OK so here is the story.

My wife and I go to Outback for dinner with another couple. The first booth that they offer us is right in the middle of 3 families with loud children. Well we say, "can you seat us in smoking so that we will be away from children?" (keep in mind we don't smoke but don't like children even more). Well oddly there are as many kids in the smoking section as there are in non-smoking. Guess some parents care more about their habit than their children's health. So now we decide to sit in the bar area so that we are shielded from children. OK now things are going better. We get a round of drinks and then the second round comes and the appetizers and life is good, right? Wrong. On the other side of the wall we are sitting next to a BRAT starts screaming at the top of his lungs. So I say across the wall, "can you please shut that kid up?" All of the sudden a manager is standing in front of us. He says, "sir do not address my customers like that". So I said, "I would be happy to not address your customers, can you please ask them to keep their child quiet?" When I finished that sentence he said, "I would like for you to leave". So now 4 adults are being escorted out of Outback like we were some sort of criminal.

I was so pi$$ed last night that I thought about driving my truck through the front door. On the way out the guy told us that he was the owner. I am doubting he "owns" outback. I asked for his name and he gave me his card. It says, managing partner on it. Then I asked for his regional manager's name and number. He was reluctant but then gave it to me. He was on the verge of being beaten to a pulp and finally figured out that saying no was going to put me over the edge. I can not believe that a restaurant would choose a child over 4 paying adults. My wife and I have a lot of friends that we will be lobbying not to eat there anymore. Also our college alumni associations (which my wife is very active in and writes a lot of checks to) will be getting the story. Plus I am thinking about giving a 5% discount to my customers if they sign a form declaring that they will no longer eat at Outback (more for the shock factor of mailing the signed forms to the Outback headquarters). So what if anything can I do? We were publicly embarrassed. If I were Black I could probably sue. Anyone have a good idea on how to legally get back at them (under handed revenge ideas also accepted)? At a minimum I would like a formal public apology from this ******.

I will be on the phone to the regional manager later today. just looking for som ideas before I call. I thought about the threat of a law suit but I imagine they could care less.

 

Maybe your best avenue would be to let it go. Maybe the manager did handle the situation badly, but he is human. Maybe his theory was not to have a case made against him for not being sympathetic to parents(afterall, nobody wants to be labelled as not politically correct)... just a thought. Asking you to leave does seem a little harsh, when a warning would have been sufficient. Maybe he had just dealt with a party full of drunks (not saying you were drunk) and didn't want to deal with another. It is a real shame, because I don't think there are too many restaurants that are better than Outback. Here's a thought for the future...

take a big fat stogie with you whenever you go out and when the situation arises, as it did here, start puffing that thing and drive away the unruly kids...LOL

 

I've been to Outback resturaunts all over the country. Usually single (on business trips) so I could usually go straight to the bar and eat quickly. I have never been to one that had less than a 2 hour wait for a group of 2 or more. So I guess they figure they don't need your money.

As far as the kids in smoking, I don't buy the second hand smoke theory that made all non-smokers victims (I am also a non-smoker). Those parents probably said they'd take the first available seat to avoid a long wait with kids.

And for the kids, I have 2 of my own and when I go out mine are well behaved, or else. I have little tolerance for parents that allow older kids to run wild. I have nothing but sympathy for parents of babies and toddlers. And intolerant, childless adults can go jump in the lake for all I care.

 

Muzzling kids is not an option and you might have been a little more tactful..
I hate parents who let their kids run wild but even considerate parents can't help prevent all bad behavior. Have a nice swim.

 

I can't stand it when I try to go out and eat at a nice restaurant and there are lots of kids running and screaming around the place as though it were a playground. I see it happen now and then.

There's a nice Japanese place that I used to eat at that I had to get up and leave before even getting seated. This place was not an inexpensive place, it was usually a mid to high priced place that usually costs 50 bucks a plate or more per person. Well, the night I went there.. it was wall to wall BRATS with parents talking amongst themselves not paying attention to their kids. I have no problem with kids in nice restaurants, AS LONG AS THEY ARE BEHAVED! Talk about ruining a nice evening for others, these people have no consideration for others. Another older-than-us couple that was there waiting kindly asked some of the families there to calm their kids down and one of the parents barked out "When you have kids here, then you have the right to say something to me" or something like that. It was then that the person I was with at the time and I decided to high tail it out of there and head for a different restaurant. I haven't been back since.

I don't think the "owner" of that Outback restaurant had the guts to walk over to that family to ask their kid to keep it down. He was probably trying to avoid and even bigger confrontation. I think his decision was wrong, there's no excuse for allowing your child to act that way.. ruining a nice evening for others. Leave the kid with a babysitter or go to Chuckie Cheese's!!

 

....I don`t smoke
....I don`t like "kids"
...I have no patience
...I have no tact, re: "please tell that kid to shut up!"
..I will spend countless hours to exact my revenge.....
...Oh...and there ain`t no Santa!!!

Theres nothing like a home-cooked meal.

 

I have no idea what your options for revenge could be other than what you have already stated.

I too am very angered by screaming kids in restaurants with parents that do absolutely nothing to stop it. They should either stay at home or get a sitter. Kids can ruin a nice quiet night out with your spouse/friends/others .

My only suggestion for future occurrances, tell the manager to go talk the unruly child's parents. If they don't, feel free to say something yourself.

 

I'm with you. Some parents just ignore bad behavior, and just let their kids go wild. I think that we have all felt like telling people to shut their kids up, but that was your mistake. I know it would have been hard, but you could have asked nicely the first time, and even a second time. The manager and owner was most likely trying to protect themselves from a possible law suit, but they could have handled it differently. They should have asked you what the problem was, and asked you to refrain from talking to other customers that way. Then, they should have talked to the parents. If they had done nothing, and the situation escalated, the parents could have tried to sue.

I'm not trying to bash you. Like I said, I've been there too, but I've got to be honest with you. You and the manager both handled things badly. I know you're pizzed, but after you calm down, try to see it from both sides. Calm down, it will be okay!

 

Hopefully you didn't have to pay for the drinks and appetizers

 

I agree. I could have been a lot more tactful. I was just at the boiling point and the was the thing that broke the camel's back. However I do not see how asking the manager to ask the parent to quiet their kid was a reeason to be removed. After all he didn't toss out the parent for asking him to come talk to me.

 

....I don`t smoke
....I don`t like "kids"
...I have no patience
...I have no tact, re: "please tell that kid to shut up!"
..I will spend countless hours to exact my revenge.....
...Oh...and there ain`t no Santa!!!

Theres nothing like a home-cooked meal. How true!

So I say across the wall, "can you please shut that kid up?"

Talk gets cheap after a few adult beverages. How wonderful your night would have been if DADDY came over the wall and kicked your ***. A thank you note to the manager for saving you from a humiliating and painful experience might be in order. Screwing with people strange to you - especially ones you can't see - can at times get pretty brutal.


I remember an "incident" that occurred moving a tractor from one farm to another while pulling a planter. I was about 12 and some guy in a big car was stuck behind me blowing his horn, flipping me off and acting as if he was going to ram the tractor. Finally got to a section of the road with a shoulder and pulled to the side to let him pass. He screaches to a stop and gets out and starts yelling how he should beat me to a pulp. At 12 I'm scared to death, but the guy failed to notice the sweaty, grime covered farmer (that he cut off) following him and the tractor. Dad got out, beat the man unconscious with a wrench and then ran his car into the ditch beside him and left him laying there. His only words where, "Don't tell your mom". Things can get out of hand pretty quick when you don't know who, or what your dealing with.

So write your letters to your "college alumni associations" and give a 5% discount to your customers for not eating at the Outback, its a lot safer for you. There are a lot of things and people that are more annoying then a crying child, and loud mouthed tough talking drunks are way ahead them on my list.

 

Hopefully all is forgotten but if revenge is the way you want to go: Get a very large group of your friends and go and just order coffee. Sit as long as you can stand it costing Outback much money because as long as you sit drinking coffee no one else can sit and eat. Coffee has free refills. Don't think you will get a lot of refills but you don't have to leave and you don't have to order food.

 

Well I am 6-2 240 pounds and have a 9% body fat and the other guy at the table is a Semi-Pro Hockey player. While yes there is a chance that some huge giant was on the other side of the wall chances are you was a little punk like your dad and would have had to get out a wrench or a bat or some form of weapon to even try to start something. A man that will pull a weapon in an altercation is no different than the gangbangers in LA. If someone jumps you and you have to use a weapon to defend yourself then fine. But if you are such a wussy that you need to use a wrench to start a fight, maybe you should just go home and <!-- beat your meat because that is probably more than you can handle to start with. --> inappropriate content removed by admin

 

B]But if you are such a wussy that you need to use a wrench to start a fight, maybe you should just go home and beat your meat because that is probably more than you can handle to start with[/B]

Sounds like a man with a lot of experience on the the subject.

Your post also goes along way in explaining why a restaurant would choose a screaming child over 4 paying adults. Especially with your fixation on masturbation.

How could two big hulking scarey SOBs be "escorted" from a eating establishment by the equivalent of the assistant manager of a McDonalds? Maybe you not as big and scarey as you think.

 

........seems to me that wrench ended a fight.....!

P.S. Might ain`t always right.....