Miss Handley, of Birch Avenue, Tolladine, was having lunch in the cafe on Monday December 9 with her three children – Calum, 12, Oliver, five, and Archie, 11 months – when she went to change her baby’s nappy.
While she was walking towards the bathroom, Oliver was following a few steps behind.
She said: “All I heard was somebody shouting and I turned round and saw my son had dropped a small piece of litter – a cookie wrapper out of Asda’s lunchbox range.
“And when I saw that he had done that I said I was sorry, and went to pick it up.
“The member of staff gritted his teeth and said Oli had just dropped it. I apologised again and he snatched it up and slammed it in the bin.”And did she sit there over a cup of tea, face burning with the shame of having her child’s disobedience on show in public?
Reader, she did not…
After she had seated her children she went to speak to the member of staff. She said she explained that Oliver was autistic and found it difficult in supermarkets and that she was not happy with how he spoke to her son.I’m not happy that, when I shop, I’m surrounded by mothers breezing about the aisles, usually glued to their mobiles, while their undisciplined spawn run riot. Who should I complain to?
I mean, I’d try the fathers, but I doubt the mothers could do more than vaguely describe them…
The store offered her a £5 goodwill voucher and Oliver his choice of toy but she refused and said she wanted a written apology and better training for staff so they could deal better with people who have disabilities.Well, of course! Heaven forbid that anyone should think your children are just litterbugs. No, they have an illness. They are entitled to drop litter and never ever be admonished…
And do you really want to get into a war with a supermarket chain?
A spokesman for Asda said the member of staff had to replace four meals for other people in the restaurant as the children were throwing food, and that although there was no CCTV in the cafe there was in the store itself and the children were seen unsupervised in the toy and DVD aisles.
He added: “We’d hate to upset anyone who visits our store. We’ve given Miss Handley a £5 gesture of goodwill and also offered her son a toy from the store. If she would like to get in touch with us again we’re more than happy to talk this through with her.”
Miss Handley denied that her children were throwing food and has written to the store management.Personally, I hope ASDA release the CCTV…
There is much to be said for Ikeas idea of having a supervised play area for the kids so Mum and Dad can look round the shops in peace.
ReplyDelete"...while their undisciplined spawn run riot..."
ReplyDeleteCorner of trolley in side of head.
Just looked at the picture, in my experience autistic kids don't like physical contact, he's virtually glued to his big brother!
XX when she went to change her baby’s nappy. XX
ReplyDeleteWhy was she wearing a babys nappy?
XX After she had seated her children she went to speak to the member of staff. She said she explained that Oliver was autistic and found it difficult in supermarkets and that she was not happy with how he spoke to her son. XX
ReplyDeleteSo, maybe if they were all forced to wear some kind of mark... lets say a yellow star of David type device, then we would all know WHICH little bastards we should not snot....right?
Other than that, how the fuck are real people meant to know, and even so, who gives a fuck any way?
A disrespectul, snotty, misbehaving, undiciplined little bastard is all that REGARDLESS of what hobby illness it has.
"There is much to be said for Ikeas idea of having a supervised play area for the kids..."
ReplyDeleteIn the basement..? ;)
"Just looked at the picture, in my experience autistic kids don't like physical contact, he's virtually glued to his big brother!"
Indeed! :/
"So, maybe if they were all forced to wear some kind of mark.."
:D