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XVP: Personal /DVD Players in Restaurants - Stirring the pot!

#1

In a message dated 12/28/2006 6:02:01 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
lrann2@earthlink.net writes:

2 year olds have no business in a nice restaurant ... that is why they
have "family restaurants"

Sorry but this note gave me a great laugh-- a nice restaurant --I guess you
are pointing out that "family restaurants" aren't really nice
restaurants--but that is where we belong if we have children regardless of their behavior.

I've been in all sorts of restaurants where the adults around me do not
belong--They are loud, rude, leave the table and floor miserable--They have not
bathed and I can tell sitting a table away. Or in a minor note they will stare
at you, talk loudly about your jewelry, etc. A man at PF Chang's in Vegas
came over to look at my chicken wraps Thursday. He picked up the plate and
actually smelled it. He was not of my culture so I assume that was appropriate
behavior in his country of origin--no two year old has ever done that to me!!!!
These were nice restaurants--ought to see what you go through at HOME BUFFET
or maybe you are thinking of a Chuckie Cheese!!

But, my very favorite story of a nice restaurant (white table cloth ) is
where a woman was talking extremely loud and swearing at her poor husband--she
was calling him some wonderful names that I have saved but do not think I
will share on this forum. This went on through most of our meal. The poor
husband sat with his head down. The manager finally came over and told her to keep
her voice down and that her language was not appreciated in the restaurant.
She stopped talking alright, but the husband started shouting at her ---"see
what you've done now with your F... @#**&++@ language, you are a
#F---A....*^$# and picked up a basket of bread and threw it on her head. So much for two
year olds--

It is the manners of the family, not the age of the people that makes for
the experience. There are ways of keeping children out of what Irann2 would
call a nice restaurant--post a cover charge for every person entering
(sometimes done in the east), do not serve ala carte, do not serve children's meals,
provide a children's section, etc. But the incidents must be so low that most
restaurants to do not bother to try to discourage families.

My two year old never sings, drops things on the floor (and if he does he
knows he has to get up and pick it up), does not make loud noises, doesn't
drink too much, swear, stare, curse, smell bad--and we clean up the table to make
sure there is no extra work and leave an appropriately generous tip.

China

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#2

Sorry for being vague in the use of "nice" and "family" to refer to
restaurants ... my husband and I used to do restaurant reviews and
the terms meant something special to us ...

A "family" restaurant (and many have signs to that effect) is one
that generally caters to family groups and is more often one without
fine china, fancy tablecloths and does have child portions or
childrens menus. The would not generally carry a 3-5 star "Mobil
Guide rating" or equivalent, though I've seen a couple with 3 stars,
most are likely to be 1-2 with a check mark for "good value." By
this, I do not mean that they are not "nice" in terms of enjoyable.
Many a time I've been to these places without children ... just
becuase they are good values and decent places. They are, however,
more places to "eat" rather than "dine."

What I meant by "nice" would refer to a resaturant that would
typically, thought not always, expect their clientele to be better
dressed (used to require coats for men, but that has generally become
rare)... has a wine list with some bottles of wine in the over $50
price, does NOT have any childrens portions, childrens menue, does
not generally allow splitting meals and would typically have a
minimum meal price per person without alcohol in the upwards of $50
to $100 a person.

In any of these "finer" establishments, the behaviors of people
yelling or doing anything that would normally be expected to offend
the other customers, or interrupt their special meals, would be
addressed by the management. I've seen people not allowed in because
they were not attired appropriately or if they appeared to be
inebriated and have seen people firmly but politely asked to leave if
they were disruptive in what might seem very small ways in a
less "fancy" place.

Lavona Rann

#3

Modern society is becoming more boorish because business owners find they
have very few ways of dealing with louts.
Shame is dead. Without it, management can only ask nicely or threaten
eviction. Even then, as a previous poster correctly notes, they're not
always on sold legal footing.
A tough time to deal with the public.

Perhaps if we all packed guns . . .

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