By the way, I did e-mail with Tom Davidson (who I don't think is a corporate moron, but I digress) and this "Open Mike" software strikes me as something like what he was surveying about. Click on a commenter's nym (that will take some getting used to) and you will find a profile page. And you can search for all comments made by a specific commenter.

I'm not "doing" Open Mike Forum. This is where I say what I want to say. I did scan OMF and found the guy who claims it's people without kids who are complaining and to him I say, How bloody stupid ARE you??? I have grown kids and 3 grandchildren and I DO NOT, under any circumstances, wish to listen to any obnoxious kids in a restaurant or anywhere else, for that matter.

Was I too subtle?

Bucky,
The Open Mike forum is a message board. The Sun has lots of forums as well as blogs.

Forums/message boards are different from blogs in that the comment appears immediately. The forums have moderators though that clean out inappropriate stuff and if the offender repeats enough, is banned.

Eve,
That was spot-on.

I've found that many message boards, when opinions are not shared, the discussion devolves into insults and the like.

Just ask Mr. McIntyre over in Wordville, his post on All The Noise says it well.

I would curious if these crying babies are ordering foie gras. I would also like some more detail into whether they tip with cash, and if so how much do they tip. Futhermore, I seek insight on whether these crying babies eat....

Or whether these crying babies have to pay a corkage fee for their baby formula bottles.

I wouldn't charge them a corkage fee, but a bottle warming fee, you bet. But the better behaved kids always order med rare.

Maybe if the babies were leashed they would not cry so much.

Seriously...should you tip more if you have kids with you? Because they do, in my experience, cause the server a lot more work.

Trixie,
I was going to go there but I'm still askeered of the dog pound. :-) lqtm

Bucky's right. Even well-behaved kids make bigger messes and need more of everything - cutlery that lands on the floor, glasses overturned, extra napkins, all that food that neither gets into the mouth nor back onto the plate - I think the minimum tip for those who bring kids into a restaurant (are too cheap to hire a babysitter) should be 25%.

Not all kids are more trouble than their parents are in a restaurant.

Alice and John Paul were well-behaved in restautants from about the age of 2 on. It's the parents who need training more than the kids.

Does a cry baby tip? That si truly the issue, no?

Not crazy about crying kids or screaming kids or kids that can't stay seated in restaurants. Mad I can't bring my better behaved dogs, but that's another topic. A crying "baby" is one thing--too young to do more than cry to communicate, but "kids" is lazy parents who don't teach their children how to act in public. I cringe on how they must be at home. Burns me up when they act totally oblivious when seated at the same table... Feel sorry for the kids as to what else they're oblivious at in their children's lives now and in the future.

Tip more if you have kids. Why hasn't Miss Manners suggested this? It is far more logical and fair than tipping a percentage of the bill.

We have raised four children, and took them with us to many restaurants, but we insisted that they behave. They didn't get out of their seats, they ate with utensils, and used their napkins. It's up to the parents to expect civil behavior. Of course as my two sons got a little older they requested many trips to the mens room (through the bar) in Haussner's. Today my grown children have many fond memories of the many Baltimore restaurants they visited.

Not only should people tip more if they have kids who are disruptive at a place not specifically catering to children, they should also have to pay out to the diners at every table near them, since it ruins everyone's dining experience if they have to be near any of said disruptive children.

People go out to relax and have a good time. If your children ruin other people's good time, you should have to pay. Especially during these hard economic times when people save dearly for a nice night out, only to have it ruined by other people's bratty kids.

Just take your bratz to Chuck E Cheez and please leave the rest of us alone.

I don't have children (sometimes wish I did, sometimes glad I don't) but in this instance - taking your child to a restaurant - it seems obvious: if your child starts crying or otherwise acting out, take him/her outside until the tantrum ends. My SO raised up 3 children, and that's what he did. He says "it sometimes spoiled my eating-out experience, but at least it didn't spoil it for the other diners".

Springs 1/2.... that's too much!

I'm with you, Carol. Kid acts up, leave. When your screaming kid, loud party, dog, crying "fire" in a crowded theatre or medical issues at work are bothering most people, it is time to stop.

Desiree,

I agree with you wholeheartedly, especially about the dog thing ;)

And those kids act the same at home. The parent's 1. don't care, 2. are too fed up/tired/frustrated/worn out to correct them (#1 reason I won't have them....I'd have a stroke before the kid turned 2), or 3. think their child is doing nothing wrong and is just being a "kid" and everyone else in the world needs to just deal with it (read through the OM thread, it's kinda scary actually lol).

Desiree,
Can't say how it is now, but when I lived in Germany in the 70s dogs were taken to restaurants; kids were left home.

When's the next plane to Germany?? :) :)

Waidaminnit...this topic has been discussed (almost literally) ad nauseum many times. Can we just drop it, PLEEZE!?

Dottie, I know! But, my personal prediction is that this will go to at least 100 posts. I shouldn't even be posting this because I want it to go away and die too!