Banning loud children from restaurants, airplanes

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Indeed. High volume does not always indicate bad behavior.

Besides, it's all really a matter of taste. I find adults who cackle when they laugh terribly annoying and disruptive. For me it's like nails on a chalkboard. Sould I be entitled to a refund because my flight/meal/etc. was unpleasant?

I heard this news item on the radio today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-11340226

A school has cancelled playtime for children because of constant complaints from the neighbours about the noise. I can't help wondering why anyone would buy a house next to a school if they have such an issue with the sound of children playing.

Um... nope...

Most people with Tourette syndrome would feel like complete hypocrites actually. I go to cinemas, I use public transport, I go into public places. I shout, screech, swear and do lots of weird physical things. I am probably one of the most annoying people to be stuck in a room with at times. Therefore, although it REALLY peeves me off when a kid is screaming, I just try and rationalise it (and scream louder... joke!).

Also, I am not clear anymore as to what age group we are referring to. Obviously babies under about 3 years old wouldn't really be so easy to control because they don't know better. It's wrong to say that ALL parents ignore their child's behaviour because I have seen some who are really trying their hardest. I used to get stroppy if an older child was misbehaving until I realised that maybe they might be disabled or something and I can't see it. A child down one of my support worker's street was a complete little whatsit, everyone hated him and his parent's inability to control him. He has just been diagnosed with severe AD/HD. I felt sorry for his mum after hearing that (my mum was regularly told she was a bad parent).

I do, however agree that if the child is deliberately misbehaving, that something should be said or done. If the parents aren't willing to deal with it, they should leave the premesis. I would expect the same treatment for myself or (if I had one) my own child.

Now that is messed up. Never buy a house that is right next to a school or even bother renting a place if you can't stand screaming kids. Heck there is a school in my neighborhood and I can just walk right next to it and I never hear kids scream because I am inside and I have heard them outside when I be going to the bus stop because they be having recess by then. It never bothered me that they were screaming. It's a playground and it's expected and it never bothers me. Not even as a kid when I have recess.

Pretty much my first thought was "Don't move next to a bloody school then." Besides which, playtime is never more than 15/20 minutes in the morning and afternoon, with maybe an hour at lunch. Some people need to get over themselves badly.

I agree that ^ is BEYOND messed up! Recess exists for a reason, and if you don't like hearing it, DON'T LIVE NEXT TO A SCHOOL!

Back on topic: I've read all the responses--interesting divide.

Several months ago, my bf and I were at a sushi restaurant--fairly high-end. It was between 7pm and 8pm. Shortly after we ordered, a family came in: two parents and three young children. One was an infant (under age one, still being carried by the mother) and the other two were definitely under the age of 10. The infant did cry and fuss the entire time they were there, in the high chair he was placed in. The other two were perfectly well-behaved. Yes, they were speaking loudly enough to be heard, but so were their parents.

My point: don't ban kids just because they are kids. Some will behave themselves, regardless of age. Some won't. While growing up, if a child had a meltdown in a restaurant for ANY reason he/she was usually taken outside immediately. I never behaved that way, and my bf and his brother never did either.

My bf and I didn't get annoyed at the infant, but we did wonder why the parents brought that young a child to a restaurant who couldn't even eat the food yet. Okay, maybe they couldn't find a babysitter and wanted to go out. It was fairly early, and their other kids could and did eat. You never know what someone's situation is. The baby wasn't even that loud, and to their credit, the parents did keep trying to calm him/her down.

I think the proposed law was worded poorly. "If your child acts up in a way that is loud and disruptive to other patrons, you will be asked to leave with him/her." Period. Not "no kids allowed." Just a matter of common courtesy. I think that ADULTS who are loud and obnoxious in a public place should be ejected, too!

Just my $0.02....

Actually disruptive adults do get kicked out of places. If they are making a scene and being disruptive, they get asked to leave. I have heard about people with Tourettes getting kicked out of movie theaters because of their loud tics. I have heard of them getting kicked out of public places too like restaurants. I find it sad for them because while kids are able to stop making loud noises and being disruptive when told, people with TS are unable to stop their loud tics so I can't imagine having that condition and not being able to go anywhere due to fear of what if I have tics while I am there. Heck in my town, people get kicked off buses if they keep using profanity. The bus driver will ask them to refrain from it or they have to get off the bus.

So yeah disruptive adults do get kicked out too.

I would be OK with this sign. I went through a phase with my daughter- the "Terrible Two's with Demonic Possession". She was not fit to go out in public, but I had to take her with me to grocery shop because I am and always was a single parent. We didn't go out for dinner or to do things that were not entirely necessary, like grocery shopping. Once the phase ended, we went out to eat and no one was subjected to her screaming and other eeeeevvvvviiiiiiilllll behavior.

As for airplanes- you cant help that sometimes. The kids and babies get the ear stoppage from altitude and they scream. I only had my daughter on the flight from Germany to the US right before the "Terrible Two's with Demonic Possession" and she was fine, but a kid that age cant have gum to make their ears pop and it just cant be helped.

LG if you need to go out and get a break with the hubby to a restaurant, just get a sitter. You dont need to take the baby and it is nice to have a break sometimes. I just didn't go out for a long time because I was alone in a foreign country- no one to sit for me. But once she was old enough to sit up in her chair I did go out to eat sometimes, and she was really great. It was the later time I mentioned above that I could not do it for a while again, LOL. There are plenty of family restaurants where kids are common and very welcome. I don't blame this place for banning the screaming kids at all. There will be many years that you can enjoy meals out with your kids, and the short periods of infant-dom and terror-twos are really nothing compared to all the times you get to enjoy them (in public). I think some people just don't like being told that they CANT do something. They have a RIGHT to take their screaming 4 month old out to eat with them, by gosh. But why would you want to? You cant enjoy the food, atmosphere or conversation and everyone around you is annoyed.

Congrats on the pregnancy LG!

GAH!! !!

Picture the scene.

Today at a coffee shop. Dilbert on his lunch hour, reading Kafka's The Trial, and trying to forget all about TPS Reports and Lumbergh.

About 30 seconds after I sat down, two women came in, one carrying what looked like a baby still sniffling from recent crying attempts, and they sat at a table right next to mine.

AWWW CRAP! But but... KAFKA!! ! He's hard to understand as it is.

Upon closer inspection, the kid was actually about 4 or 5! Holy crap why is such a big kid bundled up like a baby and carried cradled on mom's chest?

Awww she's cute! She's still sniffling a little so something bad must have happened.

There she goes she's smiling. And now laughing! Awwww!

<5 minutes later>

WAAAAAAAAAAAA! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Holy what the f**k, was that an air raid siren? Nope it's the 5 year old. She was laughing 10 seconds ago and now she's crying so loud I can't hear myself read.



And now she's smiling again. And laughing?



I went back to Kafka and kept my fingers crossed.

<5 minutes later>

WAAAAAAAAAAAA! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

That's when I left.

In the United States, it's perfectly legal for businesses to deny service to someone for any number of reasons. They can not deny service to someone on the basis of what is defined as a "protected category." "Behavior" is not considered a "protected category."

The laws in Europe have no bearing on the United States. If you doubt that, go act rowdy and disruptive in any number of businesses located in the United States and watch how quickly you're shown the door.



Which is very unfortunate, but in certain situations, such as movie theaters and whatnot, it's not really fair for everyone else to have their experience ruined on account of one person. Disabled people have rights, but so do non-disabled people, and things like "tolerance" and respect" are a two-way street. If a person absolutely cannot stop themselves from disturbing other patrons, then they should consider restricting certain activities, or modifying them in such a way where they're not going to be depriving everyone else of enjoyment.

I don't go into nightclubs and demand they stop playing music and being so loud on account of my auditory sensitivities.




Exactly. You hit the nail on the head. Kudos are being a sensible, responsible parent.

totally agree on your points here.

I'm not fond of paying 20 bucks or 25 bucks an hour for a sitter. Darn I wish it were the 90's where it was 5 bucks an hour. If my aunt and uncle or my parents can watch our kid for free I'd be up for it.

Yeh, it sucks when everything gets more and more out of hand price wise. Even the teenage babysitters want to be payed more nowadays. If I was local to ya I might make my offer for $5 - $8 an hour, depending on how well behaved the child is. Whats funny is despite how much I dont want to ever have kids, the little ones tend to like me a lot, such as my cousin's son and such. And yeah I do have a suspicion my cousin might be on the spectrum as well based on his general awkwardness as well as the fact he didn't settle down with a woman until he was 29.

I don't know if it's true or not but on TV shows I have seen baby sitters say they charge for diaper changes so I don't know if any baby sitters are like that in real life.

Thanks for the good offer

Maybe I should find a baby sitter who doesn't charge much because she figures if she is cheap, more people will hire her and she has more business.

Good idea. I hope you find someone who thinks that logically.

And--congrats again on the pregnancy!