Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ut-ngp.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!mercury
From: mercury@ut-ngp.UUCP (Larry E. Baker)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: screaming kids
Message-ID: <1594@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Apr-85 22:09:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1594
Posted: Thu Apr 11 22:09:47 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Apr-85 03:14:54 EST
References: <2445@drutx.UUCP>
Organization: University of Texas at Austin
Lines: 39

[get away from me kid, you bother me...]

> I have to agree that I would dearly love to throttle the parents of those
> screaming brats when they just:
>             a) sit there and ignore the kid;
>             b) are so amused by juniors behavior; or
>             d) all of the above.

If you complain to a waiter, or better yet, a manager, you can probably
get THEM to tell the parents to stifle the little animal.  If you
discretely infer that you may spread the word that it's a lousy place to eat
because of the screaming kids running wild, managers will (usually)
become quite helpful.  If they don't, the restaurant is obviously not
as classy (= well managed) as you thought.

> It certainly makes for a lousy mealtime, but i ALSO hate the toddlers
> who turn around in their booth and proceed to spend the remainder of
> the mealtime just staring at you and your party. [ ... ] 

Staring right back at the kid will sometimes make him/it uncomfortable
enough to find something else to do.  Kids from 1-5 usually still have
vestiges of "Stranger Anxiety," which you can put to use. (There.  I
*knew* that that child psyc course was worth *something*...)

Of course, you may get really unlucky and find a little monster who
thinks it might be a good idea to start a game of `catch' with a
handful of mashed potatoes, now that he's got your attention... 

- - -

W. C. Fields:

     "If you're a good kid, I'll give you a nice ride on the
      back of a chain saw..."

-- 
-  Larry Baker @ The University of Texas at Austin
-  ... {seismo!ut-sally | decvax!allegra | tektronix!ihnp4}!ut-ngp!mercury
-  ... mercury@ut-ngp.ARPA