Another "what would you have done" situation

[robinb]

I would be happy that the woman was sorry she spilled beer on your son and accept her apology but not her money. It could have been much, much worse.

 

[mjkacmom]

We have a new system at citizen ball park (Phillies) that is working well. If you are sitting next to "Joe" idiot who is screaming drunk filled obsceneties to the opposing team while you're cringing, you can text the section of your seat to a number broadcast through out the stadium. Security has cameras that zoom in on the exact seat. they are so good, they can literally lip read Joe's stunning four letter converstaion iwth the opposing teams right fielder.
All anonymously & within a few minutes stadium security is there to "help" Joe find his car.

I think it's great to remove drunk Joe from his seat, but as a motorist, I'd rather security hold him a bit before helping him find his car!

OP, I wouldn't have accepted the money.

 

[design_mom]

Since it sounds like a true accident and the lady was apologetic, I probably would not have accepted the money either. Especially if it was just “here take some money for your trouble.” However, if she had said, “Please, let me pay to have his face paint fixed.” or “May I buy him an ice cream as an apology?” (Something specific, not just cash), I probably would have accepted.

I think you could have gone either way here… Since her accident cost you money and she offered to pay (you didn’t demand it), I think you would have been fine to accept. But since it was a true accident and it sounds like you had already "fixed it" for your son before she offered the money, I probably would have done the same thing you did.

 

[tlbwriter]

It was nice of her to apologize and offer the money, and it was nice of you to graciously turn it down. Wow, two nice people behaving appropriately in a single post... what are the odds of that happening?

 

[krcit]

OP, I would've donew exactly what you did. I'm sure the lady felt awful, I know I would've!

 

[bgirldeb]

I think you did the right thing in refusing the money (and she did the right thing in offering).

^^ This

 

[dispor]

I agree with the other poster who said that she would have accepted it - mostly to make the beer lady feel less embarrassed.

Besides, in a way it wasn't your money to turn down. It was your SON that suffered, not you. If she offered it to him, it was up to him to accept it or not, and I can guarantee you that my kids would have accepted (after looking at me to see if I was okay with it). If I turned it down without asking them if they wanted to accept it, I would have had to hear about it from them on the car ride home! LOL!

I think both parties involved (your son and beer lady) would have felt better if you DID accept the $5 as an apology.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I agree with the other poster who said that she would have accepted it - mostly to make the beer lady feel less embarrassed.

Besides, in a way it wasn't your money to turn down. It was your SON that suffered, not you. If she offered it to him, it was up to him to accept it or not, and I can guarantee you that my kids would have accepted (after looking at me to see if I was okay with it). If I turned it down without asking them if they wanted to accept it, I would have had to hear about it from them on the car ride home! LOL!

I think both parties involved (your son and beer lady) would have felt better if you DID accept the $5 as an apology.

Exactly. I do not understand the concept of refusing an token offering from someone who made a mistake.

I also do not understand where refusing an offer makes it the absolute "right thing". Sometimes it is OK to teach your children to accept someone's kindness. It is also a lesson to learn.

 

[ugadog68]

I would not have taken the money either - accidents happen....

It's the Panthers that should give your money back for the season tickets

0-4 - All my teams stink this year

 

[MichelleVW]

Well, I don't tolerate people spilling their beer on my kids' head so I would have accepted the $5!!

Personally I just don't understand why venues think they have to sell alcohol. Well, I know why. $$$$ is all they care about. But I don't understand why people think they need alcohol at a game or any kind of sporting event. So many people get obnoxious when drinking in places like that, and just don't know when to quit. It's ridiculous, especially when children are around. Yeah, it was probably an accident that she spilled her beer on your son's head. But if she wasn't drinking it, she wouldn't have spilled it.

A brew is one thing, brew after brew after brew to the point of getting drunk and obnoxious is another.

Oh, good lord....just because someone wants to have a beer at a sporting event doesn't mean they are a raging drunk. I have a beer at the Rangers games in the summer, but at 7 bucks a beer I'm surely not going to be drinking a lot!

 

[Tinijocaro]

You were right to not have taken the money. It was nice of her to offer, and I think she should have offered, but it would have been crass of you to accept.

We went to the Panthers/Bears game yesterday. We have Panthers season tickets since my DH works for the Panthers. We are usually surrounded by other Panthers fans but yesterday we were surrounded by Bears fans.

My five year old son had just had his face painted - it was a Panther face and was $10. A lady behind us got excited when the Bears scored for the second time and spilt her beer all over DS's head. It was an accident but it made my son cry and it ruined his face painting.

We got up from our seats and I tipped the face painter $2 to touch up his face - still wasnt like new but it was good enough to satisfy DS. He got some ice cream and was fine...although he smelled like a brewery. We got back to our seats and the lady kept appologizing. She offered me cash - I think it was $5. I said that it wasnt necessary. DH said I should have accepted the money. I said that since it was accidental I shouldnt take it. DH's position is that it ruined the paint job and even though it was an accident, I should have accepted her help since her accident cost me more money.

What would YOU have done? In case it happens again.

 

[Carly_Roach]

We went to the Panthers/Bears game yesterday. We have Panthers season tickets since my DH works for the Panthers. We are usually surrounded by other Panthers fans but yesterday we were surrounded by Bears fans.

My five year old son had just had his face painted - it was a Panther face and was $10. A lady behind us got excited when the Bears scored for the second time and spilt her beer all over DS's head. It was an accident but it made my son cry and it ruined his face painting.

We got up from our seats and I tipped the face painter $2 to touch up his face - still wasnt like new but it was good enough to satisfy DS. He got some ice cream and was fine...although he smelled like a brewery. We got back to our seats and the lady kept appologizing. She offered me cash - I think it was $5. I said that it wasnt necessary. DH said I should have accepted the money. I said that since it was accidental I shouldnt take it. DH's position is that it ruined the paint job and even though it was an accident, I should have accepted her help since her accident cost me more money.

What would YOU have done? In case it happens again.

Without reading the rest of the replies, my initial instinct is to have taken the money.

For one thing, it was only 1/2 the cost of the actual painting. A fair settlement IMO.

Secondly, if a stranger accidentally scratched your car or ruined your clothes, you'd expect some sort of compensation wouldn't you?

Third, and finally, if I had been the woman who spilled the beer all over the child I would have felt absolutely AWFUL! Apologizing and paying for my mistake would have made ME feel better. I'd want the parents to take my money and I'd probably still be apologizing all through the game because I felt so bad about spilling beer on a child AND ruining their lovely face art.

So taking the money would have let the woman know that it's OK, you forgive her, no harm done - see? We touched up his face and the smell washes out. So stop beating yourself up for an honest accident that could have happened to anyone.

 

[postage stamp]

Well I can promise you that a Bears fan would never INTENTIONALLY spill beer on a child.

Not because we like kids or anything, but that's just a waste of beer! And at stadium prices? NO WAY!

I don't think there's right or wrong for you in this situation. She apologized (and like others have said that's sadly more than you'd get out of most people nowadays) and you accepted it. Take the money, don't take the money, as long as you let the situation go and see it for what it was (an accident, not some drunken, beer fueled, attack on all things pure and good) I think you are all good.

 

[tlbwriter]

You were right to not have taken the money. It was nice of her to offer, and I think she should have offered, but it would have been crass of you to accept.

I disagree. Since she did cause monetary damage, it would have been perfectly reasonable to accept compensation.

 

[cm8]

We went to the Panthers/Bears game yesterday. We have Panthers season tickets since my DH works for the Panthers. We are usually surrounded by other Panthers fans but yesterday we were surrounded by Bears fans.

My five year old son had just had his face painted - it was a Panther face and was $10. A lady behind us got excited when the Bears scored for the second time and spill her beer all over DS's head. It was an accident but it made my son cry and it ruined his face painting.

We got up from our seats and I tipped the face painter $2 to touch up his face - still wasn't like new but it was good enough to satisfy DS. He got some ice cream and was fine...although he smelled like a brewery. We got back to our seats and the lady kept apologizing. She offered me cash - I think it was $5. I said that it wasn't necessary. DH said I should have accepted the money. I said that since it was accidental I shouldn't take it. DH's position is that it ruined the paint job and even though it was an accident, I should have accepted her help since her accident cost me more money.

What would YOU have done? In case it happens again.

I would have accepted her apology and the $5.oo she offered.

 

[Dictator]

Well, I don't tolerate people spilling their beer on my kids' head so I would have accepted the $5!!

Personally I just don't understand why venues think they have to sell alcohol. Well, I know why. $$$$ is all they care about. But I don't understand why people think they need alcohol at a game or any kind of sporting event. So many people get obnoxious when drinking in places like that, and just don't know when to quit. It's ridiculous, especially when children are around. Yeah, it was probably an accident that she spilled her beer on your son's head. But if she wasn't drinking it, she wouldn't have spilled it.

#1. Because beer is awesome
#2. Because it makes women more attractive.
#3. How else should I forget my problems?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would not have taken the money. It was an accident.

 

[LuvLDM]

I would have politely declined the money, it was an accident....a sincere apology would have been enough for me.

 

[ols386]

Well, I don't tolerate people spilling their beer on my kids' head so I would have accepted the $5!!

Personally I just don't understand why venues think they have to sell alcohol. Well, I know why. $$$$ is all they care about. But I don't understand why people think they need alcohol at a game or any kind of sporting event. So many people get obnoxious when drinking in places like that, and just don't know when to quit. It's ridiculous, especially when children are around. Yeah, it was probably an accident that she spilled her beer on your son's head. But if she wasn't drinking it, she wouldn't have spilled it.

I don't have a problem with someone drinking a beer at a game, but I do agree that SOME people do get obnoxious after drinking a bit too much, and I know from experience that this is sometimes true, as I've had experiences sitting next to one of the obnoxious ones.

OP - I wouldn't have accepted the money because it was an accident.

 

[angelmav]

Meh, I have had people ding my car and let it go, depends on the situation, how they handled themselves, etc, etc. So when someone is embarrassed, they apologize and the damage is minimal, I prefer to just take the high road like the OP and decline to press the matter further.

As to MIGrandma...