Evesdropping on Strangers: Fun with Families

Okay, so this one wasn't so much evesdropping as much as, "being present and having ears," but I digress...

This little episode begins at a local resturant... Ryan and I were having dinner to celebrate the end of the semester/quarter for each of us and our respective programs when what should we hear but a crying (bawling is more like it) woman scream, "This is the rudest resturant I have ever been to!" This little outburst was followed by a retirement-age man and woman at a neighboring table yelling, "Well, maybe if you weren't so rude there wouldn't have been a problem!" The crying woman's husband started laying into the old man (with some kind of "control your wife" comment) and a second woman a yet another table started yelling, "He's just a baby! He's just a baby!" Confused yet? Because I sure as heck was. Here's what Ryan and I were able to piece together.

The baby was fussing while Mom and Dad were trying to eat. To give the baby something to do they gave him a spoon to bang on his metal highchair top. This was very irritating to the neighboring two tables. Table one being the retired couple, a mother-in-law and a daughter. The second table involved being a table for two in the corner. Apparently, table two started commenting on the noise and yelled across the room to take the spoon away and keep it down (Brittaney's advice: Take the spoon away). Ignoring table two Mom and Dad let the baby keep the spoon. Table one chimed in in support of table two. Mom and Dad got into it with table two and Dad talked to the man at table two outside (Seriously, just take the spoon away). Later, the noise continued and table one (or two... who really knows at this point) asked the management to do something (PEOPLE--JUST TAKE THE SPOON AWAY!). The manager asked Mom and Dad to take away the noisy spoon and that is when the crying outburst began.

Okay, so maybe not so exciting when you are reading about it but let me tell you--my blood was pumping! I guess the best part was right at the end when the crotchity woman from table one yelled, "I feel sorry for any baby that is being raised that way!" Good times with the retired set on a Tuesday night.

Honestly, keep your child-rearing comments (and your metal spoons) to yourself and we will all have a more pleasant evening for it.