If restaurants are forced to allow children, then they DAMN well better

[madinmaryland]

allow me to bring my cats and other folks to bring their dogs.

I know my cats will appreciate the sushi bar!

:grr:

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. This makes no sense

I must have missed what went before, but cats are not people, nor are dogs. There's usually an exception for service animals, which are usually dogs.

[Zywiec]

3. For many cats are the closest some will come to children. n/t

[Gamow]

50. Also, many people's pets are better behaved, and less disruptive than a child. nt

[demmiblue]

4. It is a Lounge thing.

It will be moved to the Lounge. Expect something about a toll booth.

:evilgrin:

[madinmaryland]

17. Actually it was not...

It was a comment about the absurdity of this kerfuffle of the children in restaurant thing.

:hi:

[TwilightGardener]

2. As far as I know, children aren't a sanitary issue. Though they are a bit grimy...

[appleannie1]

6. I taught my 7 kids how to act in public and never had a problem taking them anywhere

[TwilightGardener]

12. Yeah, my kids have been in a bazillion restaurants. It was really the one place

in public they tended to behave, because they are both food-oriented and knew something tasty would arrive at the table if they behaved. If they didn't, they'd sit in the car with mom or dad. I've never been that bothered by other people's kids, either. Just no big deal, to me.

[hlthe2b]

13. While I'm not at all begrudging children, but indeed they ARE a health risk...

Their unwashed hands can readily spread noroviruses which cause explosive GI outbreaks as but one example. Inattentive parents who let them near the salad bar or deserts can unknowingly be allowing them to initiate a major food-borne outbreak. Not to mention respiratory diseases.

Just sayin... It is ludicrous to suggest children are not a sanitary issue. Indeed many of the infections they can readily spread cause any risk from dogs or cats to pale in comparison. In fact relatively few infections are likely to be spread to humans from dogs or cats. Human-to human, MANY.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. You mean kid eating with bare unwashed hands

from the salad bar? Mouth to food, food to mouth?

Yep, seen that.

[hlthe2b]

20. Yes... I only eat from salad bars that have been freshly set up...

for that very reason. At least Whole Foods seems to keep an eye on that and shoos kids away.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Due to gluten allergy cannot do that anymore

[TwilightGardener]

15. Oh, I know kids are little germ factories. But we're talking sanitation in terms

of eating establishments and health code, not in general.

[REP]

30. School-age children are one of the largest reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant URIs

Not to mention boneheads who bring their kids out to restaurants with whooping cough (the manager asked them to leave, and many of the exposed needed a course of treatment ... including me).

[hlthe2b]

31. Yes...

It seems the same people who poo poo the sometimes DEADLY infectious agents that children can readily carry and transmit have an almost irrational concern for dog/cat to human disease transmission. Go figure.

Obviously we are going to accommodate kids. But that does not mean we should glibly ignore the very real risks they can pose. And, those that criticize the Europeans for allowing their very pampered, well cared for and healthy dogs into outdoor cafes or even inside restaurants have an aesthetic issue--not a real health risk issue.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. I wish I could take my well pampered conure

And yes, there is one disease she could give humans, alas she's checked every so often by vet.

[hlthe2b]

39. Psittacosis.. But even there there are recommended screening

or treatment methods that many health departments accept to allow valuable birds in child care centers where they would ordinarily be verboten (assumign measures are taken to prevent children from being injured by the birds). There is scientific justification for this, but some public health departments are more reflexive in their actions (and less flexible) than others, despite new information and recommendations.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Yep, they get screened every five years

[CrawlingChaos]

34. all of the above, plus...

Kids lick things and put their mouths on things. More than once I've observed children at restaurants putting salt & pepper shaker tops in their mouths. I consider anything left at the table to be very high risk.

[madinmaryland]

18. Actually, I have seen a lot more sanitary issues from children than from my cats.

Except for the occasional skid mark, they are fine. Flaxbee's cat, that we adopted has long hair and...

[TwilightGardener]

32. My kids always had less parasites than my cats or dogs, though.

Less prone to leaving little tapeworm klingons and flea poop on the couch. Plus, kids easier to clean. My cats will shred flesh.

[hlthe2b]

40. with the advent of heartworm preventatives that also kill most intestinal worms

and more effective topical flea control (that likewise greatly reduce tapeworm transmission), this is far less an issue than in past decades. But, in the past, yes.

[sharp_stick]

5. No not at all

and I think they should ban all cat people too, all that dander might offend somebodies allergies.

Why don't you post this little bit of lame in the lounge, at least then I'd know it's not worth the bytes it's stolen.

[hlthe2b]

47. I hope you don't hit the highway with that attitude...

I'd surely not want to be driving around in proximity to you and your poorly contained rage. geebus.

[sharp_stick]

48. Rage... where the hell did that come from?

That's why this post needed to be in the damned lounge, at least there you aren't weirdly accused of strange rage disorders?

Now however... Rage building, bile rising up into throat. I've got to find a damned chainsaw.... NOW!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Move to Hawaii

the greasy spoon, open air, that I used to go eat at from time to time, when hubby was deployed. loved my sun conure.

Hell, she even used a napkin... yes, serious.

[madinmaryland]

16. If I could, I would. The homeland of our President!

:thumbsup:

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Actually I was not kidding

I used to take Connie.. she looks like this parrot...



To the local open air greasy spoon. She ate her rice, she loved their rice, she loved the gravy, and had some turkey... and then I held the napkin for her, and she used it.

People were amazed about that. I could not take her to a restaurant here in California... and I mean an open air one should be fine. In Hawaii this is quite standard and many of the locals take their fathered and furry companions along. You can tell a tourist... they usually do a tripple take... especially I guess, when conure is sinking her beak into my rice.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. Or my guns and ride of the Valkyries soundtrack. n/t

[Little Star]

9. Well, all I can say to this OP is....

:silly:

[Divernan]

10. Dogs I saw in French bistros were perfectly behaved.

They curled up under their owners' seats & often napped. They didn't whine, they didn't run around, they didn't make any noise at all, and best of all they never emitted ear piercing shrieks.

[PoliticAverse]

11. You may need to talk to the Health Department about that... n/t

[hlthe2b]

19. Health Department regs on that score are steeped in tradition...

Not on science. To wit, many communities have had to re-visit their ban of dogs in outdoor coffee bars and other areas after public health departments were unable to show scientific evidence of a disease transmission health risk. Denver went through this a few years ago and while there was no push for wider allowances of dogs into food establishments, public health officials, including veterinarians and epidemiologists had to testify that there really is no evidence for disease transmission documented in these circumstances.

Health departments are not likely to loosen up in-restaurant restrictions as esthetics tends to carry that argument, but even there it is exceedingly hard to make a science-based argument based on disease risk alone.

[scarletwoman]

22. Sure. As long as they wear diapers and shoes. (nt)

[madinmaryland]

23. Not a problem! Our cats love to be dressed up!

[TNLib]

24. Allot of people are allergic to pet hair and Dander. I never heard of anyone allergic to Children

nt

[hlthe2b]

25. I'm betting many would disagree...

--depending on how you define "allergic" ;)

[Gidney N Cloyd]

38. Or maybe how you define "allot."

[REP]

28. Not allergic per se

But per my doctors' advice, I am to avoid diapered and school-age chikdren due to e coli and antibiotic-resistant URIs found in the population. And yes, I wipe down grocery carts before using them.

[madinmaryland]

29. Don't forget about the folks who change their baby's diaper on a dinner table in a restaurant.

:puke:

[hlthe2b]

42. I was aghast when someone mentioned seeing this on a plane...

I think I would absolutely "lose it" if I saw that in a restaurant. Geebus.

[marions ghost]

27. OK

never mind.
:P

[Cleita]

33. My husband and I had a couple of beers in a bar

in Jackson WY back when. Everyone brought their dogs. The place kept dog biscuits and treats behind the bar for the patrons. It was all very cute. I can't remember the name of the place but it was doggie related. I also once worked at a restaurant that had a resident kitty. While the restaurant was open she was confined to the office and the roof of the building but lived in the restaurant at night after closing.

[Luminous Animal]

37. I frequent a couple of dog bars in San Francisco. I like it. It's how I get my weekly dog fix.

Cats are ubiquitous in book stores here. There is a hairless one that lives in the sci-fi fantasy bookstore.

[Luminous Animal]

36. So we need a new disparaging word for pets. Brats is already the wide brush insult for children.

Every shit-nosed animal needs to be banned from polite society. Fucking shit-noses. (I don't think that is going to work... it is too true.



Nice strawman though. Nobody is advocating that children should be allowed to perch themselves on the sushi bar and lick everything in sight.

[hlthe2b]

43. Somehow I'm guessing no one is lining up to be YOUR neighbor...

Surround me with all the pets (or kids) you will. I would much prefer that to some adult with THAT attitude.

[REP]

44. Ass-lickers? Crotch-munchers? Barf-machines (well, that works for cats, dogs AND kids...)?

Shedder? Crapper? (oops, another one that works for kids!)

[madinmaryland]

45. Wow! Did someone pee in your cheerios?

[Buns_of_Fire]

46. I refuse to eat in ANY restaurant that serves children. I don't care HOW they prepare them. nt

[KurtNYC]

49. According to Sting:

We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children stew.

:evilgrin: