Reading the thread about babies in theatres, and the obviously impassioned responses people had on the subject, and on parenting in general, made me want to start a discussion on an incident that happened to me a few months ago.
I have been bothered by this incident, and often wonder if what I did was appropriate or not.
The story:
I was in a McDonalds, getting lunch, with friends. We had a dog with us, in the car, so we decided to get our meals to go and eat outside. We ordered, then I told my friends I was gonna use the toilet, then meet them outside.
I went into the bathroom, which was empty. Typical McDonald's bathroom - one urinal, one stall, one sink. As I needed to blow my nose (had a cold) I used the stall to take a leak. I didn't shut the stall door , as I was only taking a leak. Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems to be fairly usual men's room behaviour - if someone is standing there taking a leak, the door may be ajar - after all, you can see the person in there, so...I then was using some tissue, to evacuate my nose. While I was doing this, I hear the bathroom door open behind me. 2 kids came in - noisily. I keep blowing my nose. Both these kids walk right into the stall behind me, like crowding right up to me. They stop, mumble something, then back out again. I continue tearing off TP, getting ready for another blow, and I feel kinda weird - I turn around - these kids are not waiting politely outside - they're hanging on the door of the stall, staring at me, both of them. Laughing and giggling. This is kinda weird, so I give them a look, turn back, blow, turn around again - they haven't backed off - they are now again both of them actually in the stall with me. So I take a step toward them, grab the door, say " do you mind?" and go to close the door. The one kid doesn't let go of the door. He just stands there, with a stupid-ass look on his face, laughing up at me. (these kids were 2 boys, about 6-7 years old ) Now, at this point I have had it with these kids, so I shove them out of the stall, tell them something like "get the fuck out of here" and close the door. I can't believe these kids, how rude, how ignorant their behaviour is.
So - I finish - I wash my hands (no kids in sight) I exit the bathroom. First thing I see - the kids, waiting for me, sitting at a booth, like a couple of cats that swallowed the canaries. These kids don't look scared - they have big shit eating grins on their face. Next, waiting at the exits, are the kids parents - mom and dad. Mom come up to confront me. Was I the gentleman who had spoken to her children in the bathroom? Had I sworn at them? Chased them out? Well, I wasn't in the mood for her shit, so I laid into her. Was she the mother of the 2 incredibly rude, ignorant children who I had encountered in the bathroom? Who had crowded me in the bathroom stall, and ignored me when I asked them to get out and back off?
Needless to say, we didn't have a warm and fuzzy encounter. I'll give dad credit though - he stayed out of it. let momma handle it. 'Cause if he'd got up in my grill I woulda popped him. Momma - well, I just gave her a tongue lashing, about parents being responsible for their kids behaviour, they shouldn't be left alone if they are so ignorant and ill-behaved...she meanwhile is laying into me about her precious darlings, they aren't responsible for their actions, they are children, I should make allowances for their behaviour, I have no right to speak to her kids that way...
We parted, my final volley being that she was doing her kids no service by encouraging this behaviour. If you coulda seen the 2 little shit disturbers while we went at it you would know what I meant - they loved it, watching their mom lay into me. The whole drama they had created. Dad, as I said, hung back - I think this was not the first time the little delights had caused a ruckus in public.
Anyway, I leave - they wisely stayed inside. I ate lunch, but I'm furious. I can't believe how rude and stupid these kids were - i can't believe that their mom thought their behaviour was acceptable.
Afterwards, I thought that they were lucky in a way to have met me - I only yelled at them. Some other people would have been less generous, and some psycho might've done far worse. I mean - how do you know who you're gonna find in a McDonald's bathroom?
My friends I was with pointed out that they never send their 7 year old off to a public bathroom alone - not that he's irresponsible but that they would feel irresponsible not keeping an eye on him.
I often think about that mom - what she is teaching her kids by encouraging that behaviour. What kind of monsters she is raising.
So - the question is - was I wrong here? Should I have been oh so understanding of these ignorant little pukes, gently guided them out, apologized to them for using the stall for so long? Or was I right to bark at them? And to bark at mom?
been around some
I have been bothered by this incident, and often wonder if what I did was appropriate or not.
The story:
I was in a McDonalds, getting lunch, with friends. We had a dog with us, in the car, so we decided to get our meals to go and eat outside. We ordered, then I told my friends I was gonna use the toilet, then meet them outside.
I went into the bathroom, which was empty. Typical McDonald's bathroom - one urinal, one stall, one sink. As I needed to blow my nose (had a cold) I used the stall to take a leak. I didn't shut the stall door , as I was only taking a leak. Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems to be fairly usual men's room behaviour - if someone is standing there taking a leak, the door may be ajar - after all, you can see the person in there, so...I then was using some tissue, to evacuate my nose. While I was doing this, I hear the bathroom door open behind me. 2 kids came in - noisily. I keep blowing my nose. Both these kids walk right into the stall behind me, like crowding right up to me. They stop, mumble something, then back out again. I continue tearing off TP, getting ready for another blow, and I feel kinda weird - I turn around - these kids are not waiting politely outside - they're hanging on the door of the stall, staring at me, both of them. Laughing and giggling. This is kinda weird, so I give them a look, turn back, blow, turn around again - they haven't backed off - they are now again both of them actually in the stall with me. So I take a step toward them, grab the door, say " do you mind?" and go to close the door. The one kid doesn't let go of the door. He just stands there, with a stupid-ass look on his face, laughing up at me. (these kids were 2 boys, about 6-7 years old ) Now, at this point I have had it with these kids, so I shove them out of the stall, tell them something like "get the fuck out of here" and close the door. I can't believe these kids, how rude, how ignorant their behaviour is.
So - I finish - I wash my hands (no kids in sight) I exit the bathroom. First thing I see - the kids, waiting for me, sitting at a booth, like a couple of cats that swallowed the canaries. These kids don't look scared - they have big shit eating grins on their face. Next, waiting at the exits, are the kids parents - mom and dad. Mom come up to confront me. Was I the gentleman who had spoken to her children in the bathroom? Had I sworn at them? Chased them out? Well, I wasn't in the mood for her shit, so I laid into her. Was she the mother of the 2 incredibly rude, ignorant children who I had encountered in the bathroom? Who had crowded me in the bathroom stall, and ignored me when I asked them to get out and back off?
Needless to say, we didn't have a warm and fuzzy encounter. I'll give dad credit though - he stayed out of it. let momma handle it. 'Cause if he'd got up in my grill I woulda popped him. Momma - well, I just gave her a tongue lashing, about parents being responsible for their kids behaviour, they shouldn't be left alone if they are so ignorant and ill-behaved...she meanwhile is laying into me about her precious darlings, they aren't responsible for their actions, they are children, I should make allowances for their behaviour, I have no right to speak to her kids that way...
We parted, my final volley being that she was doing her kids no service by encouraging this behaviour. If you coulda seen the 2 little shit disturbers while we went at it you would know what I meant - they loved it, watching their mom lay into me. The whole drama they had created. Dad, as I said, hung back - I think this was not the first time the little delights had caused a ruckus in public.
Anyway, I leave - they wisely stayed inside. I ate lunch, but I'm furious. I can't believe how rude and stupid these kids were - i can't believe that their mom thought their behaviour was acceptable.
Afterwards, I thought that they were lucky in a way to have met me - I only yelled at them. Some other people would have been less generous, and some psycho might've done far worse. I mean - how do you know who you're gonna find in a McDonald's bathroom?
My friends I was with pointed out that they never send their 7 year old off to a public bathroom alone - not that he's irresponsible but that they would feel irresponsible not keeping an eye on him.
I often think about that mom - what she is teaching her kids by encouraging that behaviour. What kind of monsters she is raising.
So - the question is - was I wrong here? Should I have been oh so understanding of these ignorant little pukes, gently guided them out, apologized to them for using the stall for so long? Or was I right to bark at them? And to bark at mom?
been around some
