Ringing In 2008

Last night we headed to the local casino which was, of course, packed. We got there early enough that we got a small table and some comfy chairs on the balcony overlooking all the action. There was 5 of us sitting in our circle. This group of about 6-8 adults came and sat behind us … with their 5 kids! The kids looked like they ranged from about 4-11, and the youngest one had one of those party favors that you blow and the paper rolls out and back up and it makes an obnoxious noise. You can imagine how much he was blowing that thing! Then 2 of the other boys who looked to be about 6 or 7 must have had about a gallon of sugar throughout the day because they ran around from the time they got there to the time they left at 12:30 am. One of them bumped my friend and made her spill her wine on her dress.

A short while later, an older woman sitting near us told the kids to go away, she was sick of them. The father of whichever one it was got in her face and was quite an arsehole. Then we got in on it with him. One of the women said that area was a kid designated area, to which my friend responded, “Yes, but it’s still not a playground!” The father said, “They’re just kids. Kids will be kids. They’re just trying to enjoy themselves.” I said, “We’re trying to enjoy our evening too, but we can’t hear our friends talk over the whistle your kids blowing” and my friend added that he had bumped her several times, spilling wine on her dress. The father said he’d buy her another bottle, so she told him what she was drinking, but of course he didn’t buy one.

They finally tried to take a little bit of control over their kids, at least they stopped them from going near us “mean” people. I don’t care what you call me, just keep your kids under control! The only other “kids” I saw there were older – maybe 13-16, and they sat with their parents and enjoyed the entertainment. I can’t imagine how selfish and inconsiderate you have to be to take 4-7 year olds (the 11 year old wasn’t really a problem at all) to a casino that you know will be crowded on new years eve, and just let your kids run around all over the place. The father even said to another of our friends, “I’m telling them to calm down, calm down, but they’re kids.”

As if that’s not bad enough, I was in line at the ladies room and one of the women was in front of me, and one came in at the back of the line with the 4 year old who must have belonged to the woman in front. He went through to her, then proceeded to go and look under the stall doors. What did the mum do? She stood there, not 10 feet from him, saying his name over and over, not followed by “don’t do that” or “come here” just his name. She didn’t go grab him and stop him. Then I hear the other woman say, “Just ask if you can go next, he’s a kid, he can’t hold it.”

Kids may be kids, but you can’t use that excuse for not having any control over them. I guess arseholes will be arseholes too, and there’s gotta be at least 1 of them at every place. I just don’t understand why they have to sit near me!