The Daily Ping

FROM: Robert [E-Mail]
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 11:09:35 am

Bars are kid-free zones.

FROM: jk
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 11:35:35 am

We need to have kid-free zones on airplanes too! Haven't you ever had the small feet of a child rammed into your back as you fly toward your vacation or business destination? I was once on a trans-Atlantic flight that contained a children's choir or something like that, and when the flight attendant made the pre-flight safety announcements, she literally said the pilot would "turn the plane around" if they were not quiet. They were good kids though.

FROM: Chris [E-Mail]
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 11:50:42 am

Your first mistake was choosing to eat at a Red Lobster. Also, as the only regular Pinger that is a parent, I can say that these are not kid issues, these are parent issues.

As Robert mentioned, kid free zones already exist. Pick better restaurants ;)

While we are at it though - I'd like to see malls institute adults only nights when you can safely shop without being harrassed by the roving gangs of pierced teenage thugs that roam the mall for hours at a time.

FROM: Robert [E-Mail]
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 1:35:47 pm

Kids need better places to hang out than malls. Malls suck.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 1:38:41 pm

jk: Actually, airplanes are the place I first thought of kid-free zones... or, rather, wished for them. Good call.

Chris: It wasn't a Red Lobster, it was a Chuck E. Cheese. I like the playpens.

FROM: Matt
DATE: Sunday January 5, 2003 -- 11:51:39 pm

I've always been one of the supporters of the idea that parents shouldn't take young children to places like movies and restaurants. If they have to then it should be a daytime event. Anytime you see young children in said situations they aren't enjoying themselves, and either are the parents who keep having to discipline them and not enjoy their meals. Another solution: Babysitters, if the parents want a night out.

FROM: Greg C.
DATE: Monday January 6, 2003 -- 6:12:18 pm

Chris, you're not the only regular pinger with children. My son will be 1 year old on the 28th of this month. The problem here are the parents. If you have a kid that doesn't do well out, don't take him out. We've spent a lot of time and energy with our son, and he generally doesn't cry. When he does, we leave.

We've only had a problem with him causing a scene once. It wasn't in a "family restaraunt", it was in a little upscale cafe. After about two minutes of trying we finally left, so we wouldn't annoy the other diners.

If you're in Red Lobster, that's a family atmosphere. You should treat it as such.

Now, movies? Different story. We haven't taken our son to a movie. HE'S A YEAR OLD! Sure, he's going to enjoy sitting still for two hours, staring at a big giant screen. His attention span for the TV is usually a minute.

FROM: christoph
DATE: Thursday January 23, 2003 -- 4:32:01 pm

Parents always act like itis such affront to mention anything other than how precious children are. Some are the most wretched people on the planet. Parental misgivings or not... others should not have to be "submitted"to a brat. Funny thing is that when an adult does what ya hear see kids do every day they are often arrested. Good kids are great bad kids suck. We should have demented selfish ignorant people free zones so it is not limited to minors. Or the people who hold therest of the world in the same regards as themselves only roads...that would be really good.

FROM: The Lizard
DATE: Wednesday February 5, 2003 -- 1:58:33 am

I don't have any kids - so I don't like to be annoyed by other people's kids. Usually it's that type of parent that refuses to pay any kind of attention to the child when he or she is being bad. It's that parent that simply doesn't care - I call them ignorant. When a child makes noise - it usually wants your attention. And negative attention is better than none! That goes for adults though too!

FROM:
DATE: Friday June 20, 2003 -- 8:31:38 pm

FROM: Kate
DATE: Saturday June 21, 2003 -- 11:49:50 pm

I think kid-free zones would be a good idea for places like planes where parents -can't- just leave. Besides the noise, some people are just plain uncomfortable around kids.

In general, though, I think that people should be held more responsible for the behavior of their offspring. It's one thing if a baby cries for a minute or two, but it's another thing to have a four-year-old standing next to your chair and jabbering at you while you eat.

FROM: A Lurker
DATE: Thursday June 26, 2003 -- 7:10:24 pm

Actually, even picking more expensive restaurants doesn't work. My husband and I recently ate at a place where it's easy to spend $250 on dinner for two, and there was a family next to us with three young children causing a ruckus. The kids actually had kiddie cups with the restaurant's name on them! The restaurants partly to blame for encouraging families to eat at places where children clearly do not belong.

FROM: Keary Breisch
DATE: Monday December 29, 2003 -- 3:19:45 pm

Bad kids do suck! I agree there should be separate sections for kids. Of course, like the better restaurants, there is first class on airplanes. I defend my two year-old screaming in panick on the airplane. She was hysterical, screaming at the top of her lungs for almost 40 minutes. This journey could not have been avoided for us and my husband and I suffered more than anyone else on the plane. My daughter was terrified, only wanting "Daddy" to hold her. Before you judge obnoxious children and thier ignorant parents (I am not defending restaurants or movies and arrogant parents in those instances) you need to know all the facts.

If it is that bad for you, why don't you avoid going to these places...no one is forcing you!

FROM: Paul
DATE: Monday December 29, 2003 -- 3:48:08 pm

If it is that bad for you, why don't you avoid going to these places...no one is forcing you!

I must say, this is becoming my second-favorite online argument, behind "You're blocking my free speech!"