Poll: No-kids-allowed movement. Yay or nay?

[Hecate]

I am absolutely for this. I'm sick of parents with misbehaving children or screaming babies ruining my time at the cinema. When I can't enjoy a movie over your obnoxious child screaming or kicking seats or rocking in their chair like a depraved chimp, it's time to GTFO the theater and stop being a menace to everyone around you. The same goes for upscale restaurants. You pay for a certain type of atmosphere when you enter these facilities, and I think that should be respected.

Well-behaved children are perfectly fine, of course... but those are all but mythical creatures in this day and age. I think I have a slightly higher chance of being struck by lightning than being in the same restaurant/theater as a child whose parents have raised it well enough that it doesn't ruin the experience for everyone.


I really don't understand the argument "kids will be kids" here.
When I was a child, I was afraid of the consequences if I didn't behave in public. Granted, this was when I was a child of an age where rational thought was possible, but if your baby is screaming and being a menace, remove it from the situation until it shuts up. It's not that difficult. But people don't do that, and there's the heart of the problem. Parents seem to think that popping out a kid entitles them to be above common courtesy. It was your choice to have the kid. You dug your grave, now you have to lie in it, so to speak. Don't drag the rest of society down with you just because you can't make your kid behave.

Just to reiterate above, though, I'm not saying that the very presence of anyone under 13 is my kryptonite and I hate them all by default. But I can't tell you the last time I went to see a movie (that wasn't R-rated or a midnight premier) where someone didn't decide to drag their baby along and let it scream whenever it felt the need.

 

[Mallefunction]

I do think that establishments should kick out families that clearly CANNOT handle their children. But ban children entirely? No. I've worked in a movie theater and I can tell you that the vast majority of children are fairly decently behaved.

If the kids are obnoxious and crazy, it's the fault of the parents for not being able to control them and for not realizing that their child is obviously incapable of enjoying a night out.

 

[2fish]

Ok easy fix here.

If the kid screams/ causes issues and the parents fail to even try to fix the issue, add a $50 fee for the extra bagage the other people had to deal with.

I usually ignore kids unless their parents are dipshits and fail to control their brats. We have leash laws for a fucking reason.

What if it bit you? Do you know where it has been? Has it had its shots?

In the store everyone can hear you scream and they are planning to kill your parents. Since people are very attached to money I am sure a fine will work.


Oh god it touched me! Where is the disinfectant?

 

[ace_of_something]

From what I have read it's something that only occurs in really large cities, ya know the kind that have TONS of theaters, restaurants, outdoor areas that not only are okay for, but also accommodate families.
It's private businesses they can do what they want it's their right.

I'm rather intrigued by these no kids vacation spots. It'd be nice to have an actual romantic get-away without some kids screaming up and down the hallway of the hotel at night, or being obnoxious at a restaurant where you have to wear a jacket.

Wow, this is just plain silly. So kids don't have constitutional rights now....

Private businesses do not have to enforce the constitution only the gov't does. Now if they said "kids aren't allowed in PUBLIC parks" or something like that, then it'd be a constitutional issue.

Also, there have been a few supreme court cases saying, yes as a child certain constitutional rights are suspended. One I seem to remember involved protesting.

Before you ask Look them up youself I'm not a search engine.

 

[Aprilgold]

FOR IT! I was the only respectful child at ALL of my schools, the literal, only one, not a single kid there was in any way courteous, kind, or even well mannered enough to say "thank you." A lot of kids today are asses, and very well absorbed asses.

Its also a little bit more then a pain in the ass in my book that kids don't actually LEARN to be these things, nothing teaches them.

 

[Red Albatross]

Private businesses have the right to deny service to pretty much anyone. These companies and businesses are doing something that they do all the time - it's called a risk assessment. Does the extra customer base they bring in by banning children net more revenue than the customer base they had before? If so, then making the move to ban children is good business sense, even if it's ethically murky.

Personally, I'm ambivalent about children. They're sort of like pets. If they misbehave or cause disturbances or damage, it's most likely the fault of the controllers, either parents or owners, respectively. In most cases, it's not fair to blame the child. But, life is inherently unfair, and parents should realize that everyone else is not infatuated with their children and won't make excuses for their behavior. I agree with the more sensible bans, like the first-class section on airplanes. People pay for first-class seats to enjoy extra comfort. Seat-kicking and screaming is not part of that. I also agree with banning children from restaurants that aren't kid-friendly. Yes, you can bring your whole family to Applebees and no one should make a fuss about it. The people that go there should know it's meant for families. But people going to a fancy restaurant want to dine in peace, and it's not an appropriate environment for a child.

These policies have to be made broad and sweeping because employing judgment calls for every case of a misbehaved child causes more problems than it solves. It's opening them up to all kinds of lawsuits and unpleasant behavior that's much worse than just making parents want to take their business elsewhere.

 

[game-lover]

I don't think so. Mostly because it's pretty much assuming all parents are like that woman you mentioned OP and don't do anything.

My mom would have dragged me to the bathroom, destroyed me then dragged me out to sit and I'd better not be crying when I got out. I'm sure there are still parents out there that can regulate their children.

But this ban will ruin things for them too.

For the younger set? If they're toddlers, other methods work too.

 

[Silas13013]

I also vote that you have to be 18 before posting on the internet. I also vote that anyone who speaks in ebonics shouldn't be allowed in stores. I also feel if you you don't get A's in school and go to college you shouldn't be allowed to own a car since you aren't smart enough to drive. Also, this topic annoys me, you shouldn't be allowed to post on this forum anymore.

See how dumb this idea is?

 

[Jumplion]

In certain situations I can understand it, but in grocery stores? That's a bit much, isn't it?
Banning them from outdoor parks is just ludicrous, how does that help anyone, let alone the parents? Now, some of them are understandable, why somebody would bring their baby in first class is beyond me (where did they get the extra dough?), and some restaurants are just mainly for adults. But child-free movies? If there are children in your movie, either you're in a children's movie or the theater didn't do their job right.

See, the thing about these bans, and the people supporting them, is that they don't seem to realize that the parents don't like it any more than anyone else does. I'd imagine it's embarrassing when your kid flips out over not getting the gummy worms. Sometimes kids are just kids like that.

 

[cornmancer]

I fucking hate children, but they need to be socialized. If they don't adapt to how society works early on and don't get that loving, "Shut the fuck up," look from their parents, they're going to be screaming, annoying brats for the rest of their lives. That said, bringing your child to Walmart should be a crime punishable by death.

 

[JezebelinHell]

-snip-

There are TONS of well-mannered teens who would probably turn into the kind you despise if you were to prevent them from leaving the house. I think any sort of judgment passed on ANY group of people should be based on the individual, not the stereotype or the worst-behaved.

I'm seventeen myself, and have acted fairly close to the same ever since I was twelve. I've never thrown a fit, cried, screamed, talked loudly, or even made my presence known in a public place when I didn't have to. My sister, on the other hand, legally an adult, has thrown fits, cried, screamed, and talked loudly in various places. All while legally an adult.

I'll say it again just to be sure: PASS JUDGMENT BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE STEREOTYPE OR THE WORST-BEHAVED.

You do realize that was sarcasm... I was thinking the next paragraph starting with "Seriously" would be a huge clue. Then to continue on to point out complaining about anyone that distracts from your enjoyment would be a further clue as to the first paragraph being sarcastic... But hey, you got to be offended, all is fair here... Enjoy.

 

[DoctorFrankenStein]

I view children in the same way I view smoking. You can go ahead and do it, by all means that is your choice, but keep it away from me. I shouldn't have to pay for your choices.

On a side note, my mother would kick my little ass if I acted up in public. So, I knew if I acted up pain would be coming. So... I didn't act up. But we're not allowed to hit our children anymore. If I knew my mother couldn't hit me, I would have been a little terror.

I shall quote Bender here "And so I ask you this one question. Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?"

No one WANTS to be parents anymore. They want to live their own lives and be their kids' friends, not their mother and father. Yet they still have children because of either stupidity, lack of self control, or social pressure. Social pressure. Seriously. Have you ever told a parent that you yourself never want children? They start treating you like you are a child who doesn't know what's best for you or a monster. I'm sorry, but every time your child throws a tantrum I want to throw it out a window. No amount of chiding and cooing over how I don't understand is going to change the fact that I HATE children.

And now comes a random parent to admonish me for my views and how THEIR child has brought so much joy and love to their lives. If I want joy and love in my life, I buy a puppy. Same damn thing.

This, a thousand times this. I hate being on the receiving end of someones ire when I tell them I do not like or want children. I'm 33 and by now I think I'm old enough to decide that I don't want to be a parent without someone treating me like I'm some kind of delusional freak with a horrible personality defect.
That said, I do think the parents are the problem here. Kids are having kids either by accident or because they want too, and they're just not ready to be parents. It would be better for the human species as a whole if homo sapiens still hit puberty in the teens but couldn't actually breed until their mid-20's at least.

As to the thread specifically- children making a ruckus should be asked to leave. Full stop.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Who else can't wait for flash clones?

 

[Nicolairigel]

Very simple: young children who are acting out and are not dealt with by their parents should be forced to leave. Honestly, the same should be said for Incredibly obnoxious ADULTS who talk and shout during movies. Granted, those are rare but I have encountered them before. I was a good quiet kid, at least from what I remember, so to me telling ALL young children families to screw off is a bit harsh and unfair.

Parks, on the other, were places pretty much designed to let kids go off and get all their bratiness out of their system, so I think they should be allowed in those.

 

[feather240]

I'm a bit eh, but mostly I don't agree. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of going out with my grandparents and parents. My Grandparents in particular used to take me to this restaurant that had children's meals that had containers shaped like policeman-dogs and cat-burglars, and so every lunchtime my granddad would tell me stories using these lunches. If I knew that someone was trying to or had managed to deprive me or another child of those sorts of memories (my grandparents died before I was ten, some of these memories are literally all I remember of them) then I would be so far beyond pissed at those people.

But then again, even at age five or six (and my parents insist even younger than that) I was apparently a quiet and polite child who understood that a restaurant was for your indoor voice, and not running around in either. I think that the problem here is not the children, but parents who can't control or haven't taught their children properly, and I don't think it's fair to deny children the chance to understand what it means to be an adult, and to 'feel grown-up,' as my parents used to say, just because some idiot parents don't understand about proper child rearing.

SO in short, no, I don't agree, and I think that the only people who genuinely agree with this are actually the selfish ones in this equation.

For starters, you can't say it denies people potential memories, people have fond memories of the weirdest events. By letting them in you could be taking away some bonding moment two people had while walking home.

It would be selfish to force "good" children out, but it would also be selfish to let parents be annoyed because a certain negligent someones sweet little darling can't shut their trap.

I think the important thing to remember here is that there's a very big difference between a law and a rule. A law is enforced by the state and is mandatory. A rule is up to the owners discretion. So why shouldn't some places have a rule?

Risk of a lawsuit for discrimination (And there will be a lawyer to take that case).

You're right, ultimately it will come down to whether or not outing annoying little kids makes more money than it loses from law suits.

 

[Koroviev]

I can definitely support a no kids policy when it comes to places like movie theaters, airplane's first-class sections, and fancier restaurants. However, I think things like grocery stores and big-box stores are bit a much, especially since most are big places where you can move away from it or finish your business quickly, as opposed to other locations where you couldn't.

Though I think the biggest problem today is parents and discipline. You know what would stop a tantrum being thrown by that brat over there? A spanking. Or a slap on the head. But no, that's pretty much child abuse nowadays. I'd be scared to do anything like that to my kid in public these days, for fear of some overly-concerned bystander calling the police because I'm abusing a child.

Not in the long run. Corporal punishment is a short-term solution. The child does not learn that what he did was wrong, but that it is wrong if he does it in your presence. However, he does learn that hitting others is appropriate if you disagree with their behavior. Time-outs are more effective because they are a natural consequence of displaying poor group dynamics. In other words, if you bother other members of a group, then they will expel you from said group and, moreover, you will not be welcomed back until you are willing to cooperate and make amends. Parents are responsible from removing children from public when they start to annoy others. Parents unwilling to fulfill this role have no business bringing their children in public.

 

[feather240]

I also vote that you have to be 18 before posting on the internet. I also vote that anyone who speaks in ebonics shouldn't be allowed in stores. I also feel if you you don't get A's in school and go to college you shouldn't be allowed to own a car since you aren't smart enough to drive. Also, this topic annoys me, you shouldn't be allowed to post on this forum anymore.

See how dumb this idea is?

Well shit, I didn't know you owned the internet, all the stores in the world, all the governments in the world, all the cars in the world, and the Escapist. What did you invest in?

 

[Matt Dellar]

-snip-

-snip-

You do realize that was sarcasm... I was thinking the next paragraph starting with "Seriously" would be a huge clue. Then to continue on to point out complaining about anyone that distracts from your enjoyment would be a further clue as to the first paragraph being sarcastic... But hey, you got to be offended, all is fair here... Enjoy.

Please note: I never actually said I was offended.

Please note #2: There's no such thing as "tone of voice" on the Internet, and sarcasm is best used with [/sarcasm] or the like, even though that ruins the point of sarcasm.

Please note #3: I'm still not offended. There's a reason, though, that I either take everything in a post seriously or sarcastically based on a) the opening paragraph, b) what I know about the poster, and c) the [/sarcasm] disclaimer or a "JK" or something of the like.

Please no--aw, screw it. Anyway, I'm not trying to start an argument, but I just felt I should point out why I said what I said.

 

[espada1311]

In the words of great men before me; "Deal with it"

As someone who works with kids regularly (and i mean kids, from 3 - 12 years old) I can kind of see what you're getting at (and i see some of the worst ones, hell, I've taught judo to a sociopath), but honestly? You want to ban kids from places because they ANNOY you? They haven't hit, stolen, caused trouble or anything like that, but you're ANNOYED therefore you gain the inherent right to ban a child from an area? If you are SO... DAMN... ANNOYED by a kid's screaming, then by all means, buy an earplug or listen to some music or, if you want to be the stalwart hero of the land, go and calm the kid yourself. A few jokes, some acting and a little sarcasm for the older ones can go a very long way, and i guarantee the parents won't dislike you for it. Just deal with your shit and move on. It's hard enough to raise a kid, harder to raise them properly, and people who can only complain at the slightest inconvenience do not make it any easier.

 

[kickyourass]

I'm all for it (within reason of course), I can't count the number of movie and restaurant experiences I've had ruined because someone refused to get their little hell spawn to behave. If I acted even half as badly in public as I've seen kids act recently, my parents would've taken me home immediately and grounded my ass for 3 days.
Yes, I am aware that raising a child is difficult, I know, I used to be one of those shrieking monkeys, but taking 5 minutes to leave the restaurant/movie/whatever and calming them down will make it alot easier since you won't have 50+ people pissed off at you and your kid.