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

[James Crook]

For me, there are two aspects to this problem: crying, and improper behavior in public.

Babies, and other individuals under the age of 2/3, shouldn't be allowed in diners, restaurants, theaters, and some other public places as a general rule, because of their incessant crying. Children of 2-8 years old are allowed, but if they start crying, out they go.
Then, for kids of the age of 8 and under, it goes under "improper behavior in public". What constitutes as "improper behavior", for me, is the same than "annoyance" for our friend, OP: when your kid starts annoying others than your own family or friends with whom you're sitting at a diner/restaurant. Same thing: three chances, then out he goes.
On public transport, it's a more difficult situation: you can't force a kid off a plane, can you? For these cases, it's the staff that is going to deal with kids: isolate him, switch him places, and just make sure he can't bother anyone anymore. And, as a general rule, forbid 2/3 year old children from boarding a plane or train on first or business class: I'm paying extra to have extra comfort, so I don't have to put up with a kid crying all the time.

To sum it up, 2/3 year olds and forbidden from going to the movies, diners, restaurants, and first or business class on planes. 2-8 year olds have three chances, then out they go if they start being annoying/crying, and get isolated if you can't actually take them outside (e.g. on planes or trains).

 

[joshuaayt]

Nay. Children already are banned from adult only areas- Not like it is impossible to avoid them. It's not their fault they are children, remember. Place child bans, and they'll miss out on a lot.

Just make it a policy to kick out *anyone* who makes too much noise. Problem solved.

 

[InfiniteSingularity]

I voted yes, and then I remembered there are exceptions. SO what we need is a compromise - give the kids a chance but we need to be very strict about disruptive behaviour from children

 

[zefichan]

Sounds like another crazy American movement that everyone else in the world will laugh at to me, to be honest. Calling it a movement just makes it extra crazy. Nobody sane would agree to such a movement, honestly: It's ultimately selfish and mostly serves to keep those icky colored&poor people who can't afford babysitters out of whatever place the selfish douches want to go to. Seriously, if a single parent (like, for example, a widow) cannot bring the kids along, how are they gonna shop? But that's the purpose of the movement, really.

Not to mention the whole other layer of crazy that this "movement" is: Because a few children are annoying, all children should be banned. There's no logic there, nor is it a proper response at all.

 

[conflictofinterests]

I'm on the side of parents here. Their lives already conform around the wants and needs of their children. You don't have to boot them out of a god-forsaken MOVIE THEATER for the one time they get out of the house for recreational purposes a MONTH.

 

[ultrachicken]

So, because you've had experiences with screaming children, ALL children should be excluded from pretty much any public place?

Seems logical.

I think it makes sense for restaurants and movie theaters to have policies where screaming and crying children have to be temporarily ejected until they calm down, but when it comes to planes, that's just ridiculous.

 

[Xan Krieger]

They banned smoking in restaurants because it's bad for people's lungs.
They should ban kids from restaurants because it's bad for people's blood pressure.
I'm completely serious.

 

[A Distant Star]

Are there places kids shouldn't be? Absolutely. And generally they already aren't aloud in those places. Saying that you cant bring kids into a restaurant or onto a plane is absolutely ludicrous. If the restaurant in question wants to make that call, that's fine that's there call, but it is completely inappropriate to ask for some sort of government legislation saying kids cant go to restaurants. That means that if you had kids, and you where celebrating your mothers birthday at Olive Garden she wouldn't be able to see her grand kids, and how the hell is that fair? As for planes? Could planes find a better way to manage children during a flight? I would like to think yes, but banning them is just down right discriminatory. Do you seriously expect a family who is moving from one country to another to leave there children behind or take the boat because you're a whiny little ***** who cant take a little bit of discomfort? If its such a problem how about offer a real solution.

I dont have kids, but it always seems to me that the people who have problem children are the real problem. I work in retail and I see kids of varying ages in my day to day job. Most of them are whiny, and ill behaved because quite frankly they couldn't care less what colour of hard wood floor there living room is. But why should they? They're kids. And what am I going to do? Turn down a customer because there kids bored? That's not only discrimination, its just plane bad business. My work place is how ever very dangerous if you dont watch out, we have forklifts driving around, and working saws, and other hazards, and if you are letting your child run around unsupervised, I am probably going to kick you out, because I dont want to see your kid get hurt and really I would rather not deal with that inevitable law suit. If your kid is disrupting my other clients I am probably going to ask you to leave. If you leave your child in the supervision of an associate and then a complete stranger when the associate refuses to baby site, I am probably going to call child services... but no, there is no way I am going to refuse a parent with a reasonably well behaved child because of some stupid discriminatory principle. Because 90% of the children that come through my door are reasonably well behaved. And you know who are most likely to spend 3000$ on nice new hard wood floors? New parents. You know who spends the least amount of money in my store? Single men. And I work in a hardware store... so think about how that reverberates across other industries. I cant for a second imagine that any business would willfully ban one of the highest spending demographics because one of the lowest spending demographics (Except in consumer electronics single men love consumer electronics) gets there panties in a knot every time they see some kid do something they find objectionable.

In short, if you have a problem with kids sharing a restaurant with you, I think you should grow up and stop being such a whinny little baby.

 

[draxious]

In my opinion the Guide-lines for the ban should be made more clear, which is another reason I'm saying Nay, but my main reason to say Nay is if we don't let kids learn from their mistakes and with humiliation (Lets face it My mom telling me no in public and having to take me somewhere else to let everyone else enjoy there day was the day I realized I didn't wanna be annoying to people) Kids learn much faster with experience they can relate too instead of experiences they were told about, but the parents need to help us out, seriously an annoying kid is a problem but is neccesary but don't just not do anything!

 

[Alleged_Alec]

I'm on the side of parents here. Their lives already conform around the wants and needs of their children. You don't have to boot them out of a god-forsaken MOVIE THEATER for the one time they get out of the house for recreational purposes a MONTH.

If other customers are being hindered in their enjoyment? Yes, they should have to be kicked out. If you can't control your kids, don't go out with them to places where they hinder others. Get a babysitter, for fuck's sake. Your neighbour's teen is not expensive, you can probably hire her for a night for thirty bucks to look after that brat.

And I see points of both sides: it takes just one couple who don't control their kids. In a restaurant with enough space for 40 people? That already has a big chance of going wrong. In a plane with a few hundred? Even more so. But yeah, if you can control your kid, it is somewhat unfair to say you can't do all of that. On the other hand: most of the current age regulations are unfair anyhow, and somehow people seem to be in favour of those.

EDIT: Most important thing: THEY CHOSE TO BE PARENTS. If they're not prepared to face the consequences of that, they should've used a rubber or something. And yes, those consequences may include measures like this.


EDIT 2:

In short, if you have a problem with kids sharing a restaurant with you, I think you should grow up and stop being such a whinny little baby.

I go to a restaurant to have a nice dinner in a calm environment with friends or (grown up) family members. I have a problem with noisy kids whose parents won't correct them and no, that doesn't make me a whiny little baby (nice ad hominem, by the way).

 

[Jodah]

Fancy restaurant? Yes please. You do not need to take your five year old to Olive Garden. Most places? Not so much. Let them take them to Perkins or Denny's but also reserve the right to kick their asses out if they don't behave to a degree.

 

[Treaos Serrare]

They banned smoking in restaurants because it's bad for people's lungs.
They should ban kids from restaurants because it's bad for people's blood pressure.
I'm completely serious.

this one billion percent, few things piss me off more then a screeching child at a restaurant, one of them being the little bastards running around and causing a big scene. i have a story to tell and it goes like this: i went downtown with my parents to enjoy happy hour and a nice meal at this bar/grill type place, for whatever asinine reason there had been a child's birthday there just finishing around happy hour(responsible parenting ftw). so anyway we sit down and are waiting for the waitress to come by when these little shits start running around through the narrow gaps between tables and shooting crappy sucker dart guns at each other, several of which hit me and my mother, to say nothing of landing in the chips the waitress had set out for us. the oblivious mother is chatting with her equally oblivious friends sucking down margaritas or martinis right next to our table. the ammunition is given back to the kids, despite my desire to beat the crap out of these annoying little creatures, and eventually creatures and brood mothers depart.

the moral of the story is:
DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN TO A BAR & GRILL DURING HAPPY HOUR.

 

[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?

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?

The same place that you invested in that lets you think you can control another human's actions because it causes you a minor annoyance.

 

[Devil's Due]

Kids shouldn't be allowed into PG13 and R rated movies regardless of parental supervision if they are under the age of 13. Maybe that way I will never hear a six year old talking loudly behind me while I am trying to watch Predators.

I absolutely agree with this statement. My theater that I go to often has a rule, "No children under 6 in an R rated movie past 6 PM, regardless of parent presence." It baffles me! Why should there even be a child under 12 being allowed in an R rated movie, regardless of a parent being there? Even more so, why past 6 PM? They play the exact same movie at 11:20 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM, etc. Did the movie suddenly get more violent or add some extra gore scenes I'm not aware of past 6 PM?

Seriously, children allowed into R rated movies annoys me to no end, especially babies. When you go watch a loud movie and the baby starts screaming, don't act all surprised. You kind of have a VERY LOUD R rated movie that's pissing off the baby, and then you decide to sit there and try to ignore it while everyone else is getting pissed off at you. Same with young children, except they're worse, since they try and talk during parts and should know better.

 

[Dusquad]

Where does it end though? Pretty soon children will be banned from everywhere and have to wear those noise shock collars at all times. Hey I am all for stripping a human beings basic freedoms away but doesn't this seem like it could end with a power trip?

 

[Jumendez-sama]

Many problems stated in the OP aren't so much the children's fault, but instead the parent's fault. I'd say parenting is lacking in comparison to generations before, and has given way to obnoxious and annoying spawn that will continue to be that way for a long part of their lives.

 

[xmbts]

That sounds like an awful idea, if you can't put up with a kid then maybe you should be the one to leave.

 

[instantbenz]

-Do you agree with this rule?

Hell yes. However, I dislike the idea of neglecting parent duties and just having this as an excuse to leave children at home. Learn how to parent, and this ban won't need to be employed.


-Do you hate this rule/does this rule affect you?

This would make me feel much better about purchasing tickets for public events which could be destroyed by annoying youngsters. (MOVIES)


-Do you think this is absurd or necessary?

If it doesn't become an excuse to further yourself from being the parent you should be, then I find it necessary.


-Do you wish to see this movement gain more support? Or not?

I want it to be discussed so that parents with issues realize their social lives would take an even more drastic downturn if they don't shape up their offspring.

 

[Treaos Serrare]

Where does it end though? Pretty soon children will be banned from everywhere and have to wear those noise shock collars at all times.

that's a good idea, maybe then we wouldn't have children screeching like howler monkeys when they don't get their way, Children are to be seen and not heard, and some shouldn't even bee seen, jesus christ some of these kids are just total train wrecks

That sounds like an awful idea, if you can't put up with a kid then maybe you should be the one to leave.

You need to be locked in a room with 5-6 screaming crying whining children. I would love to see how long you last before snapping

 

[Nickompoop]

Certain places, such as certain restaurants and all movies rated over PG13, should have this ban in place. On airplanes, however, that issue is very hard to fix seeing as space is limited on a plane. That may be one of those "Just deal with it" situations.

You know what the worst part of this is? Movie theaters wouldn't have this problem at all if they just enforced their damn ratings. Little kids do not belong in PG13 and R movies.