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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Musical instrument in restaurant?

54 replies

DaviesMum · 15/01/2017 23:20

I was having lunch today with DM in a fairly quiet bistro/restaurant. It's not billed as family friendly, but it's not averse to families with children.

A politely spoken couple sat at the next table with their daughter, who looked to me to be about eight or nine. She was fairly insistent on showing "daddy" every time she won a level on her Nintendo DS although this didn't bother anyone as she was wearing headphones. What did bother both me and everyone else was her insistence on whipping out a harmonica and playing a riff on it every time her parents didn't pay her attention. The parents sat and smiled adoringly, but didn't seem to see this as a problem despite more and more people beginning to glare at the little bitch angel.

AIBU to think this is not on? I thought this was just free range rudeness, absent some more obvious explanation for this. When I fixed her mommy dearest with a pointed look, she simply stared right through me like it's perfectly acceptable to allow a child to do this when people are eating/talking right next to her. To make it worse, they all ate with their mouths open Hmm

OP posts:
SadTrombone · 16/01/2017 00:44

Rachel
So it is! Perhaps I have an obsession and hadn't realised haha 📯🎺 (no trombone emoji - a travesty!

RockyBird
My bet would be that no, she didn't. As it's clearly much more productive to name-call a small child on the Internet...!

stoopido · 16/01/2017 00:54

YANBU about the harmonica but the parents could probably see you were annoyed so played on it. If you were glaring at me in a restaurant than I would be playing you at your own game. You seemed more engrossed in the family than you did your own friend.

misshelena · 16/01/2017 01:43

Yup, free range rudeness is right.

But you should have said something to the parents rather than glaring at them. I bet they thought you were crazy.

kissmethere · 16/01/2017 02:06

That's ridiculous. I have NEVER seen anything like that or would expect that staff would tell the parents it was bothering people.
Why do you call her a little bitch? That's really a nasty thing to say about a child and you sound like a nasty person due to that.

kali110 · 16/01/2017 02:39

That would drive me insane.
I would have said something ( or said very loud comments about it).
Wth would the parents let her play it in a restaurant?
As Long as they are all happy i suppose... ( forget anyone else)

BitOutOfPractice · 16/01/2017 05:46

A Nintendo ds? Did this happen in 2005?

I didn't even get to the---- nasty bitch comment. You lost me there.

Megatherium · 16/01/2017 06:21

Did you complain to the staff or the parents?

sleepachu · 16/01/2017 07:09

didn't you find it sad at all that her insistence on whipping out a harmonica and playing a riff on it every time her parents didn't pay her attention.
That says a lot about the parents and even more of you for noticing she wanted the attention yet you still referred to a child as a bitch

Kids always clamour for attention. Doesn't mean they should have it every second. And it really isn't other customers' job to notice or care about an 8 year old that wants attention.

NavyandWhite · 16/01/2017 07:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaurieMarlow · 16/01/2017 07:45

OP have a word with yourself about using such disgusting language about a little girl. You should be ashamed.

The rest is annoying, but really, look to your own behaviour first.

harderandharder2breathe · 16/01/2017 08:37

The only bitch in this situation is you OP.

She's 8. If her parents are ridiculously indulgent that's in no way her fault.

Yabu to call a child names instead of politely asking the parents to remove the harmonica (or even asking the staff to ask them)

myfavouritecolourispurple · 16/01/2017 08:52

Personally I think an 8 year old knows that playing a harmonica in a restaurant may be a bit annoying for other people. Presumably she's at school and has been told that you can't always do what you want to and that there are times to be quiet even if her parents are overly indulgent.

myfavouritecolourispurple · 16/01/2017 08:53

A Nintendo ds? Did this happen in 2005?

? You see them all over the place, lots of kids have them. A bit difficult to carry xboxes around ;)

BitOutOfPractice · 16/01/2017 09:05

I haven't seen one for years and years. iPads / iPhones are the only thing I see now. My dd1 had one when she was 5ish. She's 17 now.

SadTrombone · 16/01/2017 11:31

BitOutOfPractise I have a Nintendo 2ds and have been known to occasionally play in public....
...I'm 25 BlushGrin

PimmsIsMyDrinkOfChoice · 16/01/2017 11:36

I'm really impressed at a child playing the harmonica.

Was it Bob Dylan, blues, or what?

BitOutOfPractice · 16/01/2017 11:40

Sadtrombone Smile my DD17 and DD13 occasionally play with theirs. But I wouldn't say I "see them all over the place" would you?

RortyCrankle · 16/01/2017 11:58

Why did you not say something since the death stare didn't achieve silence? 'Shut the fuck up' would probably have worked.

CripsSandwiches · 16/01/2017 12:56

Of course playing a harmonica in a restaurant is unreasonable but it's not the little girl's fault, 8 year olds are oblivious her parents should have told her not to.

sleepachu · 16/01/2017 19:00

8 year olds aren't oblivious! My 4 year old nephew wouldn't do that (well actually he completely would but he'd know it was naughty)

kali110 · 16/01/2017 22:39

I also see ds around a lot. 2005 Really? Most people with kids i know have them, along with a tablet or an ipad too.

Willyoujustbequiet · 16/01/2017 22:43

Its not the 8 year old child who is a bitch....

Strongmummy · 17/01/2017 12:02

Why didn't you just speak to the parents? Of course it's unreasonable to play a harmonica in a restaurant. However passive aggressive stairs are just pointless. So YABU for being so ineffective, then moaning about it on here......and calling an 8 year old a bitch

Strongmummy · 17/01/2017 12:02

Stares not stairs - ha ha!

ChuffMuffin · 17/01/2017 12:13

OP you should be directing your anger towards the parents for allowing her to do that, not the 8 year old herself. :(