No more Strollers at Union Hall

I could give a crap if bars allow kids or not. Personally, I think having kids at bars is retarded, but whatever.

I find the attitude that people have _the right_ to bring their kids, and that a bar shouldn't be able to 86 kids and strollers if they feel like it to be unfathomable.

From an email on Park Slope Parents today, where there is an ongoing discussion about "babies in bars": I have to say it is very nice that this debate is being discussed in a calm and intelligent way here on the list serve as opposed to the hysterical blogs and sensational news stories. I had a drink the other night with a girlfriend at Union Hall and we spoke with a server who said the problem is that the strollers people were bringing in were cutting off the flow of traffic and blocking tables for other customers and servers. Also, there had been incidents where adults were allowing their toddlers to run around the bar, which was nerve racking for the staff and irritating to other customers. I believe it is a liability issue as well as that bar is certainly far from child proof with multiple doors, staircases, and of course bocce. I think it is not a problem to bring your child for a quick stop as long as they are well behaved and supervised, we have done this before at The Gate and Union Hall and had good experiences.

i like my bars to be filled with adults. if there are toddlers, i'll feel bad throwing around my normal potty-mouthed vocabulary. i don't think i should have to watch what i say in a bar.

and caseopele, yes.

WTGirl wrote: [quote=brooklynpotter]
what if i went hang out on one of the jungle gyms at the 3rd street playground with a group of adult friends and their tots and a picnic that included a few bottles of wine? how quickly do you think we'd be asked to leave? is alcohol even allowed there? more so, please tell me who gets angry that this childrens' venue isn't set up for happy hour?

It is against NYC law for an adult to be in a playground if not accompanying a child.
It is aganst NYC law to bring alcohol into the playground (and actually in the park or on the street isn't it)?
I think that was her point.

OnEasternParkway wrote: [quote=Carnivore][quote=WTGirl][quote=brooklynpotter]
what if i went hang out on one of the jungle gyms at the 3rd street playground with a group of adult friends and their tots and a picnic that included a few bottles of wine? how quickly do you think we'd be asked to leave? is alcohol even allowed there? more so, please tell me who gets angry that this childrens' venue isn't set up for happy hour?

It is against NYC law for an adult to be in a playground if not accompanying a child.
It is aganst NYC law to bring alcohol into the playground (and actually in the park or on the street isn't it)?
I think that was her point.

But certainly you can see that these comparisons do not work. The prohibition on solo adults in a playground has nothing to do with "keeping kid places for kids and adult places for adults" and everything to do with the potentially nefarious intentions/connotations of adults hanging around a playground, sans child.

Yeah, but it's fair to use that to make the point
"where are the adults supposed to go with their adult behavior if not a bar"

I too am down with the reasonableness expressed in

iamasloper wrote: From an email on Park Slope Parents today, where there is an ongoing discussion about "babies in bars": I have to say it is very nice that this debate is being discussed in a calm and intelligent way here on the list serve as opposed to the hysterical blogs and sensational news stories. I had a drink the other night with a girlfriend at Union Hall and we spoke with a server who said the problem is that the strollers people were bringing in were cutting off the flow of traffic and blocking tables for other customers and servers. Also, there had been incidents where adults were allowing their toddlers to run around the bar, which was nerve racking for the staff and irritating to other customers. I believe it is a liability issue as well as that bar is certainly far from child proof with multiple doors, staircases, and of course bocce. I think it is not a problem to bring your child for a quick stop as long as they are well behaved and supervised, we have done this before at The Gate and Union Hall and had good experiences.

I don't necessarily think it's the strollers people object so much as the little kids.

I love children but when I want to unwind I don't go to Chuckie Cheese. I go to a bar.

VerucaSalt wrote: I don't necessarily think it's the strollers people object so much as the little kids.

I love children but when I want to unwind I don't go to Chuckie Cheese. I go to a bar.

nobody goes to Chuckie Cheese to unwind.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=Jamzer][quote=VerucaSalt]I don't necessarily think it's the strollers people object so much as the little kids.

I love children but when I want to unwind I don't go to Chuckie Cheese. I go to a bar.

nobody goes to Chuckie Cheese to unwind.
I'd imagine it's difficult to fully relax in an environment that's entirely coated in body fluids.

Tell me about it! Last time I was at Jackie's 5th, I tells ya! :roll:

Carnivore wrote: [quote=Jamzer]

nobody goes to Chuckie Cheese to unwind.

I'd imagine it's difficult to fully relax in an environment that's entirely coated in body fluids.

too much like work?

Carnivore wrote: [quote=Jamzer][quote=VerucaSalt]I don't necessarily think it's the strollers people object so much as the little kids.

I love children but when I want to unwind I don't go to Chuckie Cheese. I go to a bar.

nobody goes to Chuckie Cheese to unwind.
I'd imagine it's difficult to fully relax in an environment that's entirely coated in body fluids.

**************************

Then stay out of the mens room

Jamzer wrote:
Some places clearly are not appropriate for kids. Dark, loud, crowded or divey places should be child-free. But hopefully parents know this.

obviously, if all parents knew this, there wouldn't be the constant barrage of threads here (and everywhere else) about kids/babies/strollers being places where they should or should not be.

who gets to decide which bars? well, the union hall guy tried to decide and got vilified. i feel sorry for him, getting targeted that way by the stroller mafia. i really do. that's just wrong.

did all the moms tire of the tea lounge? seriously, i was reading about this on gowanus lounge as well as smartmom's column in brooklyn paper... one woman was all, "my apartment is only 625 square feet and my cat is 19 and deaf and we need to get out of the house!",,, christ, move to the suburbs. that's where we lived, and my mother used to take me to the children's room at the library. then to a friend's house for what's now called a "play date". we played, the mom's had gin and tonics. so i'm not saying kids shouldn't be around people who drink, just not bars.

i think i should be able to make that blanket statement, otherwise it's filled with gray areas. like which bar can, and can't be, a place for babies.

i love you.

Jesslope wrote: I hate kids in bars. I don't give a crap if it's an infant, a toddler, or a 10 year old. Get the hell out. That is my personal opinion. But, also, I hate kids in restaurants and shopping malls and supermarkets and in the subway and on the street. So, I'm not really one to judge.

As is the case in general, people are rude and don't think about anyone around them. And, people with kids are not only rude themselves, they bring a small mini rude thing with them. Who yells. And runs. My mother would never have let me run around and scream and disturb other people when I was a child.

But, also I can see it from the other side. I can see places having certain allowances and rules. Hell, if I have kids one day, I might want to go somewhere social and welcoming. I will still want to throw other peoples' children against a wall. But, I'd want to throw the rude, moronic, inconsiderate parents against the wall more.

For now, if I see a child in a bar, I will either throw up in my mouth, sneer at my friends, or just leave and never come back. Or a combination of all of those.

I love you too. I worship you.

Carnivore wrote:
I'd imagine it's difficult to fully relax in an environment that's entirely coated in body fluids.

I see it's been a while since you've been to the womb.

I agree there is no justification for anyone to kick a child but if you read through the description of this incident it should be posted on that site.."I Saw Your Nanny" (doing bad things). This kid was allowed to go in to the playground by himself, the sitter who remained outside the playground was distracted for a while talking to someone else and then when she enters the playground she is LOOKING for the kid. This is a small playground so it isn't like letting your child run in to Prospect Park by themselves and going in to find them five minutes later but you have to agree this isn't the supervision that should be given to a 5 year old child.

I am laughing at myself as I am reading this because it is sounding like a posting more likely to be put up on PS Parents group.