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From: jrc@ritcv.UUCP (James R. Carbin)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: screaming kids
Message-ID: <25@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Apr-85 12:10:58 EST
Article-I.D.: ritcv.25
Posted: Sat Apr 20 12:10:58 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Apr-85 06:56:08 EST
References: <2445@drutx.UUCP> <263@h-sc1.UUCP>
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 48

> > 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.  REALLY!  Aren't
> > there any parents out there who know how RUDE this is?  Most parents
> > seem to be blissfully unaware of their kids behavior.  (They're
> > probably glad that junior is not screaming, kicking, slinging food,
> > and annoying them!)  If I had done that when I was a kid, I never
> > would have lived to see the age of 5.  Is discipline out of vogue
> > these days according to the revered dr. spock or something?
> 
> I honestly don't see the harm of a little kid looking at you.  I assume
> we're talking about 3- or 4-year-olds here, not 10-year-olds.  They're
> just trying to learn something.  Children are naturally curious.  As
> long as they're not breaking anyone or hurting you, why can't you let
> them be?
> 
> 	marie desjardins
> 	marie@harvard

Come on Marie, be reasonable.  If you're at Harvard, excite some of that
grey matter which I assume you must have.  Why can't I leave them alone?
If I follow your reasoning, it would be perfectly acceptable for a three
year old to enter the front door of my home, enter my bathroom, and observe
me performing one of my daily bodily functions.  After all, kids are only
curious, and he/she would not be breaking anything (anyone? as your said),
or hurting anyone.  I'm not a stick in the mud, love kids, apple pie, salute
the flag, and love my mother, but their is such a thing as decorum.  Call it
rights if you like. Oh I know that no law exists to protect my rights in a
restaurant, but there are some implicit rights that both I and YOU have
when we enter a restaurant.  One is not to be stared at no matter how innocent
it might be.  I sometimes babysit for a three year-old of good friends of mine
and this may well include a trip to McDonald's or Mickey-Donald's as he calls
it.  You can be sure of one thing, he behaves himself which includes not 
staring at others, or out we go.

At McDonald's, T.J.'s, Wendy's, Burger King, your local diner, etc., I have
no problem with kids.  But when I am paying $25+/plate, I prefer not to have
a vocal serenade by one or more pre-schoolers.

Incidentally, to lighten this up just a bit, for a long time Michael wanted
to go nowhere but to Mickey-Donald's.  We fixed that by telling him that
Wendy was Mickey-Donald's sister and T.J. and Burger-King were his brothers.
Can't help but continue to laugh when we drive by a Wendy's and Michael
exclaims,  "There's Mickey-Donald's sister's house."

as ever,

j.r.   {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!jrc