KIDS IN BARS

Why is it, so many parents insist on bringing their children to bars. This isn't something new. It's been going on for ever. Remember the days of smoking in bars. You'd still see parents haul their kids into the taverns while they drank and puffed away. I was always uneasy about that.

But, even though smoking is banned in New York City bars, I'm still uncomfortable about seeing children in bars. Such was the case the other day. Three adult women strolled into Angry Wades with 5 children. Five! All under the age of 6.



Okay, so there's no smoke, but there's plenty of alcohol. They're exposed to cursing men pounding down beer and whiskey and doing shots. Echoing through the room, stuff like: "Holy shit," "Fuck you," "God Damn it," etc. This isn't a restaurant masquerading as a bar, this IS a bar. They swear like sailors in here.

But, there's more than the swearing and the booze. These kids are running around like it's the playground at Carroll Park. They're filling up their plates with the free popcorn and they're running around the pool table. The women who brought these little terrors to the pub are only sipping on beers, so they're not getting drunk. Thank God! Two of the five women appear to be pregnant. Don't even get me started about pregnant women drinking alcohol.



But, the biggest issue I have with these kids is that they're just downright annoying. Children yelling, running back and forth, throwing temper tantrums, and in a few cases messing with the pool table. One kid was having a hey day stuffing the little blue cubes of chalk down the holes. Another was throwing around popcorn like it was confetti. But, the parents just laugh it off. They're just kids. Give'm a break, they say. No, these are irresponsible parents, the same type that insist on bringing their toddlers to movie theaters to watch an adult film or drag their misbehaving children out to a nice restaurant. Show a little courtesy and respect, alright!