Pub gardens - spinal award nomination

[Charles]

Not for me, but for a friend. The scene - an English pub garden. The
players - my friend and his partner, sundry other adults at other tables and
a number of brats. The action - The brats are noisy but my friend is coping
with the noise manfully. The brats start to play with a hose squirting each
other with water. My friend waits for an intervention from responsible
parents, he waits in vain. The water gets closer to the adults tables,
intervention comes there none. The water hits the table next to my
friend's. The time has come.... "Stop! Now! Who is responsible for these
children?" The pub garden goes silent and shamefaced parents collect their
brats. Of course the obligatory breeder bingo phrase "but they're only
children" is trotted out. Wish I could have been there but my tolerance
levels are far lower than my friend's, well he does have three kids of his
own; does that disqualify him from a spinal award?

[Enigmatic1]

<Charles> wrote in message
news:3f07f73d$0$966$cc9e...@news.dial.pipex.com...

I have always wondered why people seem to think that "but they're only
children" should carry any weight.

Yes, they are children, what exactly their point? It's an empirical
observation, not an excuse for unacceptable behavior. Since it has been
observed that they are children, and will act in the manner that children
may act. Therefore, it can also be deduced without too much trouble that
they require supervision, and that is the responsibility of their attendant
(supposedly) parents.

[Mr Ian Davis]

<Charles> wrote in message
news:3f07f73d$0$966$cc9e...@news.dial.pipex.com...

Good on him!

Nothing pisses me off more than the ruination by famblee-friendliness of
English pubs. Even the very few that won't accept kids inside generally
allow them in the garden - so you can get the full benefit of the noise,
when the windows are open.

Janet

[Darth Ammer]

"Enigmatic1" <enigm...@nospamhotpop.com> wrote in
news:0c7fcc173fd8de9c...@news.meganetnews.com:

> I have always wondered why people seem to think that "but they're only
> children" should carry any weight.

Total and complete lack of responsibility?

The only proper response, of course, to the assertion that "they are only
children" is to remind them that said crumbcruncher's childhood is
precicely the reason the parental units should have been more attentive.

--
Darth Ammer

Even very young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the
concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening
him with it much more effective.
- P. J. O'Rourke