Entitled Parent Story #246 or Attack of the Stroller People

Keep on rollin'

Keep on rollin’

Something went down in San Francisco. It involved a restaurant, a stroller and a some parents who wrote the word “entitled” on a piece of paper and then rolled it up into a teeny, tiny ball and then shoved it up their assholes. You can read the whole story here on Inside Scoop SF, and here is the email that started the whole thing:

The impetus for my email to you is because of an experience that I had last night with some friends. My husband and I traveled into the city to meet 2 friends who had just had a baby 4 months ago. We chose to go to (a popular restaurant). I have dined a few times over the years and have always loved it.

The bottom line is that someone who I think was the manager refused our party service, in part because of the baby stroller. We arrived at the restaurant at roughly 6:15 pm, and put our names on the list (party of 4 plus baby stroller). Upon doing a quick scan of the restaurant, which we realized had limited seating options, my friend (the baby’s mom) had informed the wait staff that she had a stroller and specifically noted that only one table looked like it would accommodate the stroller, out of harm’s and traffic’s way. This table is adjacent to the door and a convenient little alcove. The wait staff told her that it was no problem and that they would be able to accommodate the stroller.

After waiting about 35 minutes, the staff called a party of 3 who had actually arrived after us. This party of 3 was seated at the only table that would accommodate a baby stroller. Shortly thereafter, our names were called. It was clear that the table would not be able to accommodate the stroller. The manager suggested that we order food to go. As an accommodation, I believe she also suggested that the mom either hold the baby while eating or put the main baby compartment with the baby in it on the floor.

Realizing that none of our options were viable, my husband asked the table of 3 if they would consider swapping tables with us in light of the baby stroller. They agreed to move. We sat down at our respective tables, and the manager came to our table telling us that she had decided not to serve us that night. She said it was inappropriate for us to approach another table. We told her we were particularly appalled because her wait staff knew early on that we had a stroller. The manager claims that the party of 3 was irritated that they had to move.

My question is, were we out of line here?

Here is the short version:

  1. People with stroller waited for a long time at a busy restaurant.
  2. They wanted a certain table.
  3. Someone else got the table.
  4. Stroller people asked those people to move.
  5. Restaurant kicked some stroller people ass out.

Woo hoo!! Since the “victims” sent an email to to the restaurant explaining how they felt they were shat upon and since this is the age of social media, we also get to dump on them with our two cents. Basically, they went to a really crowded restaurant that had no room for a stroller and they wanted the one and only table that would accommodate them. She says that “this table is adjacent to the door and a convenient little alcove.” Well, la-di-da, that probably means that other people were waiting for that table too. What do we want to bet that the stroller was bigger than a mid-town Manhattan studio and had an iPad attached to it? I understand that someone told them they could have that table but maybe someone else had already told the three-top that they could have it? Or maybe the restaurant decided they didn’t want a big ass SUV of a stroller right next to the fucking front door. She says it would be out of the way, but parents always think their shit is out of the way. Out of the way in the same way that people put a high chair at the only part of the table that allows the server access to it? Uh huh. We all know that “out of the way” means it’s out of your way, not out of the way of anyone else.

So they didn’t get the table they wanted and then they decide to grow a pair of balls bigger than Bea Arthur’s and approach some customers and ask them to move. Now, I wasn’t there to hear it, but I think it went something like this:

Stroller People: Hello. That’s a real nice table y’all are sitting at. Why look at that alcove there. It would be prefect for our stroller.

Regular People: That’s a stroller? I thought it was a mini van. What the fuck do you need that thing for. The baby looks like it weighs about 10 pounds.

Stroller People: Really? Ten pounds? Gee, thanks. She’s on a gluten-free and no carb diet. Her skinny jeans were getting a little tight so we thought we’d better take care of it before it became a problem. Oh, by the way, honey, it’s almost time for her third juice of her juice cleanse. So, anyway, about your table. Can we have it?

Regular People: I’m sorry, what? We just ordered our food. You want us to move?

Stroller People: That would be great. There’s a table back there by the bathroom that you can have and then we can take this great table by the door and the window. The baby needs fresh air. And then we could put the stroller in that little alcove.

Regular People: Fuck off.

Stroller People:  Language! Anyway, we think we should have this table because, you know, we have a baby. And we’re special. Because we have a baby. You don’t have a baby, do you?

Regular People: No, but I have a dog that I’m about to go get and sic on your pretentious ass. Get the fuck away from us. You’re annoying and your baby is ugly.

Stroller People: She’s not ugly, she’s a newborn. And we have already started a bank account for any future cosmetic procedures she may want or need. Honey, can you peel of her facial mask? I think she should be exfoliated by now. So, anyway, can we have your table?

Regular People: You know what, I’m gonna go talk to the manager. You’re nuts. Excuse me.

(The Regular People get up and go find a manager.)

Stroller People: Oh, look they’re letting us have their table. Thank you, thank you so much! Okay everybody, we can sit here now. Waiter? Waiter? We need new place settings and some bottled waters. We’re in a hurry.

Two minutes later, the manager shows up and escorts the Stroller People out.

It’s so typical of so many parents to assume that the world revolves around their precious bundle of fertilized egg. It doesn’t. When these people first arrived at the restaurant and saw that it was really busy and had no room to accommodate a stroller, maybe they should have gone somewhere else. They have a baby now so things are different. Not every place is going to have a changing table or an alcove for the stroller. Your life changed when the baby fell out of the vag. Your life. Not the life of anyone else. When will entitled parents realize that they are the ones who have to make changes not us?

I know that this blog post is going to get a lot of parents’ panties in a twist but pull up your Pull-Ups and get over it. Maybe the restaurant overreacted, but I bet that the Stroller People were already pains in the ass from the second they rolled in and when they asked another table to leave it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Management saw how the rest of the time with them was going to be and decided they could go have their egg-white omelettes with turkey bacon somewhere else. You can roll that playhouse on wheels you call a stroller somewhere else. Fuck off.

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