because I live in Jesusland and all children here
are a gift from God, but the behavior I see in most children
is encouraged rudeness. I DO NOT like rude adults, why would I
like rude children? Children are not meant to run things and,
Hillary, I have raised my kids, I don't want to raise more.

I don't want my 93-year-old mother to break a hip because your
little darling runs over her while stampeding through the
restaurant, grocery store or doctor's office. 

I don't want to wait in the aisle of a store while your little
sweetie stands in my way smiling.

I don't want to have to struggle with a childproof cap with my
arthritic fingers because you can't "keep out of reach of
children".

I don't want your kids dictating what I watch on TV. Change
the channel. Turn the damn TV off.

Banning kids in restaurants? That is the owner's choice.
Removing a disruption? Once again, the owner's choice. I have
no problem with well-behaved children and have gone out of my
way to compliment the parents of said children. I DO have a
problem with ANYONE invading my space and ruining my good
time.

Teaching children good manners won't kill them, frustrate them
or make them psychotics as adults.

[Warren DeMontague]

110. You're mad about childproof caps on medication? Really?

But I agree on one part. They shouldn't take the soft-core porn off Skinimax just because of the kids out there.

[dsc]

117. actually the child proof caps are exceptionally difficult for arthritic people to open

and the person directly stated they were arthritic. I think for arthritic patients who have no children some arrangement should be able to be made.

[Warren DeMontague]

120. Probably the thing to do is to open it once and then keep the pills in something else.

there are all kinds of difficult-to-deal with packaging in the world, and as someone with arthritis in the family, I sympathize. There are safety seals, anti-shoplifting plastic seals, all sorts of crap. To pretend that it's somehow the 'fault' of 'child-proofing', though... give me a break.

I thought I was being extremely sympathetic, actually. I don't think they should take the porn off cable. Doesn't that count for anything?

[LizW]

93. Hey, you kids! Get off ALL THE LAWNS!!! n/t

[treestar]

95. I must live someplace strange

I go to restaurants a lot and I've never seen kids "running around."

[Name removed]

97. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

105. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lebkuchen]

106. German kids are usually remarkably well-behaved in restaurants

When I've asked German parents how they do it, they say that the child knows that if they are too loud, they are leaving immediately. Okay, consequences work.

However, in the besenwirtschaften (family-owned seasonal farmer homes), children are allowed to run around and enjoy themselves. They're considered part of the wine farm family.

It's very rare to hear a screaming whining German child in public. They are usually so contented wherever they are.

It's one reason why I like living here--the parent/child relationship.

[JAnthony]

107. Kids at 8 pm would have got me to ask those families to leave!

10 PM child abuse and neglect.

Out of their chairs, more neglect.

If you want to have kids, give up restaurants for 8 years before ever returning after 8 PM.

There needs to be a law.

Families, kids, stay out of restaurants after 8 pm if your kid is under 8.

Final answer!

[Warren DeMontague]

111. Yeah, and maybe we can get a law against entitled, self-righteous authoritarian control freaks

while we're at it.

...ah, a man can dream.

[cwydro]

115. ...

:thumbsup: