Mostly because there's not a reasonable at home alternative (I mean internet, but I get why that isn't always an option) for shopping.

For dining there are alternatives, and (most importantly) a child is going to do a lot more to negatively impact other's experiences, and I think that's a big part of what should be guiding the decision making here. If it's some place where being loud and disruptive is cool, whatever, but someplace where there's an expectation people will be quiet (nice dining, movies), it's just unacceptably inconsiderate to bring a child imo.

I'm sure what you think constitutes "nice dining" is ridiculous.

COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE to want to be able to eat at any place less expensive than $50 a plate without a bunch of spawn yelling and chucking ice across the room

Where are you seeing all these devil children that do all of these things constantly? Maybe 5% of the kids I've seen at restaraunts do anything that annoys me.

Flush this one out. What to you think I think. Cause all I mean is anyplace non-Applebees enough that I'd expect an atmosphere where a child would be disruptive.

Lol dids thinks the Olive Garden is too nice a place to bring children.

Exactly. I've eaten out a thousand times and maybe once or twice there was a child that screwed w/my experience. You grown ass men cry more than they do.

its fine to be results oriented here. if you have quiet kids that I dont notice then no one cares regardless of what type of place it is in the vast majority of cases. if you have loud kids anywhere but chuck e cheese then people hate you and should make drive by insults of your parenting throughout the night.

I do?

I was thinking as I wrote that that it's basically about where I'd draw the line.

ETA- it also has something to do with layout. Olive Gardens are big enough that it's less of an issue. $9 a plate tiny Indian joint that's densely packed, not so cool.

And it's just a personal philosophy thing. To me, the way I prefer to be as a person, and the way I'd like other people to be, is make an effort pay attention to your impact on other people and err on the side of being considerate.

Well I take my kids to either pizza joints or large chain places. For me Cheesecake Factory is about the nicest place I need to take my kids. Acceptable iyo? I hardly ever see kids when I go to small/intimate/romantic/bistro type places. What kind of places are you talking about?

bad kids are like bad dogs. its always the owner.

dids, weren't you offended once when a guy dared to sit at a table adjacent to yours in an empty restaurant?

Some of the most miserable hours of my childhood were spent being dragged for seemingly endless amounts of time around department stores. I still have an aversion to wallpaper catalogues to this day.

It's ****ing BORING AS HELL for the child. Whilst you debate the minutiae of which shelving, BOGLOG vs HANJOB, is less likely to collapse in ~10 minutes your child is bored out of their tiny skull.

They will then start touching and playing with the bright coloured stuff, at which point the trip will turn into a repeating litany of ' Don't touch that', 'Put that down', 'I told you NOT TO TOUCH!' and it just deteriorates from there. Let the crying begin...

Seriously you're better leaving him with Uncle Touchy, the defrocked Catholic priest, than taking him round Ikea.

For the sake of discussion, here is an example of something that would piss me the hell off considering the bank I'm dropping.

Dude you specifically used the Olive Garden as an example in this very forum about two years ago.

Clearly this is an issue. I think drawing the line at kids menus/high chairs is perfectly reasonable.

So, what you're really whining about here is your own ****ty mother. Got it.

@Peter
Although that is probably the worst age in how active/uncontrollable they are, if the kid is alone its more likely to be bored to death as it has nobody to play with.

The demographic that causes most problems are usually the larger Moroccan/Turkish families. Im a Euro and forgot about the difference in IKEA-visitor demographic. These kids also seem to have the least amount of self-control and/or respect for authority as well which doesn't help if there are 5 of them running around. These families will however never break down and just dont give a ****, the best is Dutch 2-kid families that get into an emotional break down in the middle of the store. This will usually be dad-mom, mom-kids - dad usually knows how to handle his **** and smacks them before they become really unruly.

Its not really comparable to a regular store imo. To start with there is a 'fixed' route that you take through the shop that brings you past all departments, sometimes there are some shortcuts but it really depends. Also, you usually can't pick up the item where you see it but have to pick all your items up at the storage.

I lolled and you are right, Im expecting terror whenever I go there but that doesn't make the terror less .... terror.

Pongo hits it on the head, if theres equipment tailored to children's needs then obv it should be no problem. If there is none I would be pretty pissed if they tried to boot me after seating me first.

this. any reasonable parent with well behaved kids would no not to go sit down in a restaurant for an hour+ if the kid was having a bad day or it was nap time, etc. its the inconsiderate ******* parents that generally don't give a **** if there kids are screaming or running circles around your table that ruin it.

Kinda. It was a guy who picked the one seat in the epicenter of a a densely packed group of 2 tops such that about 8 other seats were all next to him and his stupid hair. A good example of a spot where if you're thinking just a bit you realize you can make a painless choice that will impact others less.

Pongo,

I'm sorry I changed my mind on the Olive Garden.

lets discuss people who talk on their phone or play loud music on the bus. i hate them.

one day I hope to have the opportunity and balls to do this

Of all the places to complain about people on their cell phones, an airport boarding area is one of the most ******ed. I'm not surprised 27o would think that's a great, "Gotcha!"

Random: "No, I left my car at my cousin Bob's place."

27o: "YEAH MY CAAAH IS PAAAH..." <chortle chortle> "PAAAHKED AT BAWBIES." <chortle chortle>

Make sure to put that up on youtube if you ever grow a pair big enough, chief.

You gonna' take that Tommy?

That airport guy is just being an *******. The other folks are talking at a reasonable volume nad not bothering anybody. There's a bunch of asshats who talk too loud on the phone, and that's a problem, but just being annoying that somebody is on the phone is horrible. That guy should get his ass beat twice.