Parents leaving food on restaurant floor

[apples83]

I was at a restaurant the other day for lunch. Next to me was a family with a baby, who was sat in a highchair. Underneath the highchair the floor was covered in food - fragments of bread, potato, peas and other bits. There was so much that it almost looked like the baby had chucked a bowl of food onto the floor. Sitting in close proximity at the next table, it wasn’t very pleasant to look at while I was trying to enjoy my own meal.

AIBU to think the family should have cleaned up the food and not just let it sit there for the entirety of their meal? I know the waiter could have done it, but they probably didn’t want to disturb the child in the highchair. I also feel that if you create that much mess in a restaurant, you should at least offer or try to clean it up yourself and not expect the restaurant staff to do it. It’s just good manners.

AIBU?

YANBU

There's a very similar thread to this regarding the Harvester photo that went viral.

I'm a childminder, I also have my own 2 children, and have always cleaned the floor when they make a mess. Its disgusting what some people expect staff to clean up after them, even when they don't have babies with them.

Did they know it has dropped?
They could have tried to pick it up but you didn't have to keep looking at it. Unfortunately babies make mess when eating and a lot of it.
To put you off your meal is a bit OTT.
Do you have DC?

There's a very similar thread to this regarding the Harvester photo that went viral.

Yes, that’s what reminded me of my own experience. Some people are just grim and have no consideration for others! I wish I could have asked to sit somewhere else, but the restaurant was exceptionally busy.

I make an attempt but unless it’s large items it can be difficult without a dust pan and brush which obviously I don’t carry around. Crumbs and that!

YANBU. It’s disgusting. I have a baby who’s been eating solids for a few months. When we go out she makes a bit of a mess and I always ask for a dustpan and brush or a cloth and leave the table, high chair and floor as clean as I can. Every time it’s happened the staff have been shocked and offered to do it, making me think people don’t often do it. Our mess, I’ll clean it up.

They could have tried to pick it up but you didn't have to keep looking at it.

I was sitting next to them for 1.5 hours and at no point did they attempt to clean it up. They definitely knew it was there as it was impossible to miss. I get that babies drop food, but parents should clean up after themselves and not expect the staff to do it for them. And as for not looking at it, it was in my direct line of sight so impossible to ignore!

Absolutely the parents should have cleared the floor when the baby was finished eating or before they left the table but YABU to think they should have been doing it while trying to eat themselves. You must be very sensitive if seeing food on the floor is an issue for you.

Once as a waitress I had to clear a plate which had a used nappy bundled up in used baby wipes piled on top! And a a regular occurrence once a week-ish was was food just tipped onto the table for baby led weaning style dining. So toast and egg mashed into the table, floor and high chair.

This was in a ‘trendy mum’ type cafe.

YANBU to expect that they clean it up, at least as best as they can. YABU if you think they should do it straight away.

I usually do it as we leave. I use the napkins, which I have normally needed for the rest of the meal so scoop everything I can into a napkin to get all bits up, it’s not perfect but gets most up.

I have often been stopped by staff who say it’s fine and they expect to do it and will just get a brush, but I think it’s good manners to at least try! Several times people have commented, which makes me realise it’s not necessarily the norm to clear up - that’s not right.

Also I find I’ve sometimes been the last to leave with friends and ended up clearing up the mess their children have left - I resent that unless I know they’ve rushed off due to some issue.