What would you do?

[Wishing on a star]

1. Hey, it's not a perfect world... there are a certain number of oblivious, rude, disrespectful, or just plain mentally/emotionally impaired parents and children out there.

I see this thread as just more fodder for the parent-basher, child haters....

2. While I think the appropriate action was taken... I just wanted to point out, isn't Pickle brine practically a medical grade antiseptic.

 

[cabanafrau]

1. Hey, it's not a perfect world... there are a certain number of oblivious, rude, disrespectful, or just plain mentally/emotionally impaired parents and children out there.

I see this thread as just more fodder for the parent-basher, child haters....

2. While I think the appropriate action was taken... I just wanted to point out, isn't Pickle brine practically a medical grade antiseptic.

Well, I do know vinegar has tremendous antibiotic properties -- however, if it's all the same I'd prefer my pickles be properly cleaned before processing and remain uncontaminated until they reach the plate.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That being said...I don't love salad bars either, for that very reason. Too open to the public for my liking. And yes, I know..."if only you knew what went on in the kitchen of your favorite restaurant". Well, I don't see it, so it doesn't exist!

You mean you don't want to know about the rats and mice that live under the salad bar?

 

[happygirl]

You mean you don't want to know about the rats and mice that live under the salad bar?

So that the mystery meat for the Chef Salads lol

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So that the mystery meat for the Chef Salads lol

When my sister worked in a grocery store and told me about the mice problem at the salad bar...yuck.

Now they did exterminate them however....yuck.

 

[LaraK]

1. Hey, it's not a perfect world... there are a certain number of oblivious, rude, disrespectful, or just plain mentally/emotionally impaired parents and children out there.

I see this thread as just more fodder for the parent-basher, child haters....

2. While I think the appropriate action was taken... I just wanted to point out, isn't Pickle brine practically a medical grade antiseptic.

Did not mean to bash parents or kids, I have two little monsters myself. I have banned them from the grocery store due to poor behavior.

Bicker, seriously, I need more coffee before I can start solving the world's ills.

 

[bicker]

Heck... if we focus on the world's ills, we can stop thinking about our own.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

My children would have pointed the whole thing out very loudly. I do grocery shop with them, usually the youngest 3 when the older 2 are at school, this summer it will be all of them and I KNOW that would have something to say about the matter. I definitely would have told the manager, but I might have said something at the time to the woman. It would have been one of those speak before thinking moments.

 

[Disney Doll]

1. Hey, it's not a perfect world... there are a certain number of oblivious, rude, disrespectful, or just plain mentally/emotionally impaired parents and children out there.

I see this thread as just more fodder for the parent-basher, child haters....

2. While I think the appropriate action was taken... I just wanted to point out, isn't Pickle brine practically a medical grade antiseptic.

I don't hate children...generally love them as a matter-of-fact, especially since I was unable to have any of my own. Always feel badly for the kids who have lousy parents because the kids usually turn out lousy and have no idea why, since they only know what they know.

As far as parent-bashing....well, if you (not you specifically Wishing, but the universal "you") choose to be a parent, then do your job and parent and then we "parent-bashers" wouldn't have anything to bash, now would we?

And even though pickle brine probably would kill just about anything, it's till gross to have a licked pickle in there.

 

[kirbydog48]

These days with all the cooties flying around, I would never buy anything that's self-serve. It's just not sanitary. I worked at a very high end market in a wealthy neighborhood, and you wouldn't believe some of the things I saw. I witnessed a man helping himself at the self-serve peanut butter machine...he'd squirt some out onto his finger, lick it off, then stick his finger on the machine again and again. I watched in shocked amazement for a while, then booted his gross hiney out of the store. Also free samples...never touch them (especially things like chips and dip/salsa.....ewwwww). Needless to say, buffets are not my favorite. Working with the public certainly is an education!

 

[Gammaresource]

As far as parent-bashing....well, if you (not you specifically Wishing, but the universal "you") choose to be a parent, then do your job and parent and then we "parent-bashers" wouldn't have anything to bash, now would we?

Well, perhaps the child and parent bashers ought to keep in mind that they were not perfect children, and remember what they were able to pull off even with reasonably good parents. Unless one advocates locking children up they are going to act out in public on occasion. People aren't perfect, not even the uppity self righteous ones.

OP, the fact that you didn't say something when it happened is amazing to me. My mommy instinct would have jumped in, even though she was an adult! Glad you caught it, though!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Of course I would have told the manager, but there really wouldn't have been a need. Why? Because the second I saw that nasty mom chunk that sucked on pickle back in with the others, I'd have let out an involuntary, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" that could have been heard out in the parking lot. Every customer in that store would have been alerted to Picklegate within 5 seconds flat due to my shrieking.

 

[bicker]

Unless one advocates locking children up they are going to act out in public on occasion.

I would hope that no one here is actually bashing the children. They're children! They probably don't know better.

The issue here is putting the supervision of children under your charge paramount, over all other considerations. The very nature of children (that they often don't know better, for example) means that parenting them is difficult. I know we've all read horror stories of terrible "accidents" that have befallen children, at least in part attributable to inadequate supervision in situ. One of those terrors could have happened in the same exact context, under the same circumstances, as the incident detailed in the OP. For example, in pulling the pickle out of the jar, the child could have fallen, bringing the whole jar down on top of their own head. I shudder just to think about what the lack of supervision could have resulted in. It was lucky that in this case the only harm was material. That's the real focus here. Yes, we all are harmed (materially), in a way, from incidents like this, caused by inadequate supervision of children. But the real concern this highlights is the potential for physical harm to the chidren themselves or to others from actions children take while inadequately supervised.

And as I said before, there is no good answer. You can't point your finger and say that this person or the other is wrong and should do things differently, without risking putting forward a perspective that is distinctly incompassionate or unreasonable. It is a bad situation. It sucks. It causes bad things to happen.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I would hope that no one here is actually bashing the children. They're children! They probably don't know better.

The issue here is putting the supervision of children under your charge paramount, over all other considerations. The very nature of children (that they often don't know better, for example) means that parenting them is difficult. I know we've all read horror stories of terrible "accidents" that have befallen children, at least in part attributable to inadequate supervision in situ. One of those terrors could have happened in the same exact context, under the same circumstances, as the incident detailed in the OP. For example, in pulling the pickle out of the jar, the child could have fallen, bringing the whole jar down on top of their own head. I shudder just to think about what the lack of supervision could have resulted in. It was lucky that in this case the only harm was material. That's the real focus here. Yes, we all are harmed (materially), in a way, from incidents like this, caused by inadequate supervision of children. But the real concern this highlights is the potential for physical harm to the chidren themselves or to others from actions children take while inadequately supervised.

And as I said before, there is no good answer. You can't point your finger and say that this person or the other is wrong and should do things differently, without risking putting forward a perspective that is distinctly incompassionate or unreasonable. It is a bad situation. It sucks. It causes bad things to happen.

Bicker, did you get this from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Sounds like little Jimmy might have drowned in a pickle jar just like Augusta Gloop in the chocolate!

 

[Gammaresource]

Bicker, I agree to an extent. I wonder if the mom got out of the chaos, and it occured to her what she had done? One would hope it was an action taken without thought rather than without care.

 

[LaraK]

Well, perhaps the child and parent bashers ought to keep in mind that they were not perfect children, and remember what they were able to pull off even with reasonably good parents. Unless one advocates locking children up they are going to act out in public on occasion. People aren't perfect, not even the uppity self righteous ones.

OP, the fact that you didn't say something when it happened is amazing to me. My mommy instinct would have jumped in, even though she was an adult! Glad you caught it, though!

To be honest, I was too shocked. I'm surprised I didn't say anything too. Had the kid thrown it back in I'm sure I would have...but for an adult to do that...and in front of their lid just blew my mind!

 

[Gammaresource]

To be honest, I was too shocked. I'm surprised I didn't say anything too. Had the kid thrown it back in I'm sure I would have...but for an adult to do that...and in front of their lid just blew my mind!

No kidding! I hope she figured it out, called back and paid for the mess. I doubt it, but I hope!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

something similar happened on our last DCL cruise.

Parents and 2 unruly kids are sitting at the table next to us in Topsiders buffet....well, the parents were sitting and the kids were all over the place. Not good in a close place and with other people trying to maneuver with trays of food. Anyway, when they finally did return to the table - one of the kids decided to put his mouth all over the salt and pepper shakers. Parents never said one word to either kid - so clueless. As soon as they left, we told the CM!!! Yuck!!!!

 

[momrek06]

Ummmm.... I think a simple answer is what the OP was looking for.

Example: Circle one:

yes, I would tell the manager

or

no, I would keep my mouth shut and let everyone who purchased a pickle in the future get cooties from the nasty kids


And OP, I would have done what you did. Ick! How gross!!

Lara, I would have done exactly what you did.

 

[momrek06]

Of course I would have told the manager, but there really wouldn't have been a need. Why? Because the second I saw that nasty mom chunk that sucked on pickle back in with the others, I'd have let out an involuntary, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" that could have been heard out in the parking lot. Every customer in that store would have been alerted to Picklegate within 5 seconds flat due to my shrieking.

PICKLEGATE!!!!!!!