to think you don't let your kid shoot people in the supermarket?

[DonkeyHohtay]

Busy Saturday morning in the supermarket. Boy of about 8 with his Dad. Dad busy filling his basket and behaving perfectly normally.

Boy has a large, black plastic gun. Rifle type rather than a pistol (I'm not a gun expert). Boy is holding gun up to his shoulder, looking down the length of it, pointing it at people and saying "bang bang you're dead". When boy pointed it at me I said - perfectly politely - "Please don't point that at me, I don't like guns".

Father looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

AIBU to think that the supermarket on a busy morning isn't the place for toy guns??

Full disclosure - I'm not a gun fan. Although who is. My kids have in the past had those large "Nerf" type guns which are bright orange and could never be mistaken for a real one. The rules were always that shooting the little foam things at people was not allowed. The had hours of fun in the garden trying to hit a tree or something. This wasn't a gun like that. It was a toy gun, but a black one made to look like the real thing.

AIBU to be a wee bit shocked and think this was completely inappropriate?

There's some really inadequate parenting on this thread where posters spout off that 'it's just a kid playing and if you don't like it, ignore it".

Your child's right to run about and do as they like ends where they encroach on other people. Not rocket science really, is it?

People wouldn't give their children toy cigarettes to smoke (or at least, not since the 1970s)

You wouldn't give them fake heroin to inject with a toy syringe.

You wouldn't encourage them to play a game where they raped or tortured someone.

Why do you buy them toy guns for pretend shooting?

'I have a half-baked theory that young men involved in gun and knife crime didn't have much in the way of a safe, innocent exploration of masculinity through play with rules and regulations within the context of nurture and guidance.'

Yes that's the reason for crime gangs etc

Obviously.

Oh look at you all clutching those pearls 😂
It's a toy gun, it's a child playing. I'm really struggling to see the problem

Am I the only one who, when shot with a toy rifle, either goes into a slow agonising death or picks up his pretend revolver and launches a volley at the enemy?

This thread is bonkers
It really is

Nerf Wars were the best fun ever, my two went to a lot of Laser Quest birthday parties, and paintballing, as did their friends. They seem to be turning out to not be involved with gun crime gangs so far...

YANBU

Buster72, with children I know, yes. Strangers in a supermarket? No.

So is Woody from Toy Story a no no?

Yanbu op, the supermarket is not the place for fake guns at all. Not sure why people are giving you a hard time. That type of toy is ok in a private garden or something but not really in public where it can upset others. Basic manners and common sense surely?? Calmly just telling the boy to stop is fine, not an overreaction and maybe he will think a bit before doing it again?
I’m all for nerf, laser tag etc as well but a replica gun in the supermarket is a bit different

This is the most ridiculous thread ever, honestly a lot of you need to chill the fuck out and get some bloody perspective.
It’s a bloody harmless game, it’s not real! Why not play along and make a kid smile instead of strutting around with your noses in air bitch plopping your superior opinions on everyone.
Get a fucking life!

Am I the only one who, when shot with a toy rifle, either goes into a slow agonising death or picks up his pretend revolver and launches a volley at the enemy?

Nope (see my previous post), I like to let my playful side come out around kids even, God forbid, one's I don't know and who's true murderous intentions I might be unaware of!

Maybe they should target supermarkets to the type of shopper, best all round

My DM and DF were stopped by armed police while driving in their car, and shouted at to get out with their hands up!

Turned out the neighbour saw my brother's toy gun on the back seat of the car, thought it was real and phoned the police!

This was over 30 years ago 😂

Wouldn't give fake heroin/a syringe?

You mean a toy doctor's set is now offensive?

I die horribly and noisily if a small child sees fit to lighten up the drudgery of spending a Saturday morning that could have been gainfully used in protracted sleeping, sex or a two hour long bath in Waitrose by shooting me. I have had enemy engagements in the queue for the till and, on one occasion, it ended up with the Dad and I lobbing pretend grenades at one another. We both died into our respective trolley and the children went away delighted that other grown ups are just as juvenile like to play as much as their Dad.

It’s absolutely baffling to me that anyone can think that pretending to shoot people is a fun game for children. WTAF? Shooting people. Seriously, what?!

Well judging on the success of marvel and Star Wars I'd say kids today are generally thinking of shooting aliens or storm troopers in their games. The correct response is to pretend to die slowly.

YANBU. I'd have had the same response OP.

Not unreasonable to have opinions about toy guns as most people do, but I think you were being very unreasonable to say something about it!

I have been in a violent armed robbery (in another country) having a gun pointed at me in a supermarket would have upset me (my mind would tell me it's just a child, it's a toy etc. But that wouldn't stop my heart from racing, hands shaking etc)

I think a toy gun for a child is fine, if those they are pointing it at are involved in their game and playing along. I don't think pointing it at random strangers and pretending to kill them is good.

I think violent games and fantasy are an excellent way to help children learn about reality and a great way to open communication about tricky subjects and just let them play and get this sort of thing out their system in an innocent way.

Pretending to kill strangers in a public place could feel quite sinister to some people (like me who has some very scary memories) or someone who was just quite sensitive.

How the world changes.

When I was a kid, we got cowboy guns and so on. You also got chocolate smokers outfits. Cigars, matches, cigarettes, all made out of chocolate, so we could be like mum and dad.

Did you actually say that OP