Lost Child (was apparently our fault)

[Ree]

Zzap be careful, I was told to "tone it down" and "back off" by a MOD when I called kids crumb snatchers in my previous post.

Actually, that message was sent to you because you made that comment after a mod had asked for members to keep the thread back on topic, then argued with a mod that there was nothing wrong with the thread, and not because of the comment itself.

The topic of the thread was people who don't watch their kids, then get pissy when they end up lost, NOT how many nasty names can we come up with for children.

That comment by zzapp the witch was actually on topic, because she was relating a personal experience about lost children. (For the record, I thought the result was hilarious.)

Also, it's interesting that you posted this after you claimed you were "never shopping here again"...oops...I mean...never posting here again...sorry, got you confused with a sucky customer for a second.

Glad to see you reconsidered, though. Most customers usually do, as well.

[Jester]

By the way- I also have three children.

Oh by the way I have 3 kids

Hopefully this is not straying too far in to what NA warned us about, but though it is slightly off topic, I thought it funny enough to share.

I often say this, but it's true: My mom had three kids. She always said that that was four too many.

[Rapscallion]

I just felt the need to warn a poster about the oversensitivity that apparently exists on this site

Shrug - I don't expect a parent to come here and feel insulted, just as I don't expect anyone to come here and find that there's someone telling them that they must breed as children are the best thing since sex. It cuts both ways.

So, you just couldn't stay away? Got me curious now.

Rapscallion

[Ree]

My mom had three kids. She always said that that was four too many.

That's pretty funny.

I came from a family of seven kids. I don't ever recall my Mom losing any of us in a store, and nobody ever gave us disapproving looks for behaving badly in public.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.
People were amazed at how well behaved we were.

Of course, we didn't have a lot of money, so we didn't go out to restaurants much, and we would stay in the car with Dad or, on occasion, have a babysitter while the shopping was being done.

If we were visiting someone's home, we knew that we were to sit on our chairs and not move unless invited. If we had to use the bathroom, we asked politely, then when we were done, it was back to our chair again.
(It was different if the people had children. Then we would obviously go and play with them, but we always behaved.)

[po'drph]

I didn't have a problem with being told to get back on topic b/c I was off topic. What I had a problem with was being told to "tone it down" and "back off" like I had cussed to mod out. All I did was say that nothing had been posted that was remotely vulgar or offensive. As for comparing me to an SC , look in the mirror, you may see an overly sensitive, SM (sucky moderator) staring back at you.

[Rapscallion]

As for comparing me to an SC ,

Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...

Rapscallion

[Jester]

(sits back, munches on popcorn, sips on an orange soda, and watches entertainment unfolding before his not-quite-awake-yet eyes)

[Ree]

Actually, you are probably right, po'drph.

Perhaps I am overly sensitive when I see someone being rude and ignorant of site rules, but I think most people will say that, once you get to know me, I am far from sucky. (There may be a few members who will agree with you, but I don't lose sleep over it. Nobody can be all things to all people, and I know I have certainly ruffled my share of feathers.)

Perhaps it was a strong choice of words, but you are fairly new, so I wanted you to be aware that, as far as site policy goes:

B. Enforcement

1. Staff authority
Customers Suck! moderators have absolute authority, and are granted unequivocal discretion at editing or striking any post; or warning, restricting, and banning members as necessary if a member breaks any of the rules of the board. Furthermore, Rapscallion has the right to do whatever he wishes. Remember, ownership has its privileges!

3. Appeal
Should you feel you have been treated unfairly by any Customers Suck! moderator, you may appeal to Rapscallion. Don't do this in the open forums. Instead, please contact him with a Private Message and wait a reasonable amount of time for a response. Remember Rapscallion has a life too and can’t respond to you message within moments. Additionally, if you do want to discuss the pros and cons of a situation with the responding moderator, do so via private message. Openly arguing will risk infraction points.


D. Disputes

2. Disputes against staff
This forum operates with a clear chain of command, and it shall be used for any member disputes against the board staff. Challenging a Customers Suck! moderator or administrator on the public forum is regarded as the poorest of personal and professional courtesy, and will not be tolerated. If you feel that a mod or admin has treated you unfairly or is behaving in an inappropriate manner, contact Rapscallion and discuss it with him.

A mod was acting in the site's best interests. If you didn't feel there was a need for her to respond as she did, then you should have PM'ed her, and not posted calling her action into question.
It's not for you to determine if there is anything offensive in a thread. As I also told you in my message, just because you didn't see anything wrong with it, does not mean that every member was fine with it. As mods, we respond to all of the concerns of our members when they follow the proper channels.

[B&NGoddess]

It's more likely that she was really angry with the kid for wandering off. I'm not saying that is an excuse for being impolite. However, if I was to say that I had never been that mad at one of my kids I'd be lying.

ive been so caught up in the other brouhaha i forgot to reply to this. i can see that she was more than likely mad at "william". i can handle that. it was the look she gave me, like i had personally conspired against her to have her kid wander off.

mreh.

[Andara Bledin]

As much as I don't really care for child services, I would call them in a heartbeat for any child left alone in a store for more than, say, 10 minutes. Heck, I'd suggest to management to post a sign to that effect.

I really don't play well with kids unless they're decently behaved. The others at my office have finally been trained to not bring babies for me to look at when they make the rounds.

^-.-^

[greensinestro]

I have children and usually take them shopping with me. The thing is though, I also have older stepchildren who can assist me while I try on shoes, or a pair of pants. And then, sometimes I just leave them at home if it's somewhere I know they'll be a problem. Places like Home Depot come to mind. Those stores are definitely not stores the kids are interested in being they have no bicycles, no train sets, no Charlie In The Boxes, nothing except hardware, tools, lawn mowers. You know, the things us men love!

[Auto]

Some parents threatened to sue me for calling the cops. They were then cuffed and taken away for getting in my face for "daring" to "embarrass" them simply b/c they left their toddler in the 25,000 square foot bookstore while they went to the supermarket.

i wish we could call the cops the moment mom and dad left our store premises. the hassle of dealing with the cops and perhaps children's protective services means it's the last time they use us as free baby-sitters.

and the threats to sue are BS.

[Jester]

In response to the original post, yes, there are parents that are horribly irresonsible. It is one thing if you are distracted and your kid wanders off while you aren't paying attention. That happens, and has probably happened to just about every parent-child at one point.

However, the parents that leave their kids knowingly in a store, or don't pay some attention to them and let them wander off on their own? And I am talking young children, mind you. (A decently behaved ten year old shopping for their own clothes in one section while Mom is off checking out other stuff in another section is not what I am talking about here.) Well, there is something stores can do about it, to get the message across that this is not okay.

They CAN post a big serious sign saying "DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN UNATTENDED." Problem with such signs is they fade in with all the other serious signs and warnings, and people tune them out. But there is a way to get across the same message, and get people to see it, and not offend (most) customers.

I first saw the sign in a small shop in Lynchburg, Tennessee, home of Jack Daniel's Whiskey. I thought it was hilarious, had never seen one like it, and asked for a copy of it. Years later, I saw it in a few other stores, and have actually seen a nice version of it for sale in a "funky signs" store. The sign tells parents this is not acceptable, drives the point home nicely, and uses humor to do so. And to me, it is a sign that every one of the stores that has been mentioned in here should post prominently. The sign reads simply and succintly:

Unattended children will be sold as slaves.

[chainedbarista]

she owed the staff, bn goddess, a thanks at the very least; if the kid doesn't handle lines well, find a way to make it a bit more tolerable, say, talk with him or entertain him somehow. goes a long way towards bonding, after all, and the postiive side effect just might be bettter behavior.

kids are kids, parents are parents, but there has to be a line drawn so that the kid understands WHO is in charge, and that sometimes, we just can't have our way.

i have begun (since visiting this site) to look at misbehavior in a new light by watching what the parent is/is not doing, and what most say is true, that the parent can put a stop to most of the misbehavior if they really wanted to, but they choose what's easiest (or seems easiest) for them, rather than what's best for the situtation. sad, really

[draftermatt]

See I'm torn over all of this.

I agree that parents who leave their kids unattended for long periods of time so they can do something else, shop, etc. is dumb (and possibly dangerous), especially assuming that the kid will be watched by the shop keepers who are doing their jobs. And I know that when my wife and I are watching her 10 year old brother I accompany him to the bathroom, and keep an eye on him. I trust him by himself, but not like I trusted myself at his age.

When I was 7-10 I was allowed to walk to different stores in the area, and my mom would frequently send me into the grocery store to get milk or something. Normally she was in the car and I went in because I liked doing that kind of stuff by myself.

I walked to school at times from 11-13, to the library too. I cannot imagine someone calling the cops. It was a mile walk, or my mom was right outside. I don't think that made her a bad parent. Granted that was a while ago, but I'm only 22 so it's not like 1995 was THAT long ago.

I know that times are quite different than when I was growing up, but things my parents let me do would get the cops called on them in this day and age.