Restaurants. Must I pay for a miserable experience?

NeilCr

Perhaps you should go here OP!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/well-nail-your-kids-your-439831

I’d agree that you have to pay for the meal. I’d also agree, though, that I have had meals spoiled by children. I am not one of those “seen but not heard” people but I do draw the line at other folks kids running and screaming round my table. On one instance the parents thought it was hilarious that their kid was laughing at me

We tend to find this occurs in pubs rather than restaurants. And, as has been said, we know the places to go where there are much less likely to be kids there (or they will be well behaved)

powerful_Rogue

steampowered wrote: »

I guess your parents took the view that 'children should be seen but not heard'?

I don't think its reasonable or healthy to expect kids to be locked away!

Personally I frequent family friendly restaurants and pubs quite a bit. I've never had a problem with kids running around. A bit of patience and tolerance seems to work just fine for me.

If you take that traditionally British approach of complaining about absolutely everything, or you start tutting at people, you are going to end up miserable.

If you visit a family friendly restaurant or a pub in the daytime you've got to accept that kids will be present, and that kids will be kids.

One extreme to the other in your post.

Kids shouldn't be seen and not heard, neither should they be allowed to run round restaurants. Theres usually outside kids areas for them to let off steam, however when at a table they should be seated to eat their dinner.

Far to often it seems people take their kids to the "pub" to run around causing a nuisance so they can have a drink.

Chalkius

If you're not willing to accept that noisy kids are a fact of life and you just got unlucky this time, your options are to pay and then not provide the restaurant with your custom after that, or to not pay and get reported for making off without payment. Pick one.

glentoran99

Mehitabel wrote: »

The screaming child was never me, because I wasn't taken to restaurants when I was that sort of age. My parents had too much regard for other peoples' comfort.

I rarely speak to the parents, because if you do, the aggression you get in return is very unpleasant, however polite, gentle or even apologetic you are.

If we can keep emotive stuff out of it... I'm trying to get at the legality. If I've looked forward to a special meal out and the behaviour of another group in a restaurant ruins it (and I've gone home in tears more than once) am I not entitled to some form of redress?

Example: Last week I tried to eat a meal in a pub while three small children raced around, banging into my chair and even my legs, while the parents did nothing. The manager did give me a glass of wine on the house as an apology and that was appreciated. But why should anyone have to put up with this?

If it were badly behaved dogs, I'd be entitled to complain. Why should it be any different because the disruption is caused by members of my own species? Does anyone know the LEGAL position?

the legal position is you must pay

cherylsurrey

I rarely have this happen when I am out, and I eat out alot, this is because I avoid chain pubs, and places that cater for families, such as Frankie & Bennys or TGI Fridays etc. I cant remember the last meal out I had where I have been bothered by badly behaved children. People with young kids generally take them to places that are kid friendly like the places I have mentioned.

Maybe avoid the places that attract families and then you wont have the problem.

warehouse

cherylsurrey wrote: »

I rarely have this happen when I am out, and I eat out alot, this is because I avoid chain pubs, and places that cater for families, such as Frankie & Bennys or TGI Fridays etc. I cant remember the last meal out I had where I have been bothered by badly behaved children. People with young kids generally take them to places that are kid friendly like the places I have mentioned.

Maybe avoid the places that attract families and then you wont have the problem.

A fair post that it's hard to disagree with. However for our last anniversary I took my wife to a restaurant that is for special occasions only, safe in the knowledge that we would have a peaceful meal. I was nearly proved wrong as a large table very near us had 2 very energetic 10/11 year olds that kept jumping up and running downstairs to see the stream that runs through the place. I got why they were excited as it was very unusual feature and their parents were obviously ignoring them, but they were on the edge of ruining a very expensive and once a year outing for us, (but didn't in the end).

People with money are as bad as those in the budget end of restaurants when it comes to parenting skills. I think the key skill needed is to know where to sit in these places that the kids don't go near and then book those tables. Next anniversary we'll go back but I know exactly where to sit now.

stuartJo1989

Mehitabel wrote: »

The screaming child was never me, because I wasn't taken to restaurants when I was that sort of age. My parents had too much regard for other peoples' comfort.

Well, with respect but that's a personal preference. My parents took me to restaurants as a way of treating me (and my younger brother) every so often. I cannot recall being a baby/young child, but I suspect that between me and my bro we upset a few people

I think my parents were more bothered about raising us than they were about other people's comfort.

I rarely speak to the parents, because if you do, the aggression you get in return is very unpleasant, however polite, gentle or even apologetic you are.

I agree with you on that point!

I was once on a train and some kid knocked my laptop lid closed!! I only had to *glance* at the mum for her to start a huge tirade to her partner (on the phone) about how I was giving her dirty looks and how I knew nothing about raising children!

If we can keep emotive stuff out of it... I'm trying to get at the legality.

Hard to do with such an emotive topic.

If I've looked forward to a special meal out and the behaviour of another group in a restaurant ruins it (and I've gone home in tears more than once) am I not entitled to some form of redress?

Well, you may have redress against the other group by means of calling the police. Particularly if they are drunk + disorderly, threatening you, smearing poo on the wall etc

But I suspect that you are talking about redress in relation to the restaurant itself. You MAY have a case if you raise a LEGITIMATE issue on site and they do nothing about it at the time. Apart from that, you have little to no redress. That includes issues (such as kids running riot in a kid-friendly restaurant) which are based more on your own personal preference.

Example: Last week I tried to eat a meal in a pub while three small children raced around, banging into my chair and even my legs, while the parents did nothing. The manager did give me a glass of wine on the house as an apology and that was appreciated. But why should anyone have to put up with this?

Wow, good on the pub!!! Really nice of the manager in that instance. But he didn't have to do that...

It sucks, but its a PUB and you'll find many children in the food section (mainly because it is freezer to fryer food at cheap prices).

Go to a decent Indian, Thai or Italian which has candelight and slow-playing music if you want some peace and quiet (in my experience!)

If it were badly behaved dogs, I'd be entitled to complain. Why should it be any different because the disruption is caused by members of my own species? Does anyone know the LEGAL position?

Don't compare children to dogs.

Besides, only guide dogs would be allowed into most restaurants (pubs included) so you wouldn't really be entitled to complain....


Anyways, the LEGAL position is thus:

- Raise issue to manager and hope for a goodwill gesture (free glass of wine springs to mind)

- POLITELY speak to parents

- Request whatever else you'd like with the manager (refund etc). This is likely to be declined but you are entitled to try

- Take the restaurant to small claims court armed with your evidence of "loss of enjoyment" (I think that's the right legal phrase here) and present your case. You probably won't win, but you are more than entitled to try.

Those are your legal rights.

Lip_Stick

I eat out a fair bit with family, occasionally in the odd chain and I've had children being a nuisance around the table happen once, and that was because the children were spying on their parents from a balcony area we were seated on.

How on earth the OP can moan like it's a regular thing is beyond me and I don't believe it for a second. I suggest they eat out late at night to avoid any disruption, or if they're that sensitive, opt for a takeaway and do the managers of any eateries a favour.

Diamandis

People on this thread seem to forget that not all parents are lucky enough to have perfect children. If you've never had to deal with children who have autism etc then that's great for you but should be parents be hermits because their children have difficult conditions?

Gavin83

Mehitabel wrote: »

Does anyone know what the situation is if a special meal out is ruined not by bad food or service, but by the presence of a screaming or disruptive child?

This has happened to me so often, with the restaurant owner or manager doing nothing, that I'm wondering whether I could simply refuse to pay my bill.

After all, part of what I'm paying for is the environment, isn't it? Or do restauranteurs' obligations begin and end with providing decent food?

Did you eat the food? Where was it?

I don't like kids at the best of times but despite eating out a lot I've never had a meal ruined by disruptive children. Public transport is another matter altogether. However I didn't ask for my money back.