Brooklyn Heights blog has an eyewitness account of the aftermath of one customer (allegedly) smacking another customer in the back of the head over a fussy child.
The smacking-aftermath witness says:
I was in the Montague St Starbucks at 10:20 am today, maybe 10:25. A man outside had a baby in an upright-type stroller and was speaking with a woman who seemed very concerned. It seems that his child was fussing in the stroller while the man ( who I will call “Dad”) was waiting for his drink. When the baby kept crying another man complained to Dad: when Dad did not leave and stayed to wait for his drink, the non-dad man slapped Dad on the back of the head.
Apparently they took the issue outside (where it was witnessed by the the person who tipped Brooklyn Heights blog) and the smackee was rational and did not smack back.
Personally, I was smacked by a child wielding a toilet brush like a weapon at IKEA the other day, but it’s hard to see how this sort of thing can go on between adult humans — particularly when the disagreement is over childish behavior. It’s entirely possible that the toilet brush toddler thought I would like to play St. George and the Dragon. Not sure what this guy’s excuse was.
How do you deal with parents who ignore fussy children? Should you do something?
Dad Slapped at Starbucks: Brooklyn Heights Justice or Just Plain Crazy? [Brooklyn Heights Blog via Starbucks Gossip]
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I am, as it turns out, one of those horrible, cruel, vicious, evil, anti-kid, “children should be seen and not heard” people. But that said, I would NEVER hit someone over their kneebiter’s caterwauling.
As for children hitting me or running into me in public, I say something to the parents. “Did you know your child just [hit me/ran into me]?” Usually I get an apology; rarely, the parents tell the child to say s/he’s sorry; a few times I’ve just gotten excuses for why the child acted up, as though the excuse somehow justified the hit/collision. (Those parents, I’d argue, are the truly “evil” people … they refuse to discipline their children, and that’s to their detriment, since they will never be able to control themselves.)
You know what bothers me more than a crying baby? A crying adult…of which there are plenty of in this thread.
I’m sorry, you DO NOT have the right to impose upon me, your cranky misbehaving child. I don’t care what I was like as a child, that has absolutely no bearing on what someone else is doing with their children in public.
I DO NOT CARE…keep your untrained child in your own home if you can’t raise him properly.
As the “smackee” I would have accidentally spilled my HOT COFFEE on the “smacker” in retaliation.
“How do you deal with parents who ignore fussy children? Should you do something?”
Simple. Offer to help. Whether or not they refuse your help it will indirectly inform the parents that their fussy child is drawing unwanted attention. Most of the time, the parents will act after that.
I hate kids..period.
I think parents with screaming children need to make sacrifices. That means, you DONT get to go to Starbucks and wait while your child is screaming. No you DONT get to go to a mall store and try to “reason” with your screaming child. No you DONT get to go to a movie theater and let everyone see your insubordinant child stand up and down on the seat in the front and block peoples views…
Sorry parents, but when you have a child, you sacrifice some of your life which you take for granted, and is “routine”. Thats the price you pay if you want to pro-create and bring a life into the world.
So do I think some guy should have hit another guy for it? No. I think telling him was good enough. What pisses me off is how complacent most people are. They all are thinking the same thing, just no one wants to confront and say something, so people just get away with screaming brats running around destroying other peoples peace and quiet.
Apparently, you forget the fact that children are unrepentant sociopaths.
Source (http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_study_reveals_most_children)
Yeah, the screaming children in walmart is popular. They scream at the top of the lungs. If they want something to cry and scream about maybe the kid and the parent need to be smacked.