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Original poster

Waitress lifted baby without asking

70 replies

cuppatea18 · 04/02/2018 15:50

Name changed...
Was out today at a local cafe that I've been at once before with a friend and my DD 9 months. My DD was in a high hair when one of the waitresses came over, made some baby talk with her and then actually tried to lift her out, she was strapped in obviously so the waitress seemed to give up.

We had our food and my friend had took my DD out and was holding her, the same waitress as before came out and literally lifted my baby from my friends arms and actually walked away with her!! She walked to the other end of the cafe and seemed to want to show my baby to the other customers! I followed her and asked politely for my baby back Hmm
The waitress never asked me if she could do any of this btw.

Is this not totally uncalled for and inappropriate?

OP posts:
userofthiswebsite · 04/02/2018 15:53

Quite odd...

foodiefil · 04/02/2018 15:55

Quite familiar. How old was she?

NoodlesAreYum · 04/02/2018 15:55

Was she British? This is really common overseas. When my eldest daughter was a baby the girls in the supermarket in West Africa used to take her off me and I wouldn’t see her again until I was paying at the check-out!

foodiefil · 04/02/2018 15:57

Yeah I wondered that too @NoodlesAreYum

KarmaStar · 04/02/2018 15:57

Not acceptable,hell she could have been handing your baby to anyone.
She needs to be spoken to by management about appropriate people skills,i.e. not walking off with a stranger's baby!
Did you say anything OP or too surprised at the time?

PeonyTruffle · 04/02/2018 15:59

Yeah weird.

When my DS was about 7 months, the waiter in Pizza Express took him off to the (open) kitchen to see the chefs and he came back with a rather fetching paper chefs hat.

That was also weird, he meant no harm and was perfectly friendly but I was still a bit Confused

IHaveBrilloHair · 04/02/2018 16:01

When I took Dd to Indonesia when she was a baby she was constantly whisked away, I didn't mind Tbh, I got to finish my meal in peace.

Original poster
cuppatea18 · 04/02/2018 16:02

No @NoodlesAreYum in the UK.
I couldn't say anything at the time as I was completely took by surprise. I've told my DH and he phoned to speak to whoever was in charge and it turns out the waitress who did it is the assistant manager. She denied walking away with my DD and couldn't understand why I was annoyed.
She said she was helping me as we were getting ready to leave. Hmmm
The manager is back tomorrow so will speak to them then.

OP posts:
DullAndOld · 04/02/2018 16:05

yeh it's weird and cheeky , never mind what people do in West Africa or Indonesia.
I would complain to the manager.
She wasn't "helping" you she lifted and took your baby away from you, without asking...it's not normal behaviour.

Hoppinggreen · 04/02/2018 16:07

Happens a lot in Spain.
Once a waitress lifted DS out of his high chair when he was about 6 months old and took him off into the kitchen.
We visit 4 or 5 times a year as we own a property there but luckily Pfb was 2 when we bought it so it didn’t happen so much ( although restaurant staff often took her off for an ice cream) and by the time we had nsb ( neglected 2nd born) I didn’t mind.
It’s unusual in this country though and I can see why it could have made you fee uncomfortable

SauvignonBlanche · 04/02/2018 16:08

WWID?

I'd forget about it

PerfumeIsAMessage · 04/02/2018 16:11

Please never go to Italy or Spain.

Whatever the woman's nationality, was she trying to harm your baby or be nice?

NoodlesAreYum · 04/02/2018 16:13

Why did your husband call today? Couldn’t you speak up for yourself yesterday? I don’t understand what the problem is really. You knew her intentions were kind so why not take it as it was meant?

andadietcoke · 04/02/2018 16:14

This happened to me once in Nando's. I cried out of gratitude and tipped her £20. I was so touched by her help (I am not one to ask for help).

WeAllHaveWings · 04/02/2018 16:14

Unusual and familiar behaviour but not worthy of a complaint.

Hoppinggreen · 04/02/2018 16:16

Just read the update about your husband phoning up, is there a reason you didn’t do that yourself?
I would really forget it, you are making yourself ( and your DH) look odd

Original poster
cuppatea18 · 04/02/2018 16:16

@PerfumeIsAMessage I doubt she was trying to harm my baby, however it is completely inappropriate to take someone baby away from them.

OP posts:
Original poster
cuppatea18 · 04/02/2018 16:18

@NoodlesAreYum I didn't know what her intentions were, she never said anything. Just took her away to the other end of the cafe...it happened today. I didn't ask my husband to phone, I just told him what happened and he called without my knowledge.

OP posts:
Cauliflowersqueeze · 04/02/2018 16:18

Do you think her intentions were bad?

ALLIS0N · 04/02/2018 16:19

Another one saying it’s perfectly normal in many European cultures.

However if it bothers you , just stop it happening next time. No need to complain.

NoodlesAreYum · 04/02/2018 16:29

Well, there’s no harm done is there. She will hopefully have learnt that she should seek permission before doing something like that and you have maybe learnt that it is quite normal and friendly to do this in other cultures. Unsettling for you I know.

MumGoneMild · 04/02/2018 16:30

Cant believe your husband rang upShock

Regularsizedrudy · 04/02/2018 16:47

What do you think you will achieve by complaining exactly?

Original poster
cuppatea18 · 04/02/2018 16:49

@Regularsizedrudy it wasn't a complaint, but a comment that it was inappropriate. I would hope that it would prevent other mothers having their babies lifted from them by a stranger Hmm

OP posts:
YesitsJacqueline · 04/02/2018 16:51

Haha please never go to Italy!

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