Major pet peeve - LOUD restaurants

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

I agree Dan.
Between 70 and 120 kids come to my office each day ( they are not all patients but I count the sisters and brothers ). I'm still surprised at how badly some of them ( hopefully not ALL of them or I would be dead already....) can act, in front of their parents, without getting a word from them or a very little "stop that sweetie, be quiet".

Jerome,

About misbehaving kids; when I run into them I am reminded of the (semi)famous poem by Ogden Nash: To A Small Boy Standing On My Shoes While I Am Wearing Them. An extreme view meant to be humorous, of course, but one that is not too hard to understand sometimes when in presence of misbehaving kids.

To A Small Boy Standing On My Shoes While I Am Wearing Them

Let's straighten this out, my little man,
And reach an agreement if we can.
I entered your door as an honored guest.
My shoes are shined and my trousers are pressed,
And I won't stretch out and read you the funnies
And I won't pretend that we're Easter bunnies.
If you must get somebody down on the floor,
What in the hell are your parents for?
I do not like the things that you say
And I hate the games that you want to play.
No matter how frightfully hard you try,
We've little in common, you and I.
The interest I take in my neighbor's nursery
Would have to grow, to be even cursory,
And I would that performing sons and nephews
Were carted away with the daily refuse,
And I hold that frolicsome daughters and nieces
Are ample excuse for breaking leases.
You may take a sock at your daddy's tummy
Or climb all over your doting mummy,
But keep your attentions to me in check,
Or, sonny boy, I will wring your neck.
A happier man today I'd be
Had someone wrung it ahead of me.

[jdandy]

Alberto.......Fantastic poem. My feelings exactly. Thank you.

[Haurock]

I must admit the 'din' level of many restaurants is just so high that it actually lessens the enjoyment of why you went to have a meal at that restaurant in the first place... to have a nice meal with a friend or a significant other.

As to why the noise levels are getting higher or appear to be getting higher I'm thinking that there could be a whole host of reasons other than miscreant children. Just the layout of the restaurant or the atmosphere that the owners may want to create may facilitate higher noise levels, which in turns causes patrons to speak louder.... and away we go.. soon enough you can't hear yourself think, let alone speak....

Are people becoming less considerate of others nowadays? I think that that has a lot to do with it.

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Alberto

Jerome,

About misbehaving kids; when I run into them I am reminded of the (semi)famous poem by Ogden Nash: To A Small Boy Standing On My Shoes While I Am Wearing Them. An extreme view meant to be humorous, of course, but one that is not too hard to understand sometimes when in presence of misbehaving kids.

...

Having said that, in my case the problem at noisy restaurants is rarely children, but restaurant design/decor, background music AND LOUD ADULTS. These 3 factors conspire to elevate the noise level more and more reliably than noisy children.

Alberto

[Doug Lax]

I think more often than not It is the parents neck that should be rung

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Alberto.......Fantastic poem. My feelings exactly. Thank you.

Dan,
I was busy all day but when read the poem Alberto posted, I thought about you straight away ! I was sure you would like it !

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by Alberto

Having said that, in my case the problem at noisy restaurants is rarely children, but restaurant design/decor, background music AND LOUD ADULTS. These 3 factors conspire to elevate the noise level more and more reliably than noisy children.

Alberto

You're right Alberto. Adults are the main problem.
Kids go to McDonalds mostly and sometimes Denny's. They don't bother me there : I never eat there.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by Douglax

I think more often than not It is the parents neck that should be rung

Yes !
The cause of an uneducated child is the parents. They are the ones to blame;

[gtubes]

We had an efficiency expert come to the store a few weeks ago. His one criticism was that we were too quite, that we had to create an 'atmosphere' to make it more lively. This based on the notion that people will spend more money if we are louder and more boisterous.

Alberto, I find it frustrating if I have to raise my voice for a simple conversation with someone across the table from me.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by mc602

We had an efficiency expert come to the store a few weeks ago. His one criticism was that we were too quite, that we had to create an 'atmosphere' to make it more lively. This based on the notion that people will spend more money if we are louder and more boisterous.

Alberto, I find it frustrating if I have to raise my voice for a simple conversation with someone across the table from me.

Interesting !
So, some stupid marketing guru discovered the "absolute trick" : to ruin our precious ears ? I think that Abercrombie and other stores have followed this horrible pathway : you spend money just to get out of this noisy place !!