Messy babies in restaurants poll

CousinVicki · July 2014

What do you do when your baby leaves a shitstorm of a mess behind on the floor.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

The user and all related content has been deleted.

deedee1017 · July 2014

I pick up what I can and leave the rest. I dont think the waiter should have to pick it all up.

sleepy33 · July 2014

I put SS b/c I haven't really dealt with this much yet, but I would pick up any dropped items, big pieces of food and leave a nice tip.

CousinVicki · July 2014

I have encountered far greater messes since doing BLW, and while I try to get anything within reach(as in on the table, chair) , i do NOT get down on the floor and clean shiz up. first of all, gross, i don't want to touch the floor, secondly, i am trying to get two kids out of a restaurant, normally with one screaming, i don't have time to climb under a table, nor am i leaving a bigger tip (i already tip well FYI), for the busboy to bring a broom over. come on!

huntjul · July 2014

Usually I give Clara one thing at a time at restaurants so she doesn't end up with more than a piece or two on the floor, so I don't pick it up. That said, we leave the high chair a mess, and I know they have to wipe it down. Sorry, it's just the way it works. Better that I let her eat and she be quiet and happy in the restaurant than put her in the chair and don't feed her... believe me.

CousinVicki · July 2014

Katie619 said:

I have encountered far greater messes since doing BLW, and while I try to get anything within reach(as in on the table, chair) , i do NOT get down on the floor and clean shiz up. first of all, gross, i don't want to touch the floor, secondly, i am trying to get two kids out of a restaurant, normally with one screaming, i don't have time to climb under a table, nor am i leaving a bigger tip (i already tip well FYI), for the busboy to bring a broom over. come on!

So you think your server wants to get on the floor and clean it up? Do you realize that the time they are spending cleaning up after you is taking time away from serving their other tables and holding up your now open table longer to get it clean? That is money out of their pocket. Not cool, CV.

they are the ones with brooms/dustpans, NOT ME. and wtf, they have busboys/girls (lol PC), who do this shiz. Don't they do this as a matter of course most of the time anyway? I am NOT going to fine dining restaurants with two kids. and i have to hustle and do extra work (possibly holding a screaming baby) to not take 'time away' from my server's other table? uhhh nope.

Ajoyd · July 2014

By the logic of "it's the wait staff's job to clean it up", you could theoretically leave a giant mess anywhere you go in public and just think "oh well, it's someone's job to clean it up", but would you really think it is okay to do that?

LC122 · July 2014

huntjul said:
Usually I give Clara one thing at a time at restaurants so she doesn't end up with more than a piece or two on the floor, so I don't pick it up. That said, we leave the high chair a mess, and I know they have to wipe it down. Sorry, it's just the way it works. Better that I let her eat and she be quiet and happy in the restaurant than put her in the chair and don't feed her... believe me.

I agree with giving less food at a time or altering mealtime to decrease messes, but I disagree with leaving the chair a mess. Why would it be "just the way it works"? Maybe that's just the way you work.

And why is putting her in a chair and not feeding her an option? Or why are those two points at odds? Your child can't be fed, quiet, happy and cleaned up after?

tashad18 · July 2014

I always pick up from my children, but I do also tend to avoid foods that will make a giant mess in the restaurant in the first place. While it is their job to pick up the table, I don't find it nice to make their job much harder than it needs to be.

CatieG · July 2014

I don't get down and scrub the floor but I pick up everything I can easily grab with a napkin...and then leave a good tip

ETA When I say "I" I actually mean DH ;;)

kimbo1216 · July 2014

SS. I clean up what I can when I can. If for some reason I need to leave before I've had a chance to clean up, I usually tip more because I feel bad.

And no. It's not the "waiter's job". That is terrible thinking if people really think that.

CousinVicki · July 2014

Ajoyd said:

By the logic of "it's the wait staff's job to clean it up", you could theoretically leave a giant mess anywhere you go in public and just think "oh well, it's someone's job to clean it up", but would you really think it is okay to do that?

of course not, this isn't a very good comparison! when i go to a table at a restaurant it's been cleaned, this is what happens every single time.

deedee1017 · July 2014

I don't think you need to lick your fingers and try to pick up the crumbs or get on your hands and knees and scrub the carpet, but not picking up the big pieces and as much of it as you can is pretty crappy.

pmarie33 · July 2014

I warn them ahead of time, then leave a bigger tip.

pmarie33 · July 2014

pmarie33 said:

I warn them ahead of time, then leave a bigger tip.

And by warn - I mean apologize if I don't get everything. He doesn't always make a mess.

taylormarie923 · July 2014

Sorry guys, but that is the staff's job. It is part of the dining industry, just as washing dirty dishes and wiping down tables is. Just because I ate a messy meal on my plate doesn't mean I need to take it to the bathroom and scrub it off before I leave. If you seat a kid at a table you know full well there will be a mess left behind. Also, 9 times out of 10 there is a busser or hostess to clean up, not a server, and they are pretty efficient at getting it cleaned up. Stacking your plates up and putting trash and utensils on the plates will actually speed up table turn around more than cleaning dropped food and broken crayons off the floor.

jennlin · July 2014

i pick up all the big pieces--pieces that if i were to sit down at a "new" table would not want to see. i'll leave crumbs, etc.

CousinVicki · July 2014

this thread is going exactly as planned!

trackgirlparis · July 2014

Seriously? I can't believe 19 people so far would just leave the mess. No attempt to clean it up at all? Remind me to never go to lunch with you.

taylormarie923 · July 2014

trackgirlparis said:
Seriously? I can't believe 19 people so far would just leave the mess. No attempt to clean it up at all? Remind me to never go to lunch with you.

If it is on the floor then no, I'm not touching it. But I try to keep messes to a minimum in the first place. When a family leaves a giant mess, it was like a second of "holy shit! Check out this mess!" Then you get down to business and get that shit cleaned. FYI they have to clean the high chair regardless of it you cleaned up for them. If the staff has an issue with cleaning a table then they are in the wrong line of work.

Being a courteous and pleasant customer is much more important IMO.

hlb622 · July 2014

I voted to leave it, but maybe I should have voted SS. I warn the server that we'll be messy, then try to do what I can to clean up. And then they always get a couple extra bucks per kid, especially when I'm with my nephews, too.

To say "it's their job," reminds me of when I worked in retail. People would throw rugs on the floor, take their shoes off (!), walk all over them, take the folded rug off the shelf and walk away. Mind you, 90% of the time, they leave multiple rugs behind on the floor. THAT, was absolutely NOT my job.

Same goes for women's fitting rooms. Fucking slobs.

CousinVicki · July 2014

Charlie1178 said:
Also, I had someone SHIT in the fitting room at the Kohl's I worked at.

txmom13 · July 2014

Dd had rice at one restaurant because it was a Cajun restaurant and everything was pretty spicy. There was quite a bit of rice on the floor. I cleaned up the table and stacked everything neatly, but didn't touch the floor. I left almost a 50% tip.

Tortillas are the other mess culprit. Usually a broom and dustpan grabs that up quickly. I give dd few pieces at a time to reduce #everythingmustliveonthefloor

taylormarie923 · July 2014

txmom13 said:
Dd had rice at one restaurant because it was a Cajun restaurant and everything was pretty spicy. There was quite a bit of rice on the floor. I cleaned up the table and stacked everything neatly, but didn't touch the floor. I left almost a 50% tip.

Tortillas are the other mess culprit. Usually a broom and dustpan grabs that up quickly. I give dd few pieces at a time to reduce #everythingmustliveonthefloor

Rice is the worst! I worked at a TexMex restaurant so regardless of if there were kids at the table or not, I was sweeping up tiny rice particles all day, son.

CousinVicki · July 2014

txmom13 said:

Dd had rice at one restaurant because it was a Cajun restaurant and everything was pretty spicy. There was quite a bit of rice on the floor. I cleaned up the table and stacked everything neatly, but didn't touch the floor. I left almost a 50% tip. Tortillas are the other mess culprit. Usually a broom and dustpan grabs that up quickly. I give dd few pieces at a time to reduce #everythingmustliveonthefloor

50%!??!? for rice??? good god.

txmom13 · July 2014

@CousinVicki‌
I felt bad. Plus the waitress was great and offered the rice and crackers and bread when she saw the other stuff wasn't child friendly.

chelseyestelle · July 2014

We are cleaning up a little here and there throughout the meal. We don't usually get the stuff on the floor but we will clean up the table and chair. He's not that messy yet anyway.

CousinVicki · July 2014

can we get back to someone pooping in a kohl's dressing room????

bkeane619 · July 2014

It depends how bad it is. I clean up table and stack dishes. I apologize if there is stuff on the floor but I do try to get the easy stuff.

taylormarie923 · July 2014

wedding06 said:
I clean up the big pieces. But my parents took us to a nice restaurant last night and I made sure to get every piece. It was hardwood so it was easy. But even at a chain family restaurant I pick up the larger pieces. Babies are not dogs but we clean up dogs messes, right? So why not clean up after our kid.

If my baby pooped on the grass, I would clean that up too.

CousinVicki · July 2014

wedding06 said:

I clean up the big pieces. But my parents took us to a nice restaurant last night and I made sure to get every piece. It was hardwood so it was easy. But even at a chain family restaurant I pick up the larger pieces. Babies are not dogs but we clean up dogs messes, right? So why not clean up after our kid.

my dogs leave no food to be found. not a crumb. i wish i could bring him to restaurants with me, this would solve all our food on floor problems easy peasy haha. slap on a 'working' dog jacket and get to work!

bkeane619 · July 2014

I worked in retail. Had someone piss, shit a couple times, and put my hand in cum on a dress. #notpartofthejobdescription
#thanksjcrew

Amjoy25 · July 2014

I was at a restaurant recently and was cleaning the floor and the waitress made me stop...I'm sure she has respect for me that I tried, but I'm guessing it looks bad for her to allow me to clean the floor.

CatieG · July 2014

CousinVicki said:

wedding06 said:

I clean up the big pieces. But my parents took us to a nice restaurant last night and I made sure to get every piece. It was hardwood so it was easy. But even at a chain family restaurant I pick up the larger pieces. Babies are not dogs but we clean up dogs messes, right? So why not clean up after our kid.

my dogs leave no food to be found. not a crumb. i wish i could bring him to restaurants with me, this would solve all our food on floor problems easy peasy haha. slap on a 'working' dog jacket and get to work!

@CousinVicki‌ you need to move to Germany. You can bring your dogs to restaurants! The same is true for most European countries, actually. We've been eating outside in beer gardens recently so cleaning up after the kids hasn't even been on my mind. The dogs are always with us!

bkeane619 · July 2014

Charlie1178 said:
@bkeane619‌ , I also dealt with piss, and diapers, but never cum. I have a completely different respect for retail workers after working at kohls. But, I will never, ever, ever work retail again.

People are disgusting and disrespectful

muffyvonmuff · July 2014

I over clean and over tip. I also bring my own highchair thinggy. That being said I don't get on my hands and knees to clean the floor.

bkeane619 · July 2014

Snowboarderbritt said:

Charlie1178 said:
@bkeane619‌ , I also dealt with piss, and diapers, but never cum. I have a completely different respect for retail workers after working at kohls. But, I will never, ever, ever work retail again.
What is wrong with people?? We never had stuff like this happen when I worked at REI. All the people that can afford clothes there I guess are just yuppies, so it figures. Ha

J.Crew is pretty yuppie

bkeane619 · July 2014

Snowboarderbritt said:

bkeane619 said:

Snowboarderbritt said:

Charlie1178 said:
@bkeane619‌ , I also dealt with piss, and diapers, but never cum. I have a completely different respect for retail workers after working at kohls. But, I will never, ever, ever work retail again.
What is wrong with people?? We never had stuff like this happen when I worked at REI. All the people that can afford clothes there I guess are just yuppies, so it figures. Ha
J.Crew is pretty yuppie
That is where you worked with all that stuff going down??? Was this in NYC or something? Or J.Crew is pristine. A lot of my friends work there and never had issues that I have heard of. Yuck! Is it attached to a mall or something? Those ones usually are more sketch.

In a mall

bkeane619 · July 2014

Actually all were adults!

GearUp · July 2014

I voted left the mess. I clean up big pieces and the table, but I leave the mess on the floor and in the high chair.
I leave a larger tip to compensate.

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