Dave Smith wrote:
> On 19/05/2013 8:06 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> On 5/19/2013 5:52 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>
>>> The way people hold their knife and fork ? I pity the people for not
>>> having learned how to hold their utensils properly. I don't mean the
>>> European vs. North American thing... but the over hand thing,
>>> holding spoons and forks like a handlebar..... that is for small
>>> children... who don't know any better. I am not going to allow it
>>> to spoil my dinner.
>> I just don't understand why anyone gets annoyed by texting or holding
>> flatware "wrong".
>
> Why would people not be upset with a dining companion being more
> interested in texting than in their company. IMO it ranks up there
> with pulling out a newspaper or a magazine and tuning out your
> companion. It's rude.
>
>
>
>
>> Neither bother me one bit. My dad used to get
>> annoyed by men wearing ball caps in restaurants, but again that
>> doesn't bother me.
>
>
> Your dad would like my son's restaurant. They don't allow ball caps.
> The policy keeps out the riffraff.
>
>
>> Talking at a screeching level and screaming kids do bother
>> me though. Table bussers who toss flatware in a bin bothers me. So
>> my annoyances are just about noise.
>
> I cannot be upset withe a screaming child. A child who screams should
> not be taken into restaurants. Children should not be taken to
> restaurants until they are old enough to know how to behave. I lay
> the blame squarely on the parents.
>
> I am reminded of a local bakery coffee shop where I suggested that
> they remove the children's play area and put in a a couple extra
> tables. I figured they would have room for paying customers instead
> of a playground for kids while their mothers nurse a cup of coffee
> for an hour or two.... not to mention the kids scaring away paying
> customers. The owner said he couldn't do that because they mothers
> would object. I suggested it was a choice between them or people he
> could make a profit from. That place did not last much longer.

I guess I am lucky in that I don't encounter screaming children often. Once
in a while I will at the dance studio. I can not stand it. I will usually
stare at the parents and they are usually clueless and just let it happen.
Oddly enough these families where this seems like normal behavior are often
home schooling families. Not only do they let them scream, but run wildly,
poke at, kick or in some other way annoy other people. The parents do
nothing. Certainly not saying that all home schooling people do this but
I've seen several families like this. I can not stand to be around them.

I do try to ignore it as best I can if it is clear that the child has
special needs. I don't think the parent can help that.