I haven't abandoned the thread...my laptop is on the fritz.
In the grocery store, I regularly hear the high-pitched shrieks of some kid...now, I may not mind it so much if the kid's mother (it's usually the mother) didn't completely ignore it. My own parents would not have tolerated that from me at all.
But kids in grocery stores, department stores, "family-style" restaurants, etc., don't bother me. It's when people bring their kids into places where the kids have no business being - clearly adult restaurants (The Melting Pot, e.g.), bookstores (not all kids, but ones under 5 years old, certainly), coffee shops, bars, etc. It reminds me of this phenomenon of bringing your dog everywhere you go. Dogs don't belong in a restaurant or Lowe's (service dogs, yes, but I've seen people bring their shih tzus in there - there's no way that's a service dog). And I would never dream of bringing a pet to someone's house when I go visit, yet some people think nothing of that, either.
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