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Dad Slapped in Starbucks Over Crying Baby
As parents, we’ve more than likely been on both sides of the screaming-baby-in-a-public-place situation — and as irritating as the earsplitting screeching is when it’s not your kid, it’s equally as mortifying when it is. So most of us cut people some slack.
Which is why this story from the Brooklyn Heights Blog via Consumerist is particularly maddening, if it’s true. An eyewitness reported to the blog that he was outside a local Starbucks when he heard a man telling a woman just transpired. The man, who was pushing his baby in a stroller, was ordering a drink when the baby started to cry. Given that caffiene is about as indispensable to the parenting of young children as car seats, he opted to wait for the drink he’d ordered and paid for instead of taking the baby outside.
When guy number two — oh, let’s just call him Nimrod — took umbrage with the baby acting like, you know, a baby, he complained to the dad. Dad refused to leave without the drink he’d already paid for, so the stranger slapped him on the back of the head.
Let’s say that again: Slapped him. On the back of the head.
With that, the dad and Nimrod took it outside, and dad managed not to smack Nimrod right back.
Which leaves the only possible question: What in the sweet fancy Moses is wrong with people?
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13 Comments
Kikiriki commented on Dec 09 09 at 8:50 pmDid you even READ the post? The dad never smacked anyone. How about a little reading comprehension 101? Jeesh.
Kikiriki commented on Dec 09 09 at 8:52 pmOr I guess that would be MY lack of reading comprehension. No sleep due to crying baby obviously makes me a nimrod, and a grumpy one at that. Sorry.
S commented on Dec 10 09 at 9:40 amWow! Some people! It’s not like it takes that long for the coffee to be made. Holy cow! Nimrod needs to get some patience and understanding!
baconsmom commented on Dec 10 09 at 11:53 amSlapping anyone is obviously beyond the pale. But so is choosing to subject everyone around you to a screaming child so you can have your coffee. Honestly, no, I don’t cut people slack – because each and every time my child has screamed in public, I have immediately packed her up and taken her out. I would never choose to be so rude.
Carrie M. commented on Dec 10 09 at 1:39 pmI have to admit I laughed whe I first read this.I mean you can’t go around slapping people but we have all probably wanted to.
Carrie M. commented on Dec 10 09 at 1:39 pmwhen typo
patricia commented on Dec 10 09 at 2:36 pmOn the one hand, it’s a cup of coffee, not dinner service. The maximum wait time would have been, what, five minutes, maybe? On the other hand, it’s not like the coffee would have gone anywhere if the guy had taken his kid outside and calmed the baby down and then gone back in for his coffee. A quick word to the barista that he had to step outside and don’t throw my coffee away, and then no one is undercaffienated or slapped.
That said, I DO try to cut people slack, because even if I wouldn’t make their same choices, I still understand how stressful it is to have to deal with a crying child, period. My kids are so far well-behaved in public, but there but for the grace of God go I. I just try to be empathetic.
GiGi commented on Dec 10 09 at 2:57 pmCrying babies are a part of life. The bigmouth on his cell phone in the corner is annoying, too, but nobody slaps him. Why should the guy leave? Like someone said, it’s not fine dining, it’s a Starbucks. That said, why couldn’t the guy comfort the baby *in* the store? Like, try taking the baby out of the stroller? My bigger gripe would be wheeling a stroller into Starbucks, personally.
GiGi commented on Dec 10 09 at 3:02 pm…by the way, the term “eye witness” seems to be used very loosely in all these poasts, from Babble’s to Brooklyn Heights’…an eye witness to a conversation afterwards is way less juicy and a real witness to the smack down
KnittyTzu commented on Dec 10 09 at 3:43 pm“Honestly, no, I don’t cut people slack – because each and every time my child has screamed in public, I have immediately packed her up and taken her out. I would never choose to be so rude.”
That’s not an option for many of us. My child has autism and screams as a form of expressing herself. I’m working with a team of therapists trying to stop the behavior but for now, she often screams in public and I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave the grocery store, etc. because OMG someone might get annoyed. People need to learn a little compassion and perhaps consider that not all of our situations are as simple as yours.
Lori commented on Dec 10 09 at 9:23 pmComments: I just had my second little blossom and I can honestly say that baby meltdowns are something you cannot avoid and cannot simply end with taking them outside for a few minutes because they will still be having a meltdown. Being a good parent is absolutely the hardest job on the earth. It is very stressful when you cannot calm your little blossom, especially in public, and every parent goes through this! So give us parents a break. We are doing the very best we can and on very little sleep!!
MamaBean commented on Dec 11 09 at 12:25 amMy friend who lives in Bklyn Heights actually witnessed this event — and characterizes the assault as a punch, not a slap. Whether it matters, who knows…
Anonymous commented on Dec 15 09 at 6:44 amKudos to the daddy for being the bigger person and not starting a brawl, but really, he should press charges. ANY unwanted physical contact (minus law enforcement :/ ) is considered battery.
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